Karen R. Lips
@karenrlips.bsky.social
1.5K followers 1.8K following 210 posts

Ecology, global change, wildlife disease, tropical biology, science policy & diplomacy.

Karen R. Lips is a professor of biology at University of Maryland, College Park. Lips' work in the 1990s eventually contributed to the identification of the chytrid fungus as the primary cause of frog decline worldwide. .. more

Environmental science 54%
Geography 14%
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

davelevitan.bsky.social
EXTREMELY COOL BAT STUFF: A study out in Science today found that the greater noctule bat, Europe's largest, hunts and catches *migrating birds* while in flight. In at least one case, a bat climbed to more than 1200 feet, then chased a robin downward FAST until it caught it near the ground.
Greater noctule bats prey on and consume passerines in flight
Despite billions of passerines seasonally migrating during the night at high altitudes, only three bat species have been found to consistently tap into this rich prey resource. However, it remains unk...
www.science.org

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

iiasa.ac.at
🎉 Happy Birthday, IIASA! For over 50 years, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis has united science and policy to tackle global challenges - from climate and energy to data-driven sustainability - connecting the Global North and South through systems thinking. 🌍

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

lisaschipper.bsky.social
'In the [17th, 18th and 19th Cs] glaciers...were considered cursed by the devil in Alpine folklore, their advances linked to spiritual forces as they threatened hamlets and farmland.
...villagers [called] on priests to talk to the spirits of glaciers & get them to move....' bbc.com/news/article...
Before and after images show glaciers vanishing before our eyes
They are melting like never seen before, changing landscapes around the world beyond recognition.
bbc.com

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

jamesdinneen.bsky.social
I joined a team of ecologists wading through the muck of the Carolina coast in search of "ghost forests" killed by rising seas for @science.org. We were guided by a a new map that reveals millions of dead trees standing along the East Coast, marking an overlooked consequence of climate change...
AI reveals vast ‘ghost forests’ along U.S. coast
Machine learning method counts nearly 12 million dead trees, many likely killed by rising seas
www.science.org
nceas-ucsb.bsky.social
🚨 1 week left to apply to #EDSsummit

Data + environment + community. This will be our final year hosting the summit!

Oct 8 deadline → docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

#earlycareer #envdatasci #openscience #EDSsummit #ClimateData #EnvironmentalScience #OpenScience

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

thebulletin.org
As part of the budget proposal for NASA submitted earlier this year, the Trump admin proposed cancelling over 40 missions.

Agency employees have already been instructed to do the prep work for ending these programs, according to a NASA scientist.

More from @jessimckenzi.bsky.social. ⬇️
NASA missions at risk under the Trump administration
Some satellites slated for decommissioning are in the prime of life, and turning them off would be enormously wasteful, in addition to severely limiting scientists' ability to understand the planet.
thebulletin.org

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

iiasa.ac.at
🌐Science Policy & Member Relations Officer
Serve as the link between IIASA and our global member network; contribute to the office of IIASA Deputy Director General @karenrlips.bsky.social

All job openings: iiasa.ac.at/employment/j...

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

iiasa.ac.at
We’re hiring! Join IIASA and shape global solutions for a sustainable future. We currently have three exciting opportunities open across our programs ⬇️

karenrlips.bsky.social
JOB: Interested in international science, policy & diplomacy? Consider applying if you are Interested in Developing membership engagement, diversifying partnerships, raising visibility, & increasing scientific and policy impacts. iiasa.ac.at/employment/j....
Job openings
iiasa.ac.at

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

meadekrosby.bsky.social
Despite broad political support, one third of the nation's Climate Adaptation Science Centers will wind down in coming days due to lack of funds.

The Northeast, South Central, and Pacific Islands will be left without actionable science on drought, floods, wildfire, sea level rise and other hazards.
Trump officials shut off funding for climate adaptation centers
A third of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate Adaptation Science Centers are expected to drastically wind down and possibly close after Sept. 30.
www.washingtonpost.com
ipbes.net
IPBES @ipbes.net · 14d
DYK land- and sea-use change are key drivers of biodiversity loss? 🌿

At @iiasa.ac.at in Laxenburg 🇦🇹, IPBES authors are meeting to discuss these challenges through a spatial planning and ecological connectivity lens.

🌍🧪 #SpatialPlanningConnectivity https://www.ipbes.net/spatial-planning-assessment

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

wiko-berlin.bsky.social
Apply online by November 1st! Wiko Early Career Call for fellowships 2026/27 in the #NaturalSciences and #LifeSciences. Gain time to think during a 3–5 month #fellowship at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin – Institute for Advanced Study: wiko-berlin.de/fellow-werde... #cfa

kaycebell.bsky.social
Hi! We need lice for our diversity and adaptation project. Specifically, we need lice from zebras, camelids (camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, guanacos) & aardvarks. If you or someone you know might have lice, I'm happy to discuss our inclusive collaboration plans!
sites.google.com/nhm.org/anop...
Mammals & Lice
We are interested in understanding what drives host-parasite relationships. We are using the Anoplura (sucking lice) parasite and mammalian host system to generate a comprehensive sucking louse phylog...
sites.google.com

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

geoffdabelko.bsky.social
On this International Day of Peace, questions persist on peace and conflict connections to climate. Unfortunately the stakes will grow as more impacts felt and more responses (good, bad & ugly) play out. Ken Conca & I make case for wider lens than typical journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

colinschultz.bsky.social
Nations ratify the world’s first treaty to protect international waters

apnews.com/article/high...

If you want more detail understanding what the BBNJ is and how it fits in, we covered that a few years ago in:

Marine Protected Areas, Explained

hakaimagazine.com/features/mar...
Marine Protected Areas, Explained | Hakai Magazine
There’s nuance in how we protect our oceans; here are the details.
hakaimagazine.com
ingerandersen.bsky.social
The BBNJ agreement comes into force!

A victory for our oceans, planet and environmental multilateralism.

Now the work begins. Quick, effective implementation is key.

Our ocean is the foundation of our very existence. Today we took an important step to save not only our ocean, but also our future.

agloriasoria.bsky.social
The invasive form of Ae. #aegypti mosquito evolved within the Americas, after arriving from Africa ~320 ya. Our most recent paper is out @science.org. Years of work with collaborators all around led by J. Crawford! Great resource for the Vector Research community!.
www.science.org/content/arti...
How the yellow fever mosquito conquered the world
Aedes aegypti further adapted to life around humans when it arrived in the Americas, study of hundreds of mosquito genomes reveals
www.science.org

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

iiasa.ac.at
🤖🌍 Session 5 Recap | Science in Action
Speakers explored how AI & big data can transform climate resilience, land use, and science - while warning of risks. Highlights ⬇️ @royalsociety.org @ukri.org
#ScienceInAction #AI #Sustainability #IIASAUK

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

science.org
Pastoralism remains central to survival in the Turkana of northwest Kenya, where heat and water scarcity pose constant challenges. New research uncovers the genetic signatures that underlie adaptation to arid living in this pastoralist community.

Learn more this week: https://scim.ag/4nxcJbx
Young Turkana herders guide camels across Kenya’s arid landscape near Lake Turkana at sunset.