Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Maria Beger

@mariabeger.bsky.social

1.9K followers 650 following 8 posts

conservation, coral reefs, biodiversity, fish ecology, spatial planning, climate

Videos

Environmental science 70%

Geography 19%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Maria Beger

Fiona Chong @fchong.bsky.social · Feb 26

Pinch me!!! Massive thanks to awesome (and long-suffering) supervisors Domino and @mariabeger.bsky.social !!! Also to the chair Africa Gomez and examiners Gal Eyal, Mati Patel for reading my thesis and asking interesting questions. @eeiathull.bsky.social

Domino Joyce @domino-joyce.fishsci.com.ap.brid.gy · Feb 26

Congratulations Fiona on passing your viva (with no corrections! 🙀 ) #coral #academicchatter #reef #scuba #greatbarrierreef #okinawa #nerc

Fiona taking a selfie with examiners Matishalin Patel and Gal Eyal on a screen via Zoom and chair Africa Gomez.

Fiona holding a congratulatory chocolate cake with a mock up of the figure from one of her papers made of sweets

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Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming, Maria Beger

Dr Simon Goodman @phoca-sapiens.bsky.social · Jun 26

How should we best design marine protected areas for megafauna with large range sizes? New work from Betty Boyse et al suggests we should include taxon-specific coverage since multispecies MPAs can't address all taxon-specific ecological needs 🧪🌍🦑🦭🐳🐟
doi.org/10.1111/csp2...
@mariabeger.bsky.social

Spatial conservation priorities for marine megafaunal predators: Multi‐taxon versus taxon‐specific approaches

Conservation for marine megafaunal predators needs to improve as they are key for ecosystem functioning. We show that different marine predator taxonomic groups have heterogeneous distributions resul...

doi.org

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Reposted by Maria Beger

Nature Ecology & Evolution @natecoevo.nature.com · May 8

Finally, Maria Beger @mariabeger.bsky.social wrote a great round up and call to action to save our seas and the life within them following the final episode of Blue Planet II communities.springernature.com/posts/at-the...

At the ocean crossroads: together we have the power to change threats into opportunities

Threats to our ocean ecosystems and the local and international conservation champions dedicated to save them, including YOU!

communities.springernature.com

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Reposted by Maria Beger

Hugh Possingham @hugepossum.bsky.social · Apr 30

What are our major political parties promising to halt extinctions? www.abc.net.au/news/science...

As election day nears, one topic has been largely ignored: the environment

With Australia in the grip of what many consider a biodiversity crisis, here's what the major parties have promised when it comes to nature laws and the environment.

www.abc.net.au

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Reposted by Maria Beger

Australian Society for Fish Biology @austsocfishbiol.bsky.social · Apr 3

#JobOpportunity in the #NT! The Northern Territory Government is hiring…

🎣 Senior Research Scientist
🗓️ Fixed (Temporary) - Full Time
💰$130,087 - $145,485

👀 jobs.nt.gov.au/Home/JobDeta...

🚨Deadline: Monday 28 April 2025

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Reposted by Maria Beger

Fiona Chong @fchong.bsky.social · Apr 2

We are onboard the French RV ANTEA for the next 3.5wks to explore the beautiful #reefs of Nouvelle Caledonie on the NSF-NERC funded DisKer project: Resolving dispersal kernels 🐠🚢🌏🌊. Day 1 of dives today! Watch this space. @mariabeger.bsky.social @bioscienceleeds.bsky.social

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Reposted by Maria Beger

PLOS Climate @plosclimate.org · Mar 13

Check out this PLOS Mini Collection featuring four articles that looks at the climate-security nexus through a land, water and food systems lens 👇

latitude.plos.org/2024/11/addr...

