Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Luke E Holman

Mick Westbury @mick2474.bsky.social · 29d

🦣🍖🧬 Fully funded 3-yr PhD in palaeogenomics & bioinformatics! Help me push non-model palaeogenomes beyond their limits @DTU in Denmark.

Start: Feb 2026 (flexible)
Application deadline: 24 Oct 2025

For details click here: tinyurl.com/BioExtPhD

Reposts appreciated 😁

2 54 52

Reposted by Luke E Holman

Royal Society Publishing @royalsocietypublishing.org · Aug 19

In this blog post, Guest Editor Dr Luke Holman discusses their recent #PhilTransB issue, 'Shifting seas: understanding deep-time human impacts on #marine ecosystems': royalsociety.org/blog/2025/08...

1 1

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Aug 13

Some thoughts on how our recent theme issue came together

Royal Society Publishing @royalsocietypublishing.org · Aug 13

In this blog, Guest Editor @lukeeholman.bsky.social discusses their recent #PhilTransB issue, 'Shifting seas: understanding deep-time human impacts on marine ecosystems':

Understanding deep-time human impacts on marine ecosystems: Q&A with Luke Holman | Royal Society

Philosophical Transactions B recently published a theme issue on ‘Shifting seas: understanding deep-time human impacts on marine ecosystems’. In this blog, Guest Editor Dr Luke Holman (University of…

royalsociety.org

3

Reposted by Luke E Holman

Big Hippo 🇮🇪 @bighippoart.bsky.social · Jul 16

Here's an illustration I did for the Royal Society Publishing journal and their special release "The shifting seas". It was great fun to work on this hugely educational piece and I wanted to thank @lukeeholman.bsky.social in particular for giving me this opportunity 😊

A marine illustration featuring two contrasting marine ecosystems in one perspective.

3 25 120

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Jul 17

Thank you so much for your beautiful art. You really captured how humanity has challenged the oceans, while also providing hope for future flourishing seas through recovery and restoration.

🌊

1 1

Reposted by Luke E Holman

Royal Society Publishing @royalsocietypublishing.org · Jul 10

New theme issue of #PhilTransB out today ‘Shifting seas: understanding deep-time human impacts on #marine #ecosystems’. Read here: royalsocietypublishing.org/toc/rstb/202...

3 4

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Jul 10

🔗 doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0026

Shifting seas: understanding deep-time human impacts on marine ecosystems | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Humans have interacted with, and impacted, marine ecosystems for millennia. During this time, the oceans have experienced ecosystem degradation through harvesting, habitat change, pollution, the introduction of invasive species and climate change. Despite ...

doi.org

2 1

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Jul 10

Thank you to all the amazing authors who trusted us with their research. Not to mention our wonderful artists Jacek Matysiak (www.instagram.com/big.hippo.art/) and Maddy Dall (www.instagram.com/maddydall/) who brought the issue to life with their beautiful illustrations.

1 3

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Jul 10

Contributions use bones 🦴, shells 🐚, old catch records 📜, logbooks 📖, marine sediments 🧪 & more to reach before monitoring began. Using stable isotopes 🧬, ancient DNA 🧫, ecosystem models 🌍 & other tools, they reveal fresh insights into our impact on the seas 🌊.

1 1

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Jul 10

My amazing co-guest editors @ruththurstan.bsky.social @kbohmann.bsky.social @mikkelwp.bsky.social @tangeolsen.bsky.social & non-Bskyers Ol Craig, David Orton, James Scourse and I found only enthusiasm and interest from our networks - the amazing research rolled in!

1 1 2

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Jul 10

There wasn’t an obvious place to bring together data from archaeology 🏺, ecology 🌿, and marine geology 🌊…

Then I saw a call from @royalsocietypublishing.org 📣 for theme issues — and suddenly, everything clicked! 💡🧩

1 1

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Jul 10

A couple of years ago we were beginning to see exciting interdisciplinary datasets coming out of @erc.europa.eu 🌍 @seachange-erc.bsky.social 🌊. It was amazing to begin to understand the complex dance of climate 🌡️, humans 🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️, and marine biodiversity 🐟🪸 across centuries! ⏳✨

1 1 1

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Jul 10

🐚 Out today “Shifting Seas – Understanding Deep-Time Human Impacts on Marine Ecosystems.” 🌊

A theme issue asking how, when, and where humans have impacted oceans over millennia.

🔗 doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0026

🧶 below on how it came to life!...

