Prof Mary-Anne Lea
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pelagicblue.bsky.social
Prof Mary-Anne Lea
@pelagicblue.bsky.social
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Prof Mary-Anne Lea @pelagicblue.bsky.social · Jun 18
Drastic declines in Antarctic seal numbers confirmed by long-term monitoring research at Signy Island 🇦🇶 #bas #CCAMLR
Antarctic seal numbers falling drastically due to melting sea ice, research shows
British Antarctic Survey finds one breed of seal has declined by 54% since 1977
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
scar-antarctic.bsky.social
The application deadline for the 2026 SCAR Ant-ICON | SC-ATS science-policy fellowship programme is coming up soon!

Apply by 23 November to be considered for the 2026 cohort: scar.org/fellowships-...
November 19, 2025 at 4:56 PM
pelagicblue.bsky.social
Common seal uses photographer’s boat as refuge from orcas on the hunt!
The great escape: seal flees killer whales by jumping on to photographer’s boat
Charvet Drucker captures dramatic video and photos of seal being hunted by orcas in Salish Sea, north-west of Seattle
www.theguardian.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
antarcticsciaus.bsky.social
👏 Congratulations to a team of ACEAS researchers who have been awarded an ARC Discovery Project grant to investigate East Antarctica’s Aurora Subglacial Basin – a region posing one of the greatest risks for multi-metre sea level rise this century.

Read more: antarctic.org.au/aceas-resear...
ACEAS researchers awarded ARC Discovery Project grant to unlock East Antarctica’s secrets - ACEAS
A team from the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science (ACEAS) has received a prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project grant to investigate East Antarctica’s Auro...
antarctic.org.au
November 14, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
luishuckstadt.bsky.social
Bird Flu Ravaged the World’s Largest Elephant Seal Population, Study Finds www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/s...
Bird Flu Ravaged the World’s Largest Elephant Seal Population, Study Finds
www.nytimes.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:52 PM
pelagicblue.bsky.social
New study highlights the drastic, ongoing impact of bird flu on southern elephant seals at South Georgia. Significant mortality has now been recorded across many key breeding sites leading to increasing concerns about their conservation management. @ccgbam.bsky.social
@bas.ac.uk
Fears for elephant seals as bird flu kills half of population in South Atlantic
Study estimates 53,000 females have died on South Georgia since 2023, with ‘dramatic impact’ on future of the species
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
cms.int
The Slender-billed Curlew was declared extinct in October 2025.

At #AEWAMOP9, delegates paid tribute to it, with this rare taxidermied specimen on view.

Read personal reflections and testimonies from those who searched for, studied, and cared deeply about it: www.unep-aewa.org/en/news/reme...
November 13, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
ellengarland.bsky.social
New paper:
Culture and conservation in baleen whales

@ellengarland.bsky.social, @petercorkeron.bsky.social, Mike Noad, Briana Abrahms, @jennyallen13.bsky.social, @rconstantine.bsky.social, @lrendell.bsky.social, Renata Sousa-Lima, Kate Stafford, @emma-carroll.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1098/rstb...
Culture and conservation in baleen whales | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Culture, defined as information or behaviours shared within a population and acquired from conspecifics through social learning, acts as a second inheritance system which has important implications for species' ecology and evolution. Understanding the ...
doi.org
May 1, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
elizeyxng.bsky.social
Why are Procellariiform seabirds most diverse in the Southern Hemisphere?

Our study found that wind patterns and time since evolutionary origin best explain the extratropical peak in breeding species richness of these remarkable seabirds. 🐦💨

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
October 30, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
mongabay.com
[COMMENTARY]

This October, as delegates gather to discuss CCAMLR priorities, the authors of a new commentary argue, “At stake is more than a fishing rule, but also the commitment to manage fisheries proactively, rather than reactively.”

** Views are authors'.
Abandoning Antarctic krill management measure threatens conservation progress (commentary)
All along the western Antarctic Peninsula, whales, penguins and seals in their millions depend on krill (Euphausia superba) throughout the year. In the most rapidly warming region on the continent,…
news.mongabay.com
October 14, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
sscmarine.bsky.social
Fascinating! 😍 Still so much to discover and learn!
October 29, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
ruthedunn.bsky.social
New in @natrevbiodiv.nature.com: our review of the influence of #seabirds, via their nutrient transfer, on islands & adjacent marine ecosystems 🐦🏝️🪸