Addressing the climate security nexus using a land, water and food systems lens: a PLOS Climate Mini Collection - Latitude

PLOS Climate Section Editor for Agriculture & Food Systems Ana Maria Loboguerrero introduces a new Mini Collection Why are so many current…

latitude.plos.org

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Reposted by Simon Kirby, Maria Beger, Richard D. Gregory , and 2 more Simon Kirby, Maria Beger, Richard D. Gregory, Keith C. Hamer, Luke Rendell

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · Mar 7

New paper on the demographic drivers of cultural evolution in Great Tit song published today - epic work led by @nilomr.bsky.social with help from @andreaestandia.bsky.social Ella Cole & Sara Keen. Why did we do this, and what did we find? 🧵 follows: 1/n
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

The demographic drivers of cultural evolution in bird song

Social learning can give rise to shared behavioral patterns that persist as culture within animal communities,1,2 such as bird and whale songs and cet…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Reposted by Maria Beger

PLOS Climate @plosclimate.org · Mar 7

New on the Latitude blog: a round-up of some of the wide-ranging and interdisciplinary research and commentary on climate and coral reefs published in PLOS Climate.

latitude.plos.org/2025/03/cora...

Coral reef research in PLOS Climate - Latitude

Coral reefs are among our planet’s most complex and biodiverse ecosystems and play vital roles in social-ecological systems, but they are also…

latitude.plos.org

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Reposted by Maria Beger

Faculty of Biological Sciences @bioscienceleeds.bsky.social · Mar 3

Congratulations to Prof. @mariabeger.bsky.social who has won a Water Woman Award from water@leeds.

Not only has Maria secured competitive grants and driven research impact, she also consistently fosters an inclusive research culture 👏

biologicalsciences.leeds.ac.uk/biological-s...

Professor Maria Beger smiles at the camera.

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Reposted by Maria Beger

parkrunstats.bsky.social @parkrunstats.bsky.social · Mar 1

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus and Happy Parkrun day everyone.

Did you see more people on a #Parkrun or #Parkwalk today? That depends what country you are in:
open.substack.com/pub/parkruns...

Distribution of Parkrun times and the differences observed between different countries

Introduction

open.substack.com

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Maria Beger @mariabeger.bsky.social · Feb 26

Huge congratulations- amazing work!

Fiona Chong @fchong.bsky.social · Feb 26

Domino Joyce @domino-joyce.fishsci.com.ap.brid.gy · Feb 26

Congratulations Fiona on passing your viva (with no corrections! 🙀 ) #coral #academicchatter #reef #scuba #greatbarrierreef #okinawa #nerc

Reposted by Maria Beger

MISE Lab @miselab.bsky.social · Feb 5

MISE is on blue sky!! Okinawan blue skies!

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Reposted by Maria Beger

IPBES @ipbes.net · Feb 5

Researchers in Europe are using new tech & citizen science to improve the monitoring of habitats and species.

Read more: phys.org/news/2025-01...

Coming soon: @ipbes.net #MonitoringAssessment

Researchers combine citizens' help and cutting-edge tech to track biodiversity

Researchers are using new technologies, including AI, as well as contributions from citizen scientists, to improve how we monitor and protect increasingly threatened habitats and species across Europe...

phys.org

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Reposted by Maria Beger

Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · Feb 4

Sabotage. Criminal sabotage.

"[The NSF] is planning to lay off between a quarter and a half of its staff in the next two months, a top National Science Foundation official said Tuesday."

www.eenews.net/articles/sci...

Science funding agency threatened with mass layoffs

National Science Foundation staff heard the plans at a meeting Tuesday.

www.eenews.net

36 600 1.3K

Reposted by Maria Beger

Aerin Jacob, PhD @aerinj.bsky.social · Jan 14

Just learned about Pathy Foundation Fellowship -- wow! pathyfellowship.com

* 12-mth pgm for recent master's or undergrad students in Canada to undertake social change initiatives anywhere in the world
* Comes with $50k funding, training, etc.

Applications due in Dec each year. Mark your calendar!

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Reposted by Maria Beger

Australian Science Media Centre @aussmc.bsky.social · Jan 14

🥃 Retirees show more signs of depression than those who are still working – and heavy drinking may make their symptoms worse, according to international researchers

Retirement could lead to a deterioration in mental health, and alcohol can worsen this issue

buff.ly

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Reposted by Maria Beger

Meghan Azad, PhD @meghanazad.bsky.social · Jan 14

✨ Job Alert: Senior Data Analyst & Manager✨

Support our research on milk, microbiomes and maternal & infant health!

