Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · Jun 2

New work out today! 🌏 We identify geographic and taxonomic gaps in EBSA descriptions, trends in the levels of protection observed, and ways forward to improve the uptake and appropriate use of the outputs of this singular intergovernmental process.

Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · Jun 1

What is an ecologically or biologically significant area?

How do we prioritise one seagrass bed over another, or a seagrass bed over a seamount?

www.nature.com/articles/s44...

What is an ecologically or biologically significant area? - npj Ocean Sustainability

npj Ocean Sustainability - What is an ecologically or biologically significant area?

www.nature.com

1 3

Reposted by Lily Bentley

Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · Jun 1

What is an ecologically or biologically significant area?

How do we prioritise one seagrass bed over another, or a seagrass bed over a seamount?

www.nature.com/articles/s44...

What is an ecologically or biologically significant area? - npj Ocean Sustainability

npj Ocean Sustainability - What is an ecologically or biologically significant area?

www.nature.com

15 31

Reposted by Lily Bentley

Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · May 24

Animal migrations are extensive and crucial for ecosystem health but are in decline. A study in Nature Communications identifies 1,787 sites and links among them for 109 marine species, providing policymakers with essential knowledge for effective conservation. 🌊 🧪

Marine megavertebrate migrations connect the global ocean - Nature Communications

Animal migrations are extensive and crucial for ecosystem health but are in decline. This study identifies 1,787 sites and links among them for 109 marine species, highlighting the need for international cooperation and providing policymakers with essential knowledge for effective conservation.

go.nature.com

10 33

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · May 28

Really nice piece on our recent work on @mongabay.com
news.mongabay.com/2025/05/new-... 🌏🦈🐋🌊

Read the article here: 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

New map highlights complex web of marine migrations

Where are all the marine animals going? Given the vastness of the oceans, the countless species that live in them, and the lack of a global data set, it’s not easy to figure that out. However, the inc...

news.mongabay.com

Reposted by Lily Bentley

Cambridge Zero @cambridgezero.bsky.social · May 23

🦋 Join henrylnorth.bsky.social (@girtoncollege.bsky.social @camzoology.bsky.social) as he shows how we’re monitoring moths in Cambridge to better understand local biodiversity.

Big insights from small wings.
#BiodiversityDay #MothMonitoring #CambridgeScience

4 5

Reposted by Lily Bentley

Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · May 13

Animal migrations are extensive and crucial for ecosystem health but are in decline. A study in Nature Communications identifies 1,787 sites and links among them for 109 marine species, providing policymakers with essential knowledge for effective conservation. 🌊 🧪

Marine megavertebrate migrations connect the global ocean - Nature Communications

Animal migrations are extensive and crucial for ecosystem health but are in decline. This study identifies 1,787 sites and links among them for 109 marine species, highlighting the need for international cooperation and providing policymakers with essential knowledge for effective conservation.

go.nature.com

17 42

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · May 11

Happy Belated 99th Birthday to Sir David. Even as someone who, in theory, understood the ecological impact of bottom trawling the footage from his latest film was truly horrifying. Hoping the wider community is inspired to speak up for the ocean, too, so our kids can see it healthier than before.

Woman in a sweatshirt embroidered with the face of David Attenborough.

3

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · May 8

Thanks to The Conversation for the chance to share some thoughts about our new paper!

Hidden connections of more than 100 migratory marine species revealed in interactive map

The map combines findings from more than 1,300 studies and is an important tool for conservation.

theconversation.com

2

Reposted by Lily Bentley

Connie Kot @connieykot.bsky.social · May 8

We need to continue our progress towards understanding marine connections with the valuable data we collect! Glad to be a part of this initiative - Great job team MiCO & thank you to all of the collaborators and @gobisecretariat.bsky.social for your support! 👏🌐🌊

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · May 8

Stoked to be able to share my first postdoc paper: 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯, published today in Nature Communications! 🎉

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Marine megavertebrate migrations connect the global ocean - Nature Communications

Animal migrations are extensive and crucial for ecosystem health but are in decline. This study identifies 1,787 sites and links among them for 109 marine species, highlighting the need for internatio...

www.nature.com

1 3

Reposted by Lily Bentley

RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · May 8

Happy 99th birthday to the man who gave voice to the wild. 🎉

Sir David Attenborough, thank you for a lifetime dedicated to the natural world, and for sharing its story with wisdom, wonder, and grace.

