Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Emma Luck

Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 7d

This is why we fund scientists to study things like oyster slobber even if you don’t think it sounds important

Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 9d

⚠️ Chinese researchers have invented bone glue that mimics how oysters stick to surfaces underwater.

The adhesive can reportedly repair orthopedic fractures in 2-3 minutes, even in blood-rich environments, and is bioabsorbable.

interestingengineering.com/science/chin...

China's oyster-inspired 'bone glue' bonds fractures in minutes

A new oyster-inspired Bone-02 adhesive can revolutionize bone repair without metal fasteners.

interestingengineering.com

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Reposted by Emma Luck

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 11d

Wild map: all the places in the world where killer whales take fish from fishing activities, often right off hooks on lines

By @emmaluck22.bsky.social et al.

www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...

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Reposted by Emma Luck

David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 12d

Frontiers | A global review of operational fishery interactions with killer whales (Orcinus orca): dynamics, impacts, and management strategies

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are cosmopolitan, apex predators that sometimes interact with commercial fisheries. These fishery interactions can affect killer...

www.frontiersin.org

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Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · 12d

There’s a lot more in our paper and I hope you will give it a read! It is open-access

www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...

Frontiers | A global review of operational fishery interactions with killer whales (Orcinus orca): dynamics, impacts, and management strategies

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are cosmopolitan, apex predators that sometimes interact with commercial fisheries. These fishery interactions can affect killer...

www.frontiersin.org

3

Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · 12d

We found some other interesting things, such as the fact that killer whales depredate at least 30 species of fish from commercial fisheries!

www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...

Frontiers | A global review of operational fishery interactions with killer whales (Orcinus orca): dynamics, impacts, and management strategies

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are cosmopolitan, apex predators that sometimes interact with commercial fisheries. These fishery interactions can affect killer...

www.frontiersin.org

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Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · 12d

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for addressing fishery interactions with killer whales; however, we can enhance our approach by incorporating more concepts from the social sciences.

www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...

Frontiers | A global review of operational fishery interactions with killer whales (Orcinus orca): dynamics, impacts, and management strategies

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are cosmopolitan, apex predators that sometimes interact with commercial fisheries. These fishery interactions can affect killer...

www.frontiersin.org

1 1

Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · 12d

Both interaction types can result in injury or death for killer whales, but they differ in their economic impacts on fisheries and the risk of fisher retaliation.

www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...

Frontiers | A global review of operational fishery interactions with killer whales (Orcinus orca): dynamics, impacts, and management strategies

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are cosmopolitan, apex predators that sometimes interact with commercial fisheries. These fishery interactions can affect killer...

www.frontiersin.org

1 2

Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · 12d

Killer whale interactions with fisheries are widespread; they occur in all oceans and involve various gear types (but especially longlines).

www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...

Frontiers | A global review of operational fishery interactions with killer whales (Orcinus orca): dynamics, impacts, and management strategies

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are cosmopolitan, apex predators that sometimes interact with commercial fisheries. These fishery interactions can affect killer...

www.frontiersin.org

1 2

Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · 12d

We found that killer whales interactions could be broadly split into two main types: depredation (removal of catch or bait directly from gear) and commensalism (feeding on spilled catch/bycatch/discards/other animals attracted to fishing activities)

www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...

Frontiers | A global review of operational fishery interactions with killer whales (Orcinus orca): dynamics, impacts, and management strategies

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are cosmopolitan, apex predators that sometimes interact with commercial fisheries. These fishery interactions can affect killer...

www.frontiersin.org

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Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · 12d

We reviewed 69 papers from 1963-2024 to get a better understanding of where and how killer whales interact with commercial fisheries around the world, as well as identify knowledge gaps and policy/management options.

www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...

Frontiers | A global review of operational fishery interactions with killer whales (Orcinus orca): dynamics, impacts, and management strategies

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are cosmopolitan, apex predators that sometimes interact with commercial fisheries. These fishery interactions can affect killer...

www.frontiersin.org

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Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · 12d

I am pleased to share our new review paper detailing killer whale interactions with commercial fisheries in Frontiers in Marine Science!

www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...

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Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · 13d

Accepted! I can’t wait to share more soon! 🤩

Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · May 15

My first, first-author paper is SUBMITTED! 🎉

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Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · Aug 24

Some exciting news to share—I recently started a new position as an Alaska Sea Grant State Fellow! For the next year, I’ll be working with the Alaska Mariculture Alliance on policy and other topics related to Alaska’s budding mariculture industry 🌊 🦪🌱

alaskaseagrant.org/2025/08/alas...

