Chris Brown
@bluecology.bsky.social
Ecological modelling, fisheries science, biodiversity conservation, climate change, Rstats
My webpage: https://www.seascapemodels.org/
My webpage: https://www.seascapemodels.org/
Reposted by Chris Brown
Can AI really help protect the planet — and the people defending it?
A new op-ed warns that while COP30 leaders tout AI’s promise for conservation, ethical risks remain. It argues Indigenous experts must guide AI’s development to reflect their priorities and protections.
** Views are authors'.
A new op-ed warns that while COP30 leaders tout AI’s promise for conservation, ethical risks remain. It argues Indigenous experts must guide AI’s development to reflect their priorities and protections.
** Views are authors'.
AI-centered conservation efforts can only be ethical if Indigenous people help lead them (commentary)
In November, we joined more than 50,000 Indigenous and world leaders, diplomats, scholars and activists at the 30th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP30) in Brazil. Some of the most…
news.mongabay.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:50 AM
Can AI really help protect the planet — and the people defending it?
A new op-ed warns that while COP30 leaders tout AI’s promise for conservation, ethical risks remain. It argues Indigenous experts must guide AI’s development to reflect their priorities and protections.
** Views are authors'.
A new op-ed warns that while COP30 leaders tout AI’s promise for conservation, ethical risks remain. It argues Indigenous experts must guide AI’s development to reflect their priorities and protections.
** Views are authors'.
Great article on where over emphasis on publication metrics has led us to
January 13, 2026 at 7:41 AM
Great article on where over emphasis on publication metrics has led us to
Substack is the new home for thoughtful writing on the internet, and I'm trying it out. Check out my latest post on coastal habitat restoration
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
#biodiversity #nature #coastalhabitats #restoration
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
#biodiversity #nature #coastalhabitats #restoration
January 5, 2026 at 5:42 AM
Substack is the new home for thoughtful writing on the internet, and I'm trying it out. Check out my latest post on coastal habitat restoration
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
#biodiversity #nature #coastalhabitats #restoration
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
#biodiversity #nature #coastalhabitats #restoration
AI generated Santa wish list
December 23, 2025 at 11:05 PM
AI generated Santa wish list
State of the world’s kelp forests study now open access (via Aaron Eger)
www.cell.com/one-earth/fu...
www.cell.com/one-earth/fu...
December 11, 2025 at 9:42 PM
State of the world’s kelp forests study now open access (via Aaron Eger)
www.cell.com/one-earth/fu...
www.cell.com/one-earth/fu...
Giant kelp is a productivity powerhouse—about 40x more productive than the kelp that’s replaced it on Tasmania’s east coast.
Our new study found that if we restore giant kelp it boosts fisheries like abalone and rock lobster
📖 Read more: doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70242
Our new study found that if we restore giant kelp it boosts fisheries like abalone and rock lobster
📖 Read more: doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70242
Predicting the Impact of Giant Kelp Restoration on Food Webs and Fisheries Production
Ecosystem restoration is gaining momentum as communities and policymakers increasingly appreciate the need to recover lost ecosystem services. However, more knowledge about the potential ecological o....
doi.org
December 7, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Giant kelp is a productivity powerhouse—about 40x more productive than the kelp that’s replaced it on Tasmania’s east coast.
Our new study found that if we restore giant kelp it boosts fisheries like abalone and rock lobster
📖 Read more: doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70242
Our new study found that if we restore giant kelp it boosts fisheries like abalone and rock lobster
📖 Read more: doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70242
Reposted by Chris Brown
EEB Postdoctoral Fellowship @ U.Toronto app deadline Jan 15 2026. Opportunity for independent research, encourages collab across labs/disciplines. Lots of great folks to interact with, Come join us!
eeb.utoronto.ca/employment-2/
eeb.utoronto.ca/employment-2/
Employment - Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
eeb.utoronto.ca
December 2, 2025 at 9:09 PM
EEB Postdoctoral Fellowship @ U.Toronto app deadline Jan 15 2026. Opportunity for independent research, encourages collab across labs/disciplines. Lots of great folks to interact with, Come join us!
eeb.utoronto.ca/employment-2/
eeb.utoronto.ca/employment-2/
How do we monitor fisheries to know if seafood is sustainable? It turns out WHERE we monitor is just as important as HOW MUCH we monitor. We argue the “where” needs to be codified in fisheries policies:
Report: www.nature.org/content/dam/...
Blog: www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
Report: www.nature.org/content/dam/...
Blog: www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
December 2, 2025 at 10:34 PM
How do we monitor fisheries to know if seafood is sustainable? It turns out WHERE we monitor is just as important as HOW MUCH we monitor. We argue the “where” needs to be codified in fisheries policies:
Report: www.nature.org/content/dam/...