Shifting seas: understanding deep-time human impacts on marine ecosystems | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Humans have interacted with, and impacted, marine ecosystems for millennia. During this time, the oceans have experienced ecosystem degradation through harvesting, habitat change, pollution, the introduction of invasive species and climate change. Despite ...

doi.org

1 9 17

Reposted by Luke E Holman

Oceans Past Initiative @oceanspast.bsky.social · May 30

New paper out now in @natcomms.nature.com!

Multiproxy analysis reveals the earliest evidence of whale bone working and broadens the range of taxa known to have been used in the Bay of Biscay during the Late Paleolithic 🐋

Paper 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

1 2

Reposted by Luke E Holman

Jake Holland-Lulewicz @archaeojake.bsky.social · Mar 27

Did you know that most 18/19thC coastal plantations were located at places where the largest Indigenous towns once stood centuries earlier? A great example of how deep-time land use practices create legacies that drive future, cumulative human-ecosystem engagements. 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s43...

19 30

Reposted by Luke E Holman

Mick Westbury @mick2474.bsky.social · Apr 10

Did llamas make it to southeast South America before Europeans? 🦙

Our manuscript used #archaeology, isotopes, and palaeogenomics #aDNA to find out 🦙🦴🧬

In summary, nope. Just guanacos hanging on into early historical times.

Read it here: authors.elsevier.com/c/1kvQy,rVDB...

Reposts appreciated 😁

9 21

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Feb 21

🙌 Thanks to amazing co-authors @kbohmann.bsky.social sky.social, @mikkelwp.bsky.social @seachange-erc.bsky.social, many others not on 💙☁️, & our funders @erc.europa.eu.

Dive into the full study here: doi.org/10.1111/1755...

Lots more detail in the supplements!

Navigating Past Oceans: Comparing Metabarcoding and Metagenomics of Marine Ancient Sediment Environmental DNA

The condition of ancient marine ecosystems provides context for contemporary biodiversity changes in human-impacted oceans. Sequencing sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) is an emerging method for gene...

doi.org

2 3

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Feb 21

💡 Some takeaways:

Different eDNA methods give us different snapshots of ancient biodiversity. Interpret ancient records with care —methodological biases can shape ecological conclusions.

When your material crosses 2-4k years BP be careful interpreting alpha diversity changes.📝

1

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Feb 21

📊 Consistent beta diversity

Despite the richness differences, both methods produced similar beta diversity patterns, highlighting consistent shifts in community composition over time.

Phew!

1

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Feb 21

📉 Very different richness across methods!📉

Our results showed opposing alpha diversity trends:

• Metabarcoding = lower ASV richness in older sediments

• Metagenomics = lower genus richness in younger sediments

A clear reminder that the method truly matters! 🎯

1

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Feb 21

🔍 What taxa overlapped? 🔍

We found that only 3 metazoan genera overlapped between methods:

• Oikopleura (larvacean)
• Gadus (cod)
• Clupea (herring)
(+ 🌿seagrass🌿)

Interestingly we found that only metagenomics provided reliable detections beyond 4k years for all taxa.

1

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Feb 21

🔬 What did we do?🔬

We sampled a long (30m+), old (20y+) marine sediment core from the Skagerrak, North Sea, performing 18S(v9) metabarcoding and shotgun-metagenomic sequencing to see what these very different techniques tell us about ancient oceans.

1

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Feb 21

🚀 Excited to share our new paper:
“Navigating Past Oceans: Comparing #Metabarcoding and #Metagenomics of Marine Ancient Sediment eDNA”

DOI: doi.org/10.1111/1755...

We dive into 8,000 years of marine life from Skagerrak sediments to show what different tools tell us about past #oceans! 🌊🧬

Navigating Past Oceans: Comparing Metabarcoding and Metagenomics of Marine Ancient Sediment Environmental DNA

The condition of ancient marine ecosystems provides context for contemporary biodiversity changes in human-impacted oceans. Sequencing sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) is an emerging method for gene...

doi.org

1 3 11

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Feb 11

We have so much more to do to support women in STEM! 👩‍🔬 Here at GLOBE, across Danish academia🇩🇰, and around the 🌍

🚀 Follow these great women, read & cite their work, and stay aware of the biases that can make us miss out on talented researchers & amazing collaborators! 💙 #WomenInSTEM #EquityInScience

3

Luke E Holman @lukeeholman.bsky.social · Feb 11

Finally, the super talented Lene Bruhn Pedersen! 🧪✨ Her lab skills are crucial to keeping our projects running. 🔬💡

Lene is looking for new opportunities in Copenhagen as our project wraps up. If you need the best lab tech in town, reach out! 👀📢

🔗 More about Lene: seachange-erc.eu/people/lene_...

People - Seachange

seachange-erc.eu

1 1 5