Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Lorna McKellar

@lornamckellar.bsky.social

1K followers 300 following 46 posts

PhD researcher. Thresholds for good status in marine ecosystem management. Bangor School of Ocean Sciences, CDT SuMMeR. Marine policy, ecosystem assessment, interdisciplinary research.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Lorna McKellar @lornamckellar.bsky.social · Mar 4

🚨 New research 🚨 (and the first paper from my PhD)

How do we define good vs. degraded marine ecosystems? Our study evaluated four methods for setting ecological thresholds—and not all are equally reliable. 🌊🧵 (1/4)

2 6 23

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Ocean Sciences @ Bangor University @sosbangor.bsky.social · 18d

A great day for the annual SOS beach trip with the new undergraduate students @bangoruniversity.bsky.social. Sandcastles were built, beach pictionary played, and much fun had by students new and old, and staff.

A picture of sandy beach flanked by rocky outcrops on both sides. The sun is shining, the sky is blue with a few clouds, and the sea is calm.

2 4

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Edd Hind-Ozan, Ph.D. @socialseas.bsky.social · 21d

Photographs of #FishingCommunities always speak to my heart. These are from Lithuania’s Curonian Spit.

One of the highlights of #ICESASC25 getting to view these at the conference dinner. 🇱🇹🐟

1 2 3

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Jan Geert Hiddink @jangeerthiddink.bsky.social · 19d

Starting the last day of my travel back from the #ICESASC25 in Lithuania (train ferry combo). The travel was fairly cheap with interrail with the ferry was only £126 return. But it does take 3 days 🙂 @sosbangor.bsky.social @icesmarine.bsky.social

1 1 11

Lorna McKellar @lornamckellar.bsky.social · 21d

👏👏👏

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Jan Geert Hiddink @jangeerthiddink.bsky.social · 21d

And she was shorted-listed for the best presentation award! @sosbangor.bsky.social

1 2 9

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Jan Geert Hiddink @jangeerthiddink.bsky.social · 24d

Great talk on using historical sources to map herring spawning grounds by @georginahunt.bsky.social for @projectfishistory.bsky.social.

1 5 12

Lorna McKellar @lornamckellar.bsky.social · 22d

Really enjoyed presenting my PhD work at #icesasc25 in Klaipeda, Lithuania - even at 9am the day after the conference dinner

Jan Geert Hiddink @jangeerthiddink.bsky.social · 22d

Great presentation by @lornamckellar.bsky.social from @sosbangor.bsky.social on how to distinguish between good and degraded state in marine ecosystems
#icesasc25

1 9

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Jan Geert Hiddink @jangeerthiddink.bsky.social · 25d

Great talk by Daniel van Denderen showing that fishing had resulted in an explosion of small pelagics #icesasc2025

1 7

Lorna McKellar @lornamckellar.bsky.social · Aug 6

'Notably, 11 out of 24 state features/criteria were not assessed in over half of the ecoregions' - my PhD work is evaluating methods for estimating thresholds for good status to address gaps in state assessments e.g., for GES under the #MSFD and #UKMS

Athanasios Nikolaou @thanasisnikolaou.bsky.social · Aug 3

Our article “What do we know about the state of European seas?” is now out in @consletters.bsky.social. In this study, we used all available #MSFD assessments to unveil the status of European Seas. @drangelborja.bsky.social @skatsanevakis.bsky.social
Find the article link at the post’s end.

1 4

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

MARUM @marumunibremen.bsky.social · May 20

Study on the prediction of approaching #tippingpoints
Research team recommends: Warnings of approaching #climate tipping points using statistical early warning signals have to be taken with a grain of salt ➡️ www.marum.de/en/Study-on-...

Study on prediction of approaching tipping points

www.marum.de

3 5

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Dr Chris Clements @expecocons.bsky.social · May 1

New paper out from @duncanobrien.bsky.social, will be particular interesting to those of you trying to understand #stability loss in real-world ecosystems

"Stability metrics behave predictably across data qualities but are sensitive to community size"

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Stability metrics behave predictably across data qualities but are sensitive to community size

Modern biodiversity monitoring is generating increasingly multidimensional representations of wildlife populations and ecosystems. It is therefore app…

www.sciencedirect.com

4 11

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Mara Fischer @marafischer.bsky.social · Apr 30

My first paper is out! 🥳🐠🐟

Prof Ceri Lewis @cezzalew.bsky.social · Apr 29

Fish are important benthic bioturbators too! Great new #ConvexSeascapeSurvey paper from our @exetermarine.bsky.social PhD student Mara Fischer. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

A functional assessment of fish as bioturbators and their vulnerability to local extinction

The seabed is one of the key ecological interfaces on the planet, exerting a major influence on global biogeochemical cycles. Biological processes suc…

www.sciencedirect.com

1 12 21

Lorna McKellar @lornamckellar.bsky.social · Apr 25

‘Taking the further step of correctly portraying scientific consensus as convergent evidence rather than scientists’ opinions will further the goal of showing why vetted and validated science is a crucial ingredient of policy decisions around the world.’