We highlight knowledge gaps & future directions ✨

"The circular seabird economy is critical for oceans, islands and people": doi.org/10.1038/s443...
Schematic diagram of the influence of seabirds on temperate and tropical near-shore marine systems. Temperatre systems: - Nutrient enrichment and predation on herbivorous invertebrates can lead to increased algal production - Phytoplankton communities change, featuring more large-celled species - Intertidal organisms incorporate seabird-enriched material by grazing on detritus and biofilm in tidepools - Macroalgae biodiversity and primary production are boosted Tropical systems: - Mangrove leaf nutritional quality increases - Corals recover faster after bleaching events - Fish biomass increases across different trophic groups - Pelagic and benthic consumers' foraging behaviour shifts - Parrotfish grazing and bioerosion rates increase - Fish grow larger
October 27, 2025 at 7:49 AM
pelagicblue.bsky.social
Spring's migratory flocks pose bird flu risk for Tasmania
With migratory birds returning to Tasmania during a period of increased bird flu, the chance of the virus affecting the state's coastal areas is on the rise.
www.abc.net.au
October 25, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
ljnbrent.bsky.social
the IUCN have passed the Longevity Conservation motion put forward to them by @kellerfish.bsky.social and @pili-scotland.bsky.social and based on the paper we wrote on the value of older individuals in animal societies.
www.cdu.edu.au/news/global-...
Global body adopts policy to protect Earth’s old, wise and large animals | Charles Darwin University
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recognised Charles Darwin University-led research into the Earth’s oldest animals with the adoption of the ‘Longevity Conservation’ global...
www.cdu.edu.au
October 24, 2025 at 8:28 AM
pelagicblue.bsky.social
HPAI H5N1 likely linked to elephant seal mortality on sub-Antarctic Heard Island
Scientists fear bird flu outbreak after elephant seal deaths on Heard Island
Scientists suspect a deadly strain of bird flu, H5N1, has infected wildlife on Heard Island after observing a high mortality rate in elephant seals on the Australian territory in the sub-Antarctic.
www.abc.net.au
October 25, 2025 at 5:39 AM
pelagicblue.bsky.social
Ancient Murijuga cultural depictions of locally extinct Tasmanian devils and Thylacines
Ancient rock art in northern WA shows Tasmanian tiger, Tasmanian devil
There are more than 2 million artworks on the rocks at Murujuga, with more stories under the waves.
www.abc.net.au
October 25, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
ipbes.net
Explore the complex relationships between various challenges to achieving transformative change in this graphic from the IPBES #TransformativeChange Summary for Policymakers. 📊

Find out more: https://www.ipbes.net/transformative-change/media-release
A circular diagram illustrating interconnected barriers to sustainability and biodiversity conservation. The center features a yellow triskelion symbol with "Views, Structures, Practices" surrounded by concentric rings dividing the content into sectors. The diagram is organized into 20 segments (A-T) radiating outward, each with an icon and text describing different challenges. These include topics like "Marginalization of Indigenous knowledge," "Shareholder profit," and "Socio-economic disparities." The outer ring contains detailed explanations for each segment. The color scheme uses muted browns, greens, and blues to differentiate major thematic areas. The overall structure shows how these barriers connect and reinforce persistent relations of domination over nature and people.
October 21, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
royalsociety.org
Our Career Development Fellowships are still open for applications. This scheme provides early career scientists from underrepresented groups with research funding and training opportunities to build a strong base for a successful research career: #RSGrants royalsociety.org/grants/caree...
October 20, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
danambergstrom.bsky.social
Bit of a extratropical cyclone to the south of Tasmania/ Lutruwita today. Been blowing the proverbial all day and probably all tomorrow too.

Over it 😤
October 19, 2025 at 9:05 AM
pelagicblue.bsky.social
Opportunity for ecosystem-based fisheries management in northern European waters
In Northeast Atlantic, Management of Small Fish Should Account for Broader Ecosystem
Northeast Atlantic governments have an opportunity to catalyze major global change. As seafood demand rises and aquaculture grows, achieving a balance between ecological and industrial needs is urgent...
www.pew.org
October 19, 2025 at 6:34 PM
pelagicblue.bsky.social
“In her pioneering studies in the lush rainforest of Tanzania’s Gombe Stream Game Reserve, now a national park, Goodall noted that the most successful chimp leaders were gentle, caring and familial.” @mireyamayor.bsky.social
@theconversation.com
Jane Goodall, the gentle disrupter whose research on chimpanzees redefined what it meant to be human
Without formal scientific training, Goodall upended the study of animal behavior. She also inspired countless people to protect nature.
theconversation.com
October 17, 2025 at 8:30 PM
pelagicblue.bsky.social
Climate change threats to Earth's wild animals
We are entering an existential crisis for the world's wild animals. To date, the primary cause of biodiversity loss has not been climate change but, rather
academic.oup.com
October 17, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
jdtonkin.bsky.social
If you think the seasons are feeling… different, you may be right.
Our new review in Science (@science.org) shows that Earth’s changing rhythms could have major and underestimated consequences for life on Earth. 🌍🧵
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Ecological and evolutionary consequences of changing seasonality
Climate change and other anthropogenic drivers alter seasonal regimes across freshwater, terrestrial, and marine biomes. Seasonal patterns affect ecological and evolutionary processes at different eco...
www.science.org
May 29, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
mongabay.com
Five of Earth’s vital systems are close to a point of irreversible change, warns a new report released by a global network of scientists ahead of the upcoming U.N. climate change conference in Brazil.
Five crucial Earth systems near a tipping point: Report
Five of Earth’s vital systems are close to a point of irreversible change, warns a new report released by a global network of scientists ahead of the upcoming U.N. climate change conference in…
news.mongabay.com
October 15, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
wcs.org
A new IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas report, co-authored by WCS and launched at #IUCNcongress, offers compelling case studies on how to achieve large-scale conservation in an increasingly complex world. bit.ly/478ALTS
October 12, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Reposted by Prof Mary-Anne Lea
mongabay.com
Many of California’s marine mammals have made remarkable recoveries over the last 50 years since bipartisan passage of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act.

But federal protections which made these recoveries possible could be substantially weakened if proposed amendments to the Act move ahead.
Will California’s marine mammal conservation success come undone?
SAN DIEGO, U.S. — The bluff at La Jolla Cove in San Diego is covered with pelicans and cormorants; below, some two dozen sea lions lounge on a rocky ledge or bark and frolic in the shallows, some…
news.mongabay.com
October 10, 2025 at 8:03 PM