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Dr Anna Sturrock

@otolithgirl.bsky.social

840 followers 780 following 95 posts

UKRI Future Leaders Fellow & Essex Uni Assoc Prof. Marine biologist obsessed with 🐟 movement. FSBI Council, Fish & Fisheries Editor. Otolith starter pack: https://go.bsky.app/2TPiypt. Video game/ animation about connectivity: www.tinyurl.com/MFCTeacherPack

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Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · Feb 11

#ThingsWithRings! Read this new @uk.theconversation.com article about some of the surprising biological archives out there, and what we can use them for... theconversation.com/most-animals...

#otoliths #archaeology, #forensics #fish #sclerochronology #biochronology @universityofessex.bsky.social

Most animals have their own version of tree rings – here’s how we biologists use them to help species thrive

From whale earwax to bird feathers, almost all organisms keep a record of their existence.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Dr Anna Sturrock

Alec BM Moore @alecbmmoore.bsky.social · 5d

New paper on potential impacts of deep sea mining on sharks, rays & chimaeras

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Reposted by Dr Anna Sturrock

Rebecca R Helm @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social · 18d

Me: *checks news*

Me, 20 minutes later: *transforms into tiny crab, floats way on jellyfish*

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Reposted by Dr Anna Sturrock

Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social · 6d

I just couldn't stop thinking about how weird sperm whale mouths are and yet how perfectly shaped for inserting giant squid into

A scanned pencil sketch of a faceoff between a giant squid and a sperm whale. The squid looks cute and alarmed and its mantle is labeled TAB A. The whale looks cute and happy and its mouth is labeled SLOT A. Tab A does look like it would fit perfectly in slot A. The squid says "I strongly disagree with this diagram" and the whale responds "You can't disagree with evolution."

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Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · 5d

So lovely to meet our new cohort of marine biology and ecology undergraduates @universityofessex.bsky.social. What a lovely bunch! And deff winning the highest jump there Michael Steinke!!

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Reposted by Dr Anna Sturrock

Minnesota AFS @mnafs.bsky.social · 25d

MN AFS members Solomon David of @garlab.bsky.social and Alec Lackmann, leader of the Otolith Lab at UMN Duluth both received an Award of Merit from the @amfisheriessoc.bsky.social Fisheries Management Section, recognizing significant contributions to management of nongame fishes. Congratulations!!

Four smiling people holding award certificates stand next to a sign for American Fisheries Society, photo taken at AFS conference in August 2025.

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Reposted by Dr Anna Sturrock

The Coral Reef Research Hub @coralreefresearch.bsky.social · 9d

JOB OPPORTUNITY: Lecturer in Marine Biology and Scientific Diving (University of Plymouth)

www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOS637/l...

#jobs #lecturer #scientificdiving #plymouth #coralreefs #university #marinescience #marinebiology #marineecology #jobopportunity

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Reposted by Dr Anna Sturrock

Jack A Brand @jack-brand.bsky.social · Apr 10

Super happy to see our new article on how pharmaceutical pollution can influence salmon migration out in @science.org!

This was a huge effort by a great team of researchers over the last few years!

You can read the paper here: science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…!

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Reposted by Dr Anna Sturrock

Li Li 李黎 @lireactivewater.bsky.social · 13d

Rivers are heating up faster than the air − that’s a problem for aquatic life and people

doi.org/10.64628/AAI...

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Rivers are heating up faster than the air − that’s a problem for aquatic life and people

River heat waves are rising faster than the pace of air heat waves. That’s a problem for fish, drinking water quality, and food and energy production.

doi.org

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Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · 15d

Amazing effort!!!

Dan Osmond @danosmond.bsky.social · 16d

Quite a day out: 43 miles running up the Exe to celebrate and connect with the story of Atlantic Salmon in this year's Salmon Run. A big thanks to all involved in organising and supporting the event and to everyone who donated towards WRT's work to support salmon restoration in the Exe.

Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · 25d

Salmon Whisperers....

Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · 25d

Atlantic salmon leaping up the Falls of Feugh. Exhausting even just watching them do it! We didn't see any make it to the top. Wonder if this dry summer has made it harder..... 😪

Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · 25d

Who can tell a baby #salmon from a #trout?! Fab day sampling the beautiful River Dee with Al Reeve from the Dee River Trust (thank you!) and my PhD student Mike. Also loved seeing the seals at Newburgh and salmon leaping at Falls of Feugh 🦭🐟 #FishSci

Reposted by Dr Anna Sturrock

Tidelines @tidelines.bsky.social · Sep 5

The Salmon Run podcast is here! 🌍🏃🤝🐟

Listen now to explore:
- What happens in human and salmon bodies as we move
- How salmon navigate
- The importance of salt!
- Temperature in a changing climate

on.soundcloud.com/QA1LOAVL1fML...

