Trevor A. Branch

@trevorabranch.bsky.social

11K followers 280 following 1.5K posts

Professor at Univ of Washington @uwsafs.bsky.social I run models and synthesize data, love R graphics, and do research on the status of marine fisheries, fishing quotas, and blue whales @bluewhalenews.bsky.social

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Environmental science 66%

Geography 18%

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Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · Mar 19

Sorting out the history of whaling pressure on five populations of blue whales in the Indian Ocean and SW Pacific. So many years of work went into this monumental collaboration with many many coauthors. So pleased to see this paper finally published.
doi.org/10.1111/mms....

Blue whale news @bluewhalenews.bsky.social · Mar 19

Published! Our huge effort to obtain catch series for each of five overlapping populations of pygmy blue whales. Big collaboration with 30+ coauthors using spatial patterns of blue whale song (unique to each population) to figure out where each resides 1/n

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 21h

I think they are getting better all the time. I know the Leaf models prior to about 2018 were not great for battery longevity.

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 21h

Yeah once in 17 months we have had trouble where the listed range was not the actual range (freeway driving in winter) and it was very difficult to find a charger.

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 21h

We have a gas car for the zombie apocalypse.

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 22h

It's $225 more than I pay per year on my gas car.

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 22h

Gas prices vs prices for home-charging our electric car. It's a bit hard to compare since I use mostly public transport for my commute now, but the NY Times estimated an electric car in Washington state cost 23% of a gas car, for driving 100 miles. US average 44%. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/u...

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 22h

However, total own goal by Washington state: they charge a massive annual levy on electric-only cars of $225 for transportation electrification, and for electric vehicle renewal. Makes up for the big loss of revenue from gas taxes used to maintain roads.

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 22h

Maintenance so far on my Nissan Leaf (total over 17 months, 10K miles) has consisted of:
$30 for rotating tires
$20 for wipers
Adding air pressure on tires once when they got low

I probably need to check brake fluid too.

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 23h

Wouldn't use it on a longer trip (>100 miles) since the range of 145 miles varies by temperature and speed (high speed = high wind resistance = lower range). But in town the instant extreme acceleration is amazing making it so much fun to drive.

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 23h

I've been driving a Leaf for about a year now and love it. All of our in-town and local driving is now done in the Leaf and we maybe fill up the gas car every 1-2 months. Annoying and wasteful to drive to a gas station and wait in line and fill up, instead of just inserting the plug in our garage.

Reposted by Richard Waite

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 23h

Brand new electric Chevy Bolt for $29K with 262 mile range. Factor in close to zero costs for maintenance, and big savings on fuel, and this is a good option. Second-hand prices of electric cars are going to plummet for the shorter range Nissan Leafs
www.thedrive.com/news/the-202...

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt Edges Out Nissan Leaf To Become Least Expensive EV in US

Team Chevy found a few more miles of range, somehow, to compete with Team Nissan.

www.thedrive.com

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 1d

The issue with natural immunity is this: why do you want it? To protect yourself from the disease? But you are deliberating getting the disease to get natural immunity... so you get the disease to avoid getting the disease. Getting the vaccine to avoid getting the disease makes more sense to me.

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 1d

Next paper: handedness in sand dollars.

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 1d

Not the ones I am used to in South Africa: flat and under the sand most of the time.

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 1d

Sorry about Oregon, and yes, more like 70-7 as a likely score in the finals.

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 1d

Really? I had no idea!!! Always the same side? In which case you'd never expect barnacles on opposite sides of the same sand dollar.

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 1d

Super puzzling to me. I guess once they settle they don't need much food and can hang on for ages? Can't be easy to feed submerged in the sand most of the time.

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 1d

Bemused by the barnacle. Not much filtering of the water to do if you are mostly under the sand!

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 1d

[Talk] Understanding the past to help guide future restoration, George Pess and Tim Beechie: Thursday 15 Jan 4pm @uwsafs.bsky.social in Seattle. Another pair of incredible NOAA researchers that retired last year.

Reposted by Trevor A. Branch

Chris Mah @echinoblog.bsky.social · 1d

Probably one of more curious associations in West coast Pacific crustacean-urchin relations! A barnacle affixed to a sand dollar (Dendraster)! This happened on a LIVING sand dollar-spines still there. Never seen a paper that has "explained" it! One assumes larval attachment?? #echinoday

sand dollar with spines (brown) with a barnacle affixed to its left side

Reposted by Trevor A. Branch

Liz Neeley @lizneeley.bsky.social · 1d

Each Friday, I write a briefing on what is happening to American science & higher ed. 🧪 This was Year 2, Week 2:
- science budgets avoid catastrophic cuts, but NOT okay
- vaccination schedule hijacked & kids will suffer
- university mergers in Oregon & so much more

buttondown.com/liminalcreat...

