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Matt Kerr

@mattkerr.bsky.social

620 followers 900 following 23 posts

Postdoc in @econovoau.bsky.social - diversity dynamics in novel ecosystems. Palaeo/macro-ecology. Also chatting craft beer, tabletop gaming, and open/ethical science. Views mine. He/him. 🐚🐟🌍

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Matt Kerr @mattkerr.bsky.social · Mar 15

Read our new study on mapping ecologically novel conditions - out now in Nature Ecology and Evolution 🌍🦬🌿

Headline finding is that 58% of the biosphere is experiencing highly novel conditions, but nowhere was low - we really are living in a novel world.

ECONOVO - DNRF Center of Excellence @econovoau.bsky.social · Mar 14

1/6 Paper Alert📢📢📢
New publication from #ECONOVO on the widespread ecological novelty across the terrestrial biosphere🌱

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

Key take homes below👇

Widespread ecological novelty across the terrestrial biosphere - Nature Ecology & Evolution

Even outside urban and agricultural areas, ecosystems are vastly transformed as a result of human activities. Here the authors map patterns in climate change, defaunation and floristic disruption to q...

www.nature.com

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Matt Kerr @mattkerr.bsky.social · 7d

I rely heavily on Untitled1 through Untitled30 for support! I should acknowledge them more.

Jeremy Allen @jeremy-data.bsky.social · 8d

Something I jokingly said at work, but dang if it isn't actually true:
"Everyone needs an emotional support R script."

You know, those R scripts in your project where you test your freak code before you're confident it works?
#RStats

Screenshot of the top corner of the Positron IDE with three files open and their tabs are named "todo," "violence.qmd," and "play.R." The third one is circled with a pink line.

Reposted by Matt Kerr

Hadley Wickham @hadley.nz · 8d

Untitled1 is the one true way

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Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 20d

JOBS JOBS JOBS! Stony Brook are advertising two assistant professorships in vertebrate palaeo/evolution, one focused on (in the words of the SVP programme) NOT DINOSAURS and the other on evolutionary neurology:
apply.interfolio.com/172502
apply.interfolio.com/172517

Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio

apply.interfolio.com

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Heidi J. De Vries @matokieslaughter.bsky.social · 13d

Forgotten Victorian hobby: seaweed herbariums bound in scallop shells
www.sturgisantiques.com/items/victor...

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Peter Wagner (a Real Dr., not a surgeon-barber/body-tech/golfer) @peterjwagner3.bsky.social · Sep 7

If you know anyone interested in starting a Master's project working on ammonoid phylogenetics (or the phylogenetics of a mollusc group spanning the OAE2 event in the Late Cretaceous), then ask them to get in touch with me.

The situation is a little tricky, as it would be funded by the remainder…

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Diogo Veríssimo @diogoverissimo.bsky.social · 19d

🚨 New paper in PLOS Biology!

📉 Women publish up to 45% fewer papers than men
📉 Non-native English speakers: –35%
📉 Triple barrier (woman + non-native English + low-income): –70%

🌍 Language & equity matter in science!
👉 doi.org/10.1371/jour...

#EquityInScience #LanguageMatters #OpenScience

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra @jrossibarra.bsky.social · 19d

We have a lab slack channel called Bad Plots. I added this beauty today (boxplots always give me problems), but at least my lab is extremely supportive.

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · 20d

With this methodology, you'd also find that native herbivores generally "harm" plants and native carnivores generally "harm" their prey & competition - unsurprisingly, intuitively & given the huge literature on herbivory, competition, predation etc 🌿

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 22d

Early registration (and the best possible rates) still open for the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology annual meeting 2025 in Birmingham, but it closes on Thursday. Register now if you haven't already! #SVP2025 #2025SVP

vertpaleo.org/2025-registr...

2025 Registration Information – Society of Vertebrate Paleontology

vertpaleo.org

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Diogo B Proietti @provete.bsky.social · 24d

arxiv.org/abs/2509.08299

Causal evidence of racial and institutional biases in accessing paywalled articles and scientific data

Scientific progress fundamentally depends on researchers' ability to access and build upon the work of others. Yet, a majority of published work remains behind expensive paywalls, limiting access to u...

arxiv.org

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Dr Nadiah Kristensen @nadiah.bsky.social · Aug 25

Check out the graphical abstract for a paper recently published in Ecological Modelling.

I have papers published in Ecological Modelling. Never again, I guess.

A diagram titled "Ecological Network Optimisation" with attractive landscapes and networks and very clear AI-generation artifacts.

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Matt Kerr @mattkerr.bsky.social · Aug 18

Don't share too many mini photos since the move to blue sky - but I've been really enjoying painting models from the Grand Cathay range! Still some work to do, but I think these may get a spot on the shelf. Really beautiful sculpts.

