Thanks to @aberuni.bsky.social for highlighting the phenomenal hard work of Drs @geomicrosoares.bsky.social @sararassner.bsky.social and team in mapping the microbiota of the South Wales coalfield. Prospects for future energy emerges from the legacy of fossil energy. academic.oup.com/femsec/artic...

Hydrology Paper of the Day @geomicrosoares.bsky.social @sararassner.bsky.social on pyrite oxidation and microbial activity in a coal-based aquifer: spatial bacterial sampling and DNA extraction for 117 water samples; ion geochemistry; geological and geochemical controls; and microbial niches.

Turns out that hydrogeologically units (mine water blocks) & coal rank explained most of the bacterial variation across sites. Great to finally have this out, thanks to co-authors, including @geomicrosoares.bsky.social @arwynedwards.bsky.social @garethfarr.bsky.social & 2 brilliant reviewers!

Heatmap with average relative bacterial abundance (16S) of 7 genera across 12 mine water sites and one natural hot spring in the South Wales Coalfield at three times of year.

What do you do when three of your mine water sites are dominated by a pair of cooccurring SOB, while all other sites are dominated by a pair of cooccurring FeOB and the pattern can’t be explained by any of the measured variables? You start digging! doi.org/10.1093/fems...

Action and serenity in one, I like it! :)

Is that a photo of fieldwork during polar night? :)

Photo of a dark print out with pale boxes containing mirrored text in German.

My printer just decided to print a PDF with all the slides mirrored! 🤯

I didn't even know it could do that and I will probably never find out how it happened.

Also, using a dark background on slides you expect people to print out is just not nice.

For those new to Bluesky - you can get hourly #otters in your timeline. Hourly!
bsky.app/profile/otte... #PublicServiceAnnouncement

Me too. It's been nuts today. David Thomas shared a list (go.bsky.app/7RL1i9C) of polar scientist/people and I guess that, in gombination with the mass exodus from Twitter is the reason behind it.

I've had 40+ new followers overnight! It's been rather quiet here & I'm hoping we can get back to that fun and useful sharing of science that we once had on Twitter, but I am also going to miss my feed being filled with cute otters from Hourly Otters. It always brought me blissful calm on a busy day

At least you're not getting them to wear leaky waders, from the looks of it. I always thought it was a sign of true friendship when they were willing to come out with you again after that. ;D

Congratulations, but do try not to be so awesome next time.