You've inspired generations to fall in love with nature.

This photograph captures Sir David Attenborough seated outdoors on the rugged terrain of Skomer Island. Behind him, the ocean and coastal cliffs form a scenic backdrop under a clear sky. Sir David, dressed in a khaki jacket and light trousers, looks towards the camera with a gentle expression, exuding a sense of warmth, calm, and wisdom. Around him, puffins can be seen flying and perched on the rocky ground, illuminated in rays of golden sunlight as the sun sets behind the cliffs.

660 8K 43K

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · May 8

🙏Particular thanks to anchor author Daniel Dunn @marinebiogeo.bsky.social for his leadership and unwavering support, both on this work and in general. Thanks also to the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative @gobisecretariat.bsky.social for supporting this work.

2

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · May 8

I want to acknowledge and thank folks who have worked on this project for much longer than I have, including coauthors Dina Nisthar, Ei Fujioka, Corrie Curtice, Sarah DeLand, Ben Donnelly, Autumn-Lynn Harrison, Ellie Heywood, Connie Kot, Guillermo Ortuño Crespo, Ph.D., Sarah Poulin, and Pat Halpin.

1 1

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · May 8

👀 The gaps in the data we found are as informative as the the data themselves – checking our biases, filling in strategic gaps, and incorporating more recent work into the system will all help us bring the picture into even clearer focus.

1

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · May 8

IMO the most interesting work is yet to come, as we refine and update networks for individual species and systems (more soon, led by some of our group's phenomenal PhD candidates!) and, importantly, as we leverage this information to inform migratory species conservation in global policy arenas.

1

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · May 8

🔗 Here we show a preliminary estimate of the (measured!) connectivity between key sites for over 100 marine migratory megavertebrates. 🦈 🐋 🐟 🐢 🐧

1

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · May 8

🌏 In it, we share a summary of the migratory networks available in our online system, mico.eco.
📖 These models are constructed from data collected in an Herculean literature review undertaken over years, by contributors across multiple institutions.

MiCO: Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean

MiCO has released more than 100 new models describing connectivity generated by migratory marine megavertebrates. These models now form v1.0 of the MiCO System, and represent the largest repository of synthesized knowledge of marine migratory connectivity in the world.

mico.eco

1

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · May 8

Stoked to be able to share my first postdoc paper: 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯, published today in Nature Communications! 🎉

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Marine megavertebrate migrations connect the global ocean - Nature Communications

Animal migrations are extensive and crucial for ecosystem health but are in decline. This study identifies 1,787 sites and links among them for 109 marine species, highlighting the need for internatio...

www.nature.com

3 21 76

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · Feb 11

Super excited to be in Canberra for the 25th Science Meets Parliament! Nice to start with a lesson in political machinery from a refreshingly honest Bill Shorten.
#SMP2025

1 4

Reposted by Lily Bentley

Steffen Oppel @steffopp.bsky.social · Jan 9

NEW PAPER in #ornithology shows a new method to estimate the probability of #seabirds to interact with #fishing vessels based on time and space: https://buff.ly/4hnw4cr

4 21

Reposted by Lily Bentley

Johan Lind @johanlind.bsky.social · Nov 28

Wisdom's still alive, she's back at her breeding grounds! This season she'll turn at least 74 years old. 🎉🎊💃

24 430 1.2K

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · Nov 26

Hey Josh! Would love to be added if space on the second pack. :)

1 1

Reposted by Lily Bentley

Chloe Cargill (She/Her) @meta-kittiwake.bsky.social · Nov 22

Hello #seabirds PhD students in the UK and Ireland. We are a supportive cross-university group of ECRs. Online get togethers on the last Friday of every month on Teams. Contact email below 👇 Develop collabs; share data, methods, problems, code; guest speakers... come say hi! Please share - thanks!

1 26 51

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · Nov 20

Hi Dr Borja! I’m an ecologist working on marine migratory species — would love to be added to the list. :)

1

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · Nov 11

Oh gosh I’m clearly still working out this site. Thank you! 😍 nice to meet you too!

1

Lily Bentley @lilybentley.bsky.social · Nov 11

Hi! This is me too — would love to be added if possible. :) Still building a presence on this site but working on things marine migratory species.

1 1