Three painted miniatures of foot soldiers from the game "Warhammer: The Old World". One carries a banner with a dragon face motif, one is carrying a drum, and one a large sword with his hair in a knot. The minis are largely painted in silver armour with jade green cloth. They are from the Grand Cathay faction, which is inspired by medieval China.

Reposted by Matt Kerr

Jonas Trepel @jonastrepel.bsky.social · Aug 17

I’m very happy to share our new paper “Intensive feeding modifies nutrient patterns in a strictly protected area” (doi.org/10.1016/j.je...), just out in Journal of Environmental Management. We explore underestimated consequences of a common management practice: supplementary feeding of deer. (1/5)

Redirecting

doi.org

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · Aug 10

Do you love alpine plants, ancient DNA, and/or population genetics? My lab will be hiring a postdoc soon to be based at the University of Maine! We’re looking for someone who uses genetic tools and thinks like a community ecologist. Happy to chat at #ESA2025 if you’re interested.

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · Aug 5

It’s time to show oysters some love because it’s World Oyster Day! 🦪🦪🦪🦪🦪🦪

Did you know that the largest oyster ever found was a Pacific oyster that was 35.5 cm long?

To put that in perspective, normally, Pacific oysters reach 15-20 centimetres.

📷 Wadden Sea Center
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The giant oyster lays on a size 44 (European size) wellington boot.

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Art History Animalia @arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social · Aug 6

Today is also #WorldOysterDay 🦪 - on a #MolluscMonday !
“Denticulated Oyster” (Striostrea denticulata)
illustration by R. P. Nodder in George Shaw’s _The naturalist's miscellany_ Vol. 16, London, 1804-5
Via Biodiversity Heritage Library : www.flickr.com/photos/biodi...

digitized color book plate in portrait orientation, natural history art, scientific illustration of an oyster specimen, outer and inner shell views

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

John Alroy @johnalroy.bsky.social · Jul 24

Shannon's H, Simpson's D, and Pielou's J are useless in ecology. Fitting data with a compound abundance distribution based on the geometric series is a better way to quantify variation – and to estimate species richness. New paper in Ecology Letters.

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

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Bob Wong @bbmwong.bsky.social · Jul 20

Please repost. For those who might have missed it, our School has three ongoing positions advertised. The work environment here at Monash is top notch: supportive, collegiate and inclusive. And Melbourne is an awesome city to live in. Deadline fast approaching. Get cracking on those applications!

Bob Wong @bbmwong.bsky.social · Jun 26

The three academic positions (Lecturer/Senior Lecturer) in the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University are now advertised. Details here:

Ecology:
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...

Genomics:
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

British Ecological Society @britishecologicalsociety.org · Jul 16

Registration and abstract submission are now open for BES2025.

Learn more 👉

Welcome to our 2025 Annual Meeting - British Ecological Society

Join ecologists from around the world for Europe’s largest and most welcoming conference dedicated to ecology.

f.mtr.cool

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · Jul 15

25th Student Conference in Conservation Science, Cambridge, 31 March – 2 April 2026. Looking for postgraduate students and early-career conservation scientists, in a broad range of fields, to apply to present talks or posters on their work.
www.sccs-cam.org

Student Conference on Conservation Science - Welcome

SCCS helps young conservation scientists gain experience, learn new ideas and make contacts that will be valuable for their future careers.

www.sccs-cam.org

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Ming Tommy Tang @tommytang.bsky.social · Jul 12

5 papers all computational biologists should read 🧵

1. A Quick Guide to Organizing Computational Biology Projects
journals.plos.org/ploscompbio...

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Sal Keith (she/her) @salkeith.bsky.social · Jul 10

Just became aware of this paper - lots of great ideas for how to make sure field trips support LGBTQ+ ecologists besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Best practices for LGBTQ+ inclusion during ecological fieldwork: Considering safety, cis/heteronormativity and structural barriers

We recommend that mentors and institutions take action on the safety, financial, medical and administrative support needed by field researchers who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or other m...

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Matt Kerr @mattkerr.bsky.social · Jul 11

Aarhus postdocs past and present representing well at #BESMacro2025

Reposted by Matt Kerr

Aaron O'Dea @odealab.bsky.social · Jul 1

🐠🦈 Just out: In this paper we ask "How has reef trophic structure changed since humans started removing predatory fishes from Caribbean coral reefs?".

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Illustrations @cookedillustrations.com

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Reposted by Matt Kerr

Journal of Animal Ecology @animalecology.bsky.social · Jun 30

The Journal of Animal Ecology's 5th Sidnie Manton award is now open to proposals!🚨
Read more about the award here: buff.ly/BV6OT1P
...and submit your proposal here: buff.ly/YsnYe29
The deadline for proposals will be 1 September 2025.

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