Science Magazine @science.org · Apr 25

"One concept that creates misunderstanding is 'scientific consensus.' It’s time to stop using this shorthand and make clear what it really means," argues @holdenthorp.bsky.social in a new #ScienceEditorial. scim.ag/4jH2WxK

A quote on a red background, "... consensus ... is not the result of opinion polls ... or a negotiated agreement ...." Attributed to H. Holden Thorp, Editor-in-chief, Science journals.

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

The Conversation UK @uk.theconversation.com · Apr 23

Only 9% of journalists working for national and transnational media come from a working class background.

New survey shows the extent of class privilege in UK journalism

Only 9% of journalists working for national and transnational media come from a working class background.

tcnv.link

1 12 26

Lorna McKellar @lornamckellar.bsky.social · Apr 22

(Not intentionally) but on this #earthday I presented my PhD work at my first webinar series. We had a great turnout and some interesting questions around the application of methods for estimating thresholds and the use of reference conditions. Thanks to the #SMMR organiser team for having me on 🌍

Lorna McKellar @lornamckellar.bsky.social · Apr 21

I'll be presenting my PhD work tomorrow online at 1pm BST for the SMMR webinar series - 'setting thresholds for good status in marine ecosystem management' - free to join www.smmr.org.uk/event/smmr-n...

SMMR-Net Webinar "Setting thresholds for good status in marine ecosystem management" - Sustainable Management of Marine Resources

Another free lunchtime Webinar, hosted by the Sustainable Management of UK Marine Resources Programme (SMMR).

www.smmr.org.uk

1 2

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Mark Dickey-Collas 🏳️‍🌈 @dickeycollas.bsky.social · Apr 15

RESTORATION of marine habitats & species: just out @icesmarine.bsky.social workshop report on enhancing understanding of restoration processes, success criteria, & factors affecting recovery rates. Pleased to have contributed to this useful new resource doi.org/10.17895/ice...

3 5

Lorna McKellar @lornamckellar.bsky.social · Apr 14

Saw my first (tiny) adder this weekend! Also not happy with me

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Lachlan Fetterplace @fiskeforbrains.bsky.social · Apr 11

"Mapping of Marine Protected Areas & their associated fishing activities in the Atlantic, Baltic, Nth Sea & Outermost Regions" We identified & characterised fishing activities in 800 #MPAs & assessed which activities are compatible with MPA conservation objectives 🧪🌎🦑🐠
data.europa.eu/doi/10.2926/...

Mapping of marine protected areas and their associated fishing activities (MAPAFISH) - Publications Office of the EU

The European Union (EU) Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 sets the target for protected areas in the EU at 30% of its sea area, one third of which needs to be strictly protected. While there is growing i...

data.europa.eu

4 12

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Bob Smith @anotherbobsmith.bsky.social · Apr 14

I am advertising two PhD studentships (part of the six that DICE is currently advertising).

PhD 1: Understanding and optimising local nature recovery networks in England. Deadline 11/05/25.

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Supervised by Bob Smith and Zoe Davies, funded by UKRI E3.

Understanding and optimising local nature recovery networks in England at University of Kent on FindAPhD.com

PhD Project - Understanding and optimising local nature recovery networks in England at University of Kent, listed on FindAPhD.com

www.findaphd.com

1 12 16

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Bob Smith @anotherbobsmith.bsky.social · Apr 14

PhD 2: Exploring scenarios for conservation areas to balance biodiversity and ecosystem services in the UK’s marine environment. Deadline 23/04/25.

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Supervised by Rachel Seary and Bob Smith, funded by Leverhulme.

Exploring scenarios for conservation areas to balance biodiversity and ecosystem services in the UK’s marine environment at University of Kent on FindAPhD.com

PhD Project - Exploring scenarios for conservation areas to balance biodiversity and ecosystem services in the UK’s marine environment at University of Kent, listed on FindAPhD.com

www.findaphd.com

1 3 7

Lorna McKellar @lornamckellar.bsky.social · Mar 31

esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... interesting paper on identifying 'tipping point' / non-linear pressure-state thresholds: "detectability was found to depend on both the shape of the threshold relationship and the statistical definition of the threshold location"

Evaluating the robustness of generalized additive models as a tool for threshold detection in variable environments

As global climate change and anthropogenic activities amplify widespread environmental variability, there is a strong need for management strategies that incorporate relationships between ecosystem c...

esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Giulia Ghedini @giuliaghedini.bsky.social · Mar 24

Very exciting news! In Sept 2025, I will move my lab to the School of Biological Sciences @monashbiol.bsky.social at #Monash University in Melbourne!

I am recruiting #PhD students to work on #ecological & #evolutionary dynamics of #phytoplankton #communities – find out more here giuliaghedini.com

FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY GROUP

Exciting lab news! In September 2025, the lab will move to the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. We will keep a presence at the Gulbenkian Institute for...

giuliaghedini.com

3 15 33

Reposted by Lorna McKellar

Science Magazine @science.org · Mar 24

Can you explain your doctoral research through interpretive dance?

The deadline for submissions to the 17th annual #DanceYourPhD competition is this week. Submit by 28 March for a chance to win $2000: scim.ag/4gKMnz9

6 26 85

Lorna McKellar @lornamckellar.bsky.social · Mar 11

Links to join and listen in to day 1 -

AM: www.fao.org/webcast/home...
PM: www.fao.org/webcast/home...