Blog: www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
Report: www.nature.org/content/dam/...
Blog: www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
Classic paper titles
“This research is important for the conservation and Management of Sharks”: A proposed framework for ensuring that this is actually true
“This research is important for the conservation and Management of Sharks”: A proposed framework for ensuring that this is actually true
I am excited to share with you a new paper, probably my last of 2025. @drcatmac.bsky.social is a coauthor.
Our paper presents advice for early career shark scientists who want their work to be useful for conservation and management policy.
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 🧪🦑🌍🦈
Our paper presents advice for early career shark scientists who want their work to be useful for conservation and management policy.
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 🧪🦑🌍🦈
“This research is important for the conservation and Management of Sharks”: A proposed framework for ensuring that this is actually true
Many scientists want their research to inform policy and help manage endangered species, but many common research practices hinder potential policy relevance. The results of our survey provide advice...
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
December 2, 2025 at 4:21 AM
Classic paper titles
“This research is important for the conservation and Management of Sharks”: A proposed framework for ensuring that this is actually true
“This research is important for the conservation and Management of Sharks”: A proposed framework for ensuring that this is actually true
Reposted by Chris Brown
I'd really like to get the "AI water is being hyped up as a problem by the labs because it's so obviously stupid it invalidates AI critics' more serious complaints" people and the "Andy's in the pocket of the labs because he's questioning the AI water issue" people together in the same room
December 2, 2025 at 4:01 AM
I'd really like to get the "AI water is being hyped up as a problem by the labs because it's so obviously stupid it invalidates AI critics' more serious complaints" people and the "Andy's in the pocket of the labs because he's questioning the AI water issue" people together in the same room
Reposted by Chris Brown
🧵1/9 There are 35,000+ fish species, but we have formal social-behaviour classifications for a tiny fraction. Most knowledge lives in the experience of researchers, fishers, divers, aquarists, naturalists, and Indigenous communities, but almost none of it is centralised. So we built ShoalBase.org.
ShoalBase | Join, Explore, Contribute Now
ShoalBase offers a global database on fish social behaviour, supporting research, conservation, and ecology through community contributions and visual data mapping.
ShoalBase.org
November 25, 2025 at 1:11 PM
🧵1/9 There are 35,000+ fish species, but we have formal social-behaviour classifications for a tiny fraction. Most knowledge lives in the experience of researchers, fishers, divers, aquarists, naturalists, and Indigenous communities, but almost none of it is centralised. So we built ShoalBase.org.
Teaching stats next year, I’m planning to make it interactive - Stats can be more than numbers and R code, Gelman and Vehtari’s book has lots of ideas for interactive classroom stats activities
December 1, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Teaching stats next year, I’m planning to make it interactive - Stats can be more than numbers and R code, Gelman and Vehtari’s book has lots of ideas for interactive classroom stats activities
New post on making science infographics with Gemini Pro 3 (Nano Banana), my experiences so far
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
November 30, 2025 at 9:44 PM
New post on making science infographics with Gemini Pro 3 (Nano Banana), my experiences so far
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
The new Gemini image model (AKA nano banana) is pretty impressive, does very accurate infographics based on web-search, can do basic reasoning, including generating images of code and resulting plots (without running that code the image comes out of the AI)
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
November 24, 2025 at 5:51 AM
The new Gemini image model (AKA nano banana) is pretty impressive, does very accurate infographics based on web-search, can do basic reasoning, including generating images of code and resulting plots (without running that code the image comes out of the AI)
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
Reposted by Chris Brown
Two years ago we got together in a beautiful mountain to learn and develop #rstats packages for ecology
After {labeleR} (ecologyr.github.io/labeleR/) and {BlueCarbon} (ecologyr.github.io/BlueCarbon/), {mappestRisk} is now officially out! See thread by lead author @dario-ssm.bsky.social 👇
After {labeleR} (ecologyr.github.io/labeleR/) and {BlueCarbon} (ecologyr.github.io/BlueCarbon/), {mappestRisk} is now officially out! See thread by lead author @dario-ssm.bsky.social 👇
November 20, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Two years ago we got together in a beautiful mountain to learn and develop #rstats packages for ecology
After {labeleR} (ecologyr.github.io/labeleR/) and {BlueCarbon} (ecologyr.github.io/BlueCarbon/), {mappestRisk} is now officially out! See thread by lead author @dario-ssm.bsky.social 👇
After {labeleR} (ecologyr.github.io/labeleR/) and {BlueCarbon} (ecologyr.github.io/BlueCarbon/), {mappestRisk} is now officially out! See thread by lead author @dario-ssm.bsky.social 👇
Reposted by Chris Brown
Disgraceful & tragic what governments have done to this once science powerhouse! www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
"Federal Science Minister...Tim Ayres said the cuts were aimed at refocusing the efforts of the CSIRO towards research priorities, such as critical minerals, iron & steel...in Australia."
