Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 23h

Pen and ink drawing of a depressed spider crab, Xenocarcinus depressus.
#Inktober #inktober2025 #sciart #coralreefs #crustacians #marinelife

1 3 30

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 1d

Pen and ink drawing of a Zanzibar whip coral shrimp, Dasycaris zanzibarica.
#Inktober #inktober2025 #sciart #coralreefs #crustacians #marinelife

1 18

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 2d

My next art give-away and virtual gallery will be sharks and rays. In preparation, I’ve been combing through my photos and sketchbooks for inspiration. Here is a repost of one of my old watercolors.
#sundayfishsketch #sciart #coralreefs #marinelife #sharks

1 6 46

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 2d

Pen and ink drawing of an ocellated Tozeuma shrimp, Tozeuma lanceolatum.
#Inktober #inktober2025 #sciart #coralreefs #crustacians #marinelife

6 44

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 3d

Pen and ink drawing of an Ambon crenoid shrimp, Laomenes amboinensis.
#Inktober #inktober2025 #sciart #coralreefs #marinelife #crustacians

2 26

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 4d

Pen and ink drawing of an elegant squat lobster, Allogalathea elegans. #crustacians
#Inktober #inktober2025 #sciart #coralreefs #marinelife

4 21

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 5d

The Sharpie cap color was somewhat misleading, but, once I started, I was committed

1 2

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 5d

Pen and ink orangutan crab, Achaeus japonicus. I drew this using an orange Sharpie, which should have been much finer tipped. Oh well.
#Inktober #inktober2025 #sciart #coralreefs #marinelife #crustacians

1 2 19

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 6d

Pen and ink emperor shrimp, Zenopotonia rex
#Inktober #inktober2025 #sciart #coralreefs #marinelife #crustacians

2 26

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 7d

#inktober is an art challenge to create one artwork in ink per day for 31 days. Last year, I did Halloween themed sketches, like this black cat. This year, I’m doing crustaceans. Some of my friends and family think shrimps are waaaay creepier. #sciart

Pen and ink drawing of a frightened black cat

3 18

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 17d

After being ‘stuck with’ digital drawing for a month, I am obsessed with watercolor. Here is a peak at my old watercolor sketchbooks: a yellowtail snapper for #sundayfishsketch and corky sea fingers for “reef” prompt for #sciartseptember
#sciart #coralreefs #marinelife

A watercolor painting of a close up of a yellowtail snapper and a watercolor painting of a colony of corky sea fingers, a type of soft coral found in the Caribbean.

1 7 45

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 19d

September 19: “depths”
I’m finally back home after over a month scuba diving in Indonesia. Here is a digital drawing of a nautilus that I did while in transit.
#sciartseptember #sciart #coralreefs
#marinelife #oceanconservation.

A drawing of a nautilus, a type of mollusk that lives in deep water.

1 29 160

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 21d

September 18: “Cenote”
Today I am starting my three-day transit back home. I may not have connectivity, so I am posting tomorrow’s sketch early. #sciartseptember #sciart

A sketch of a scuba diver swimming through a shaft of sunlight beaming into a Cenote, a sinkhole filled with water found in Yucatán Mexico.

7 46

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 21d

September 17: “trawl”
This is the opposite of bottom trawling: a traditional bamboo fish trap used in Alor Indonesia for subsistence fishing. See alt text for more info.
#sciartseptember #sciart #coralreefs #oceanconservation

A sketch of a bamboo fish trap used in Indonesia. It is placed on the reef and weighted with stones. Fish swim into the cone shaped opening. Small fish swim back out through the mesh sides. The trap is not baited. Rather, its location is chosen to take advantage of the natural pathways fish use to travel across the reef. It doesn’t harm the sea creatures that are caught, eliminating bycatch (the fisherman keeps the edible catch and releases everything else). If the trap is damaged or lost, it quickly disintegrates into biodegradable components.

3 27

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 22d

September 16: “rift”
This is the last dive day, so I’ll be cleaning gear and packing this afternoon. Here is a repost of a colored pencil drawing of an animal found in the Great African Rift Valley. #sciartseptember #sciart

2 27

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 23d

September 15: “spawning”
#sciartseptember
#sciart

Digital drawing of a sockeye salmon during spawning season

1 6 40

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 24d

Another manta ray for #sundayfishsketch
#sciart #coralreefs #marinelife #oceanconservation

15 60

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 24d

September 14: “mimic”
Here is a digital drawing of a wonderpus for #sciartseptember
#sciart #coralreefs #marinelife #oceanconservation

Drawing of a wonderpus, a type of mimic octopus.

1 9 43

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 25d

September 13: “bottleneck”
I’m muck diving in Tulamben, and it’s the afternoon surface interval. I can draw, or I can nap. So here is a very rough sketch of the late Lonesome George for #sciartseptember
#sciart

Sketch of Lonesome George, the last member of a now extinct subspecies of Galapagos tortoise

10 63

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 26d

September 12: “wandering”
Here is a quick leatherback turtle sketch for #sciartseptember
#sciart #marinelife #coralreefs #oceanconservation

2 16 89

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 27d

September 11: “venomous”
A blue ring octopus for #sciartseptember
#sciart #coralreefs #marinelife

1 23 99

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · 28d

September 10: “tawny”
A tawny nurse shark for #sciartseptember #sciart #coralreefs #marinelife #oceanconservation

5 49

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · Sep 7

September 9: “vanishing”
This is a digital painting of a scorpion fish, master of ‘hiding in plain sight’. I apologize for spamming, but I will not have internet access for a couple of days.
#sciartseptember #sciart #marinelife #coralreefs #oceanconservation

2 28

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · Sep 7

September 8: “niche”
This is a shrimp goby and its blind shrimp roommate. Tomorrow is transit day (Alor to Tulamben, Bali), so I need to double up my posts to stay on track for #sciartseptember
#sciart #marinelife #coralreefs

Digital sketch of a shrimp goby and its symbiotic partner, a blind shrimp.

4 23

Kelley Whitley @kelleywelley.bsky.social · Sep 7

Manta ray for #sundayfishsketch I’m still diving in Indonesia, so this is digital. #sciart #coralreefs #marinelife #oceanconservation

12 45