Alaska Sea Grant: Alaska Sea Grant State Fellows announced for 2025

A new class of 11 Alaska Sea Grant State Fellows is preparing to start work around the state, including at the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Alaska Ma…

alaskaseagrant.org

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Reposted by Emma Luck

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · Aug 5

The culprit of the mass seastar deaths in the Pacific was not a virus as thought, but a Vibrio bacteria strain
www.washington.edu/news/2025/08...

‘The discovery of the decade’: Researchers have found the culprit behind sea star wasting disease

An international research effort, including scientists from the University of Washington, has finally revealed the cause of sea star wasting disease: a strain of the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida.

www.washington.edu

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Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · Aug 4

Every now and then I catch my cat Sushi staring at photos of killer whales with remarkable intensity…

They do say pets take after their owners!

A torbie cat looks at a laptop screen with a photo of a killer whale as the desktop image

A torbie cat stares very intently with her down, gazing at a photo of a killer whale in a book

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Reposted by Emma Luck

Ctr4BioDiv Ocean @endangeredocean.bsky.social · Jul 18

Alaska's Rep. Nick Begich has proposed text that would drastically weaken the incredible Marine Mammal Protection Act. Cooper Freeman, the Center's Alaska director, explains why these changes would be terrible for Alaskans and the state's wildlife. 👇

www.adn.com/opinions/202...

Opinion: What does Rep. Nick Begich have against Alaska marine mammals?

Alaska’s congressman has proposed a truly heartless piece of legislation that would gut the remarkably successful Marine Mammal Protection Act.

www.adn.com

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Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · Jul 21

An orca emoji is FINALLY on its way! 🎉

mashable.com/article/new-...

iOS 26 is getting new emojis, but don’t expect to see them right away

It'll be a couple of updates before we see Orca and Bigfoot get the spotlight.

mashable.com

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Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · Jul 17

Last weekend was a delight—I observed my first bubble net feeding humpback whales and got to see the AD8s and AJs! (Resident pods of killer whales)

Humpback whales bubblenet feeding with gulls circling overhead

A killer whale calf breaching in front of forested mountains and hills

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Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · Jul 10

Their saddle patches (the gray area behind the fin) vary from one individual to the next (within and among populations) so I just tried to include a variety for visual purposes :)

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Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · Jul 9

If anybody has recommendations for public policy/interdisciplinary PhD programs in Australia or New Zealand that accept international students, I am all ears 👀

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Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · Jul 9

A recent piece I made describing 4 different stocks/populations of resident killer whales found in the North Pacific Ocean! ⬇️

An infographic with four illustrations of female resident killer whales (southern resident, northern resident, Alaska resident, and western pacific resident), each with slightly different morphological features. A map of resident killer whales’ range sits in the lower right corner. The text describes population numbers for each stock.

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Reposted by Emma Luck

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · Jul 8

BREAKING: Scientists are staging a “science fair” in the lobby of a Congressional building to tell elected officials about the critical knowledge the US will lose because their research grants have been canceled.

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Emma Luck @emmaluck22.bsky.social · Jul 7

Living in Alaska means having a constant panicky feeling in July because you can feel summer slipping away and you have not done nearly enough summer activities yet

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Reposted by Emma Luck

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · Jul 7

New free book: "Marine mammal acoustics in a noisy ocean", looks like an incredible intro to how sound works in the ocean and an overview of some of the big outstanding questions and answers.
By Erbe et al.
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

Marine Mammal Acoustics in a Noisy Ocean

This open-access book explores the potential impacts of noise on marine mammal species such as whales, dolphins, seals, seacows, and otters.

link.springer.com

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Reposted by Emma Luck

Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · Jul 3

The administration's FY26 budget request for NOAA includes terminating the entire Sea Grant program. The Sea Grant Association will be sending this letter highlighting impacts in IL + IN to congressional delegations - please consider adding your name in support docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Illinois-Indiana Letter to Congress in Support of Sea Grant

Dear Illinois and Indiana congressional delegations: We, the undersigned constituents from Illinois and Indiana, are writing to urge your support for federal funding for the Sea Grant Program in fi...

docs.google.com

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