"Federal Science Minister...Tim Ayres said the cuts were aimed at refocusing the efforts of the CSIRO towards research priorities, such as critical minerals, iron & steel...in Australia."
CSIRO to cut up to 350 research jobs in major overhaul
After 440 positions were slashed last year, the CSIRO has announced more staff cuts across the country in a bid to remain financially viable.
www.abc.net.au
November 18, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Disgraceful & tragic what governments have done to this once science powerhouse! www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
"Federal Science Minister...Tim Ayres said the cuts were aimed at refocusing the efforts of the CSIRO towards research priorities, such as critical minerals, iron & steel...in Australia."
"Federal Science Minister...Tim Ayres said the cuts were aimed at refocusing the efforts of the CSIRO towards research priorities, such as critical minerals, iron & steel...in Australia."
Should I post a pre-print? - a short guide of pros and cons written with my students and collaborators, thanks all
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
Should I post my manuscript to a pre-print server? – Seascapemodels
www.seascapemodels.org
November 19, 2025 at 4:06 AM
Should I post a pre-print? - a short guide of pros and cons written with my students and collaborators, thanks all
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
Must read paper if you do conservation science "Twenty-five years of misinterpreting the biodiversity hotspot approach"
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Twenty-five years of misinterpreting the biodiversity hotspot approach - Nature Ecology & Evolution
A quarter of a century after its publication, the biodiversity hotspot concept remains one of the most cited and influential frameworks in conservation science. But its real-world impact is poorly doc...
www.nature.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Must read paper if you do conservation science "Twenty-five years of misinterpreting the biodiversity hotspot approach"
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We had fun with Rstats and genAI at the Centre for Marine Socioecology R workshop the past two days. Sharing these prompting patterns we developed in the workshops, that help an AI agent work through different statistical modelling tasks with a researcher step-by-step.
github.com/cbrown5/GLMs...
github.com/cbrown5/GLMs...
November 12, 2025 at 10:11 PM
We had fun with Rstats and genAI at the Centre for Marine Socioecology R workshop the past two days. Sharing these prompting patterns we developed in the workshops, that help an AI agent work through different statistical modelling tasks with a researcher step-by-step.
github.com/cbrown5/GLMs...
github.com/cbrown5/GLMs...
Reposted by Chris Brown
TLDR; The PSF has made the decision to put our community and our shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values ahead of seeking $1.5M in new revenue. Please read and share. pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
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The official home of the Python Programming Language
www.python.org
October 27, 2025 at 2:47 PM
TLDR; The PSF has made the decision to put our community and our shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values ahead of seeking $1.5M in new revenue. Please read and share. pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
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How to plot interactive effects from GLMs the easy way #rstats
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
October 27, 2025 at 4:05 AM
How to plot interactive effects from GLMs the easy way #rstats
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
Quick web quizzes are easy to DIY now with vibe coding. Love this chartle idea. I’m going to make my own version for my next stats class
Do you enjoy playing chartle.cc?
We’re opening up to the community!
Are you a scientist, journalist, researcher or just a data-enthusiast and would like to submit your own data (it should be a country-based time series)? Get in touch with us - we’d love to feature it!
We’re opening up to the community!
Are you a scientist, journalist, researcher or just a data-enthusiast and would like to submit your own data (it should be a country-based time series)? Get in touch with us - we’d love to feature it!
Chartle - A daily chart game
Guess the country in red by analysing today's chart
chartle.cc
October 27, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Quick web quizzes are easy to DIY now with vibe coding. Love this chartle idea. I’m going to make my own version for my next stats class
Highlighting a few well informed articles about the environmental impacts of large language models. Maybe not as bad as we've been led to believe by the mass media but definitely still needs consideration: www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
Environmental impacts of large language models – Seascapemodels
www.seascapemodels.org
October 23, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Highlighting a few well informed articles about the environmental impacts of large language models. Maybe not as bad as we've been led to believe by the mass media but definitely still needs consideration: www.seascapemodels.org/posts/2025-1...
This is an alarming finding from AI company Anthropic. What they mean is: the models guess when they are being tested for ethical decision making, and modify their responses to appear more ethical. So the ethical tests probably underestimate bad behaviour assets.anthropic.com/m/99128ddd00...
October 17, 2025 at 12:10 AM
This is an alarming finding from AI company Anthropic. What they mean is: the models guess when they are being tested for ethical decision making, and modify their responses to appear more ethical. So the ethical tests probably underestimate bad behaviour assets.anthropic.com/m/99128ddd00...