Salmon Run Return podcast 2025

This year's Salmon Run podcast focuses on human bodies and fish bodies (Atlantic Salmon) and how they move through and sense our shared and different world's. Exploring what happens in the moving body

soundcloud.com

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Reposted by Dr Anna Sturrock

Tidelines @tidelines.bsky.social · Aug 27

Save the Date: Salmon Run is on 20 September 2025.

A relay run up the river plus lots more. New activities this year include The Gathering, a fishy festival at Sideshore, Exmouth, with art, music, talks & games.

And more activities at the finish in Dulverton, with @exmoornp.bsky.social

A map showing the route of the Salmon Run relay from Exmouth to Dulverton, with information about the event.

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Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · Sep 4

Thought provoking podcast about the connections between land and sea, salmon athletes and human athletes. Thank you @tidelines.bsky.social for coming to visit us at @universityofessex.bsky.social and good luck to you and all the runners on 20th Sept!!! I wish I could join you but alas I cannot. 💙🐟🌳

Tidelines @tidelines.bsky.social · Sep 2

2025 Salmon Run Podcast nearly ready! Features ultra runners, fisheries & sports scientists & an evolutionary biologist. Focusing on human bodies/fish bodies moving through & sensing a changing world @ultradamo.bsky.social @exmoornp.bsky.social @otolithgirl.bsky.social @nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social

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Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · Sep 4

I'm so proud of my lab - they're growing up! 🥹 Weddings and babies, lecturer positions, international conferences and running complex field campaigns. And now with our latest sweet addition, we are three (OK maybe 2.5!) generations of #WomenInSTEM! #HeartFull

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Reposted by Dr Anna Sturrock

Tom Cameron @ecoevoenviro.bsky.social · Aug 27

Great trip to #Bergen to see my brother and follow up on tip off on fast emerging sea Bass populations in Fana, Bergen and further north Fjords #Norway - turns out this has been happening some 20+ years but now more common - plan to be working with IMS and UiB and of course @otolithgirl.bsky.social

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Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · Aug 13

Thanks Jon!!

Reposted by Dr Anna Sturrock

The FSBI @thefsbi.bsky.social · Jul 25

For the first time, at #FSBI2025, we ran the #FSBIGreenTravel award to promote more sustainable travel to our conference. We were thrilled by the response and the efforts that people went to in order to lower their carbon emissions. In 1st place, we had Maddi Garate Olaizola! This is Maddi's story:

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Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · Aug 11

Cons of lenses vs. otos: the lens cores are tiny (hard to handle. Avoid coffee while dissecting!) and v.low mass (prob <0.1mg with both cores from 1 fish) requiring a good IRMS. Even so, some did fail (although unclear if bc of IRMS vs. me/droppage!)

Cons of either structure: lethal sampling (4/4)

Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · Aug 11

Pros of lenses vs. otoliths: pulling off outer layers with forceps was quicker than embedding/sectioning; lots of labs can analyse bulk d13C cheaply and quickly. But both structures allow you to isolate the core when the fish was nourished by yolk (ie. avoiding 'contamination' by exogenous feeding)

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Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · Aug 11

Similar to using otolith core strontium concentrations or isotope ratios, elevated d13C values in the lens cores are seen in the offspring of anadomous mums as the result of vitellogenesis happening at sea (cf. FW for residents). 2/4 (photo credit: Uwe Kils, Wikipedia)

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Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · Aug 11

New #OA paper showing the importance of anadromous trout for recruitment-and in turn-for keeping our #rivers connected! Combines #kinship analysis with SNPs with a new method for identifying maternal strategy using carbon #isotopes in the eye #lens core. 1/4 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

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Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · Aug 11

Disproportionate attention given to certain habitats (shallow, coral reefs), taxa (fish) and areas (N. Atlantic). Broad agreement on the need to integrate and apply methods better, to better understand connectivity drivers, and to increase sampling coverage and transnational/cross ecosystem networks

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Dr Anna Sturrock @otolithgirl.bsky.social · Aug 11

New #OA systematic review of the current state of marine
functional connectivity research in @meps-ir.bsky.social. This #SEA-UNICORN output uses an 'umbrella review' approach to summarise this growing field and includes a bibliometic analysis of 'who' is doing what. 1/2.. 🦞🐟🌊 doi.org/10.3354/meps...

A systematic review of the current state of marine functional connectivity research

Marine functional connectivity underpins biodiversity and ecosystem functions, ensuring resilience in marine and land-sea interface ecosystems. Research on this topic has advanced rapidly in...

doi.org

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