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Reposted by Chris Neufeld

Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 14d

It's never occurred to me that it IS an assumption. This is the most astonishing start to a paper I've read in years:

"Living organisms are assumed to produce same-species offspring. Here, we report a shift from this norm in Messor ibericus, an ant that lays individuals from two distinct species."

One mother for two species via obligate cross-species cloning in ants - Nature

In a case of obligate cross-species cloning, female ants of Messor ibericus need to clone males of Messor structor to obtain sperm for producing the worker caste, resulting in males from the same mother having distinct genomes and morphologies.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Chris Neufeld

UBC Oceans @ubcoceans.bsky.social · 16d

"We’re now closer to that goal. Putting an end to billions in fishing subsidies would restore fish stocks, support coastal communities & improve ocean health for all. The job is not yet done." @drrashidsumaila.bsky.social & @drdanielskerritt.bsky.social theconversation.com/what-the-wto...

What the WTO’s deal to curb fisheries subsidies means and what it could achieve

For decades, government subsidies have helped industrial fishing fleets to expand, often with little regard for sustainability.

theconversation.com

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Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · Sep 8

Oh no! My phone now compulsively corrects my name to "Christmas" in all my emails.

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Reposted by Chris Neufeld

American Birding Association @aba.org · Jun 24

Have you ever seen a gull eat something weird?

A new citizen science project, Gulls Eating Stuff, is tracking what gulls gobble, and anyone can participate! Submit your photos, explore the observations of other gullers, and help document the changing diets of gulls for science.

A New Citizen Science Project Tracks Gull Diets - American Birding Association

A new citizen science project called Gulls Eating Stuff invites public submissions of gulls eating anything to help researchers study urbanization’s effects on gull diets and behavior.

www.aba.org

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Reposted by Chris Neufeld

Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · Jun 25

A few months ago, Nature published how-to guide for using ChatGPT to write your peer reviews in 30 minutes.

This is, of course, a horrible idea. Here’s my response with @jbakcoleman.bsky.social .

AI, peer review and the human activity of science

When researchers cede their scientific judgement to machines, we lose something important.

www.nature.com

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Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · Jun 21

I'm sure you made their day. We did exactly that 4 years ago, and it's the best. Kids weigh 55 & 70 lbs now, and it still works great to get around.

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Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · Jun 19

My coffee is telling me that I need to go camping 🔥⛺️.

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Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · Jun 19

I'm 3 for 6 on this stack! I keep a few around to prop up my monitor, so those don't count.

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Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · Jun 14

Beautiful 😍. I've spent a few unforgettable nights at Deer Park over the years, but never with lights like that!

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Reposted by Chris Neufeld

University of Victoria @uvic.ca · Jun 9

Can kelp forests help tackle climate change? 🌿

A study led by University of Victoria researchers suggests that Canadian kelp forests may export up to 400,000 metric tons of carbon to the deep ocean each year.
theconversation.com/can-kelp-for...

@uvicscience.bsky.social @ca.theconversation.com

Can kelp forests help tackle climate change?

Highly productive kelp forests are being touted as a natural climate solution, but do we know enough to count them as such?

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Chris Neufeld

University of Victoria @uvic.ca · Jun 4

🌿 You’ve probably heard forests help fight climate change by storing carbon—but what about underwater forests?

Learn how the underwater kelp forests that line Canada’s coastlines may offer an untapped option for natural climate solutions: news.uvic.ca/media-releas...

@uvicscience.bsky.social

New national blueprint for kelp forests as blue carbon - UVic News

Kelp forests may offer an untapped option for natural climate solutions, a new study led by University of Victoria shows. Kelp forests may offer an untapped option for natural climate solutions, a new...

news.uvic.ca

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Reposted by Chris Neufeld

Jennifer McHenry, PhD @jennmchenry.bsky.social · Jun 4

1/ Just in time for #WorldOceanDay:

Check out our new study in #npjOceanSustainability taking critical first look at whether Canada's kelp forests can be a source of natural climate solutions.