📍 Remote (within 🍁) or In-person
💼 $74K–$107K + benefits
🕜 Full or Part Time
🎓 MSc & 4+ yrs experience req'd

Apply at: umanitoba.ca/careers/ (#37020)

Pls share! 🙏🏻🧪

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Reposted by Maria Beger

Jack Wallington @jackwallington.com · Jan 13

One of the more important news stories today "pine martens from [Land Scotland] forests boost populations in Wales, Gloucestershire and Devon - with more than 100 animals successfully translocated" www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Decade-long pine martens conservation project reaches milestone

The project marks bringing100 animals from Scotland to Gloucestershire, Devon and Wales.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Maria Beger

Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · Jan 13

UK faces broccoli and cauliflower shortage this spring

- Growers blame weather challenges in UK and Europe, which Met Office says will become more frequent with #climatecrisis

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

UK faces broccoli and cauliflower shortage this spring

Growers blame weather challenges in UK and Europe, which Met Office says will become more frequent with climate breakdown

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Maria Beger

Nature Ecology & Evolution @natecoevo.nature.com · Jan 6

New Perspective:

Establishing bio-logging data collections as dynamic archives of animal life on Earth rdcu.be/d5ril

Davidson et al discuss the importance of standardization, long-term archiving and sharing of bio-logging data, and outline a roadmap to achieve these goals.

Fig 2 from Davidson et al. outlining proposed set of standards for bio-logging data.

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Maria Beger @mariabeger.bsky.social · Jan 5

The deadline for this PhD is approaching fast! 3.5 years fully funded research on reef tropicalisation!

Maria Beger @mariabeger.bsky.social · Dec 16

Interested in reef tropicalisation for your PhD? Corals, fishes, molluscs, urchins, algae!
We looking for applicants for a PhD project
Deadline 8th Jan! UK and international ok.

yes-dtn.ac.uk/research/ada...

Adapting to climate change on subtropical reefs - Yorkshire Environmental Sciences • Doctoral Training Network

Subtropical reef ecosystems with coral communities differ from their tropical coral reef neighbours, as they are shaped by a biogeographical overlap of taxa at their range margins, endemic species and...

yes-dtn.ac.uk

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Reposted by Maria Beger, Mark Dickey‐Collas, Erin S. Dunlop , and 1 more Maria Beger, Mark Dickey‐Collas, Erin S. Dunlop, Abigail McQuatters‐Gollop

Chris Cvitanovic @chriscvitanovic.bsky.social · Jan 4

🌍 Just published: "Knowledge brokers at the interface of environmental science and policy: A review of knowledge and research needs."

We explore how KBs build capacity for evidence-informed decision-making & shine a light on the often 'invisible' work they do.

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

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Reposted by Maria Beger

Julia PG Jones @juliajones.bsky.social · Jan 3

Really interesting set of jobs with the @btobirds.bsky.social. Field jobs, data science, finance and governmence... If you have the skills do consider joining this fab organisation.
www.bto.org/jobs

Jobs and other opportunities

www.bto.org

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Reposted by Maria Beger

Oceana @oceana.bsky.social · Dec 30

A new study has put a spotlight on the positive impact of science-based catch limits on shark and rays populations.

Join us in defending marine life including one of the ocean’s top predators by becoming a Wavemaker today: https://oceana.ly/3RdHuVe

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Reposted by Maria Beger, Gareth J. Williams

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Dec 29

A sad reminder this week that even the most remote and most diverse coral reef ecosystems on Earth are vulnerable to anthropogenic heating. youtu.be/ZgQpD1Q03rM?...

Raja Ampat Coral Bleaching 2

YouTube video by Coral Reef Ecology and SCUBA Diving

youtu.be

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Reposted by Maria Beger

PlasThreat @plasthreat.bsky.social · Dec 29

Un nuevo artículo liderado por @yasminarodriguez.bsky.social sobre como las pardelas cenicientas adultas vacían sus estómagos de plásticos durante la época reproductiva
#plasticpollution
#marinedebris
#seabirds
doi.org/10.1016/j.ma...

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