Year 2, Week 2

Jan 3-9, 2026 the evidence of our eyes and ears

buttondown.com

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 2d

These orcas are on the brink, and so is the science that could save them

(Featuring @uwsafs.bsky.social professor Amy van Cise)
www.scientificamerican.com/article/thes...

These Orcas Are on the Brink—And So Is the Science That Could Save Them

Inside the desperate rush to save the southern resident killer whales

www.scientificamerican.com

Reposted by Joel A. Thornton, Trevor A. Branch

UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · 2d

Rivers cover more than 4 million miles of the U.S., but protections for them are piecemeal. Check out more on this new study co-led by University of Washington.

https://bit.ly/4qMlCzQ

@americanrivers.bsky.social @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwnews.uw.edu

The vast majority of US rivers lack any protections from human activities, new research finds

Rivers cover more than 4 million miles of the U.S., but protections for rivers are piecemeal, accounting for less than 20% of total river length and varying widely by region, shows a new study co-led...

bit.ly

Reposted by Kori Schake, Axel Bruns, Carl T. Bergstrom , and 9 more Kori Schake, Axel Bruns, Carl T. Bergstrom, John R. Hutchinson, Rosemary A. Joyce, Trevor A. Branch, Michael H. Whitworth, Kathleen Kennedy, Prokla Redaktion, Meredith Farkas, David Darmofal, Hansraj Gautam

Ravin Boodram @rvbdrm.com · 2d

BIG FIGHT AT POLAND’S WROCLAW ZOO!!!

Reposted by Rebecca Sear, Trevor A. Branch, Ben Kaden

Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 2d

New analysis: 0.25% of 2025 Bluesky posts contained citations to research...while only 0.000006% of X/Twitter posts did.

In raw numbers, X still has 2x the research-based posts that Bluesky does (though they are harder to find): but it took Twitter 10 years to get there vs just 2 years for Bluesky

Altmetric @altmetric.com · 3d

THREAD

The first full year of tracking research on @bsky.app

Hi, we are Altmetric, and we track how research is communicated across the web.

We now have one full calendar year of Bluesky research data and thought we'd have a looksie.

My name is Jeff meme with Altmetric replaced. Channing Tatum with his clothes on.

Reposted by Julie L. Lockwood, Trevor A. Branch

Julian Olden @oldenfish.bsky.social · 2d

National assessment of river protection in the U.S.

Article: doi.org/10.1038/s418...
Policy Brief: doi.org/10.1038/s418...
Rivers Explorer: map.myriver.americanrivers.org

Collaboration b/t American Rivers, Conservation Science Partners, Univ WA @americanrivers.bsky.social

Thread 👇 | DM for PDF

Image of river protection status in the United States

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Axel Bruns, Cathy N. Davidson , and 2 more Shannon Vallor, Axel Bruns, Cathy N. Davidson, Trevor A. Branch, Jesse D. Berman

Helen @helenmaryme.bsky.social · 2d

A group of young kestrels is startled by the presence of a butterfly. 🤣🤣🤣

Reposted by Trevor A. Branch

Katie Matthews, PhD @katieocean.bsky.social · 2d

61 undeclared boxes of haddock and the fine was only 750 Euro? That is stupidly low. #IUU #illegalfishing #fisheries

screen grab of story in quoted skeet saying that the inspector found hidden boxes of fish behind empty boxes and for that the fishing master was fined 750 euro

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 2d

Here are the top 10 most dangerous occupations in the US in 2023
www.bls.gov/charts/censu...

Reposted by Trevor A. Branch

David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 3d

This is your regularly-scheduled reminder, for no particular reason, that law enforcement is absolutely not the most dangerous profession in the United States. Fishing and logging are.

Reposted by Jesse M. Shapiro, Trevor A. Branch

Rebecca R Helm @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social · 3d

The world feels rough right now

So please enjoy this shrimp, filmed off Cozumel, Mexico. It may be a larval reef shrimp, but we don’t know what species or how long it lives or what it eats. The world is still full of wonder and beauty and mystery.

🎥 @pedrovalenciam scuba diver on Insta

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