We offers a blueprint for other countries looking to do the same.

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s44...

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Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · Jun 4

Found in the Fire Swamp, no doubt.

Colton the fish squeezer🐟🪴📚🏕️🐝 @fishsqueezer.bsky.social · Jun 4

Living at over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in elevation in the alpine crags of New Guinea, an enormous furball of a rat THIRTY THREE INCHES LONG has finally been photographed in the wild for the first time. In 2025.

🦊 www.earth.com/news/giant-w...

A "Giant Woolly Rat" was just photographed for the first time ever, proving it's not a myth

Tales of a "Giant Woolly Rat" have been told for decades, yet no scientist had ever confirmed Mallomys istapantap was alive. Until now.

www.earth.com

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Reposted by Chris Neufeld

Siobhan Schenk @siobhanschenk.bsky.social · May 30

My ✨new paper✨ looking at how low salinity and high temperatures alter the bacterial community of sugar #kelp was just published!

Lab and field results agree: the overall changes are small, but core taxa decrease under abiotic stress

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

#PhycologyFriday 🦑

Part of figure 1 for the paper. There is a map of the field sites and an overview of the lab experiment. Field measurements were temperature and salinity. Lab was only salinity

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Reposted by Chris Neufeld

Juliano Sarmento Cabral @jsarmentocabral.bsky.social · May 29

Postdoc call in Mechanistic Biodiversity Modelling (up to 6 ya) at my lab @unibonn.bsky.social. We focus on modelling terrestrial plant communities, island biogeography, range dynamics, eco-evolutionary feedbacks, diversity gradients, tropical forests, vascular epiphytes. Pls rt! shorturl.at/CL1ny

Postdoc in Mechanistic Biodiversity Modelling with temporary civil servant status (“Akademische*r Rätin*Rat)

100%, A 13, Reference number: 2025/49

shorturl.at

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Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · May 26

Rather than signing with the conventional, "Chris", AI-enabled MS Outlook has recently decided that my emails will be betters signed as "Christmas". Super helpful when writing work emails.

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Reposted by Chris Neufeld

Jarrett Byrnes @jebyrnes.bsky.social · May 15

More shots fired in the #causalInference #ecology literature! 🌍

Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · May 15

I'm guessing this is probably very well worth the read! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....

Ecology needs a causal overhaul

Ecology has yet to embrace causal inference, yet most questions in ecology are causal. Despite the common use of terms that imply causation, such as “shapes”, “drives”, or “impacts”, many studies shy...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · May 13

For me: Hansel and Gretel, not cool.

For our kids: anything with a Tomten.

Anna Holmes @annabookwriter.bsky.social · May 12

Screw your favorite book, which was the first that upset you?

A Wrinkle in Time was mine. The possessed baby scared the everloving shit out of me. My babysitter had to call my mom to come home early because I was hysterical.

Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · May 10

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Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · May 5

For anyone who grew up in 🇨🇦 in the '80s, this will make sense... #beachcombers, #relic

Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · May 4

What a week working with Huu-ay-aht First Nations staff, citizens and youth to establish an intertidal monitoring program for culturally-important species like ḥay̓ištup (black chiton)!

So long for now, Bamfield friends.

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Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · May 2

For #PhycologyFriday, here's a smattering of gorgeous 🤩 NE Pacific kelps, including Laminaria setchellii, Costaria costata, Egregia menziesii, Alaria marginata, and a few other seaweeds for good measure.

Hope all who celebrate are enjoying this week's minus tides! #marinelife #intertidal 🐙

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Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · May 2

To everyone fighting for a fact-based and democratic society, I offer you some rays of hope from this 🇨🇦 sea star.

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Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · May 2

My fave in this genre is "sloooooow talkin' Wal-ter, the fire engine guy", by Deep Purple.

Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · May 2

Sea Urchins love to wear things, like rocks and little shells, as hats. How many urchin hats can you count?

Chris Neufeld @cneufeld.bsky.social · May 1

#UrchinSearchin #InvertFest

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