Had a blast organising this year’s marine mammal conference in our very own Plymouth! @plymbiomarsci.bsky.social

Inspiring keynote from Dr Clare Embling on her career journey so far 🐬🐳
From porpoises to sperm whales, PhD & postdoc tips, insights into predator–prey interactions and impacts of noise. A brilliant, honest look at building a career in marine mammal science. #UKIRSC26 @plymbiomarsci.bsky.social

Sunrise and pink skies over the marina next to the Marine Station, with a swan in the foreground

A gorgeous morning to kick off #UKIRSC26 and what a view from the Plymouth University Marine Station! 🐬

Wonderful infographic on my paper showing that "flight" species of baleen whales generally call too deeply and quietly to be heard by hunting killer whales, unlike the "fight" club.

By A Haddock & C.A. Gallagher, SMM Education Committee

Paper here: doi.org/10.1111/mms....

PhD position - Changing Ecological Role of Coral Reef Marine Protected Areas.

One of the new @exageo-dla.bsky.social advertised projects: www.exageo.org/phd-student-... - deadline for applications 9th January. International applications welcome.

Come and join us @lec-reefs.bsky.social

Reminder that registration closes this week! Follow the link in the thread to sign up 🧵

Some EXCELLENT leaping by spinner dolphins in an atoll lagoon 🐬 (Super scientific video commentary includes ‘there’s loads of them!’ and ‘woo-hoo!’) #indianocean #science

Farage: epic grifter

super cool! 🤓

Indian Ocean Marine Science | ZSL We're collaborating to protect the Indian Ocean, with 121 peer-reviewed papers that have been generated between 2017-2021 from the research in the region.

Find out more about the project here: www.zsl.org/what-we-do/p... (I am just the lowly wildlife observer lucky enough to spot it!) 5/5

However, until now there has been no confirmed sighting in the region. How lucky to have spotted this from the survey vessel and in great weather conditions! 4/5

Multiple pygmy blue whale acoustic populations in the Indian Ocean: whale song identifies a possible new population - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - Multiple pygmy blue whale acoustic populations in the Indian Ocean: whale song identifies a possible new population

Since then there has been an increase in sightings in the Indian Ocean and western Pacific, including in Sri Lanka, and some acoustic recordings in Chagos appear to show Omura’s whale calls. Read: www.nature.com/articles/s41... 3/5

First described in 2003, it wasn’t until very recently, in 2013, that they were recorded live in Madagascar. See: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
2/5

Omura’s whale - brownish grey on top, paler underside - surfaces in calm blue water

Omura’s whale continues to roll with more of its back visible and pale chevron marking on the side

Whale turned on its side so pale underside seen underwater, and half of its flukes emerge looking almost like the dorsal fin of an orca

Big news from the Indian Ocean! First sighting of the incredibly rare Omura’s whale, confirming previous acoustic recordings in the Chagos Archipelago. Project to determine cetacean 🐋 diversity by @iomarinescience.bsky.social @zslofficial.bsky.social @plymbiomarsci.bsky.social Photos by me 🧪 🌍 🧵1/5

Another landmark moment in the ongoing fight to end this senseless slaughter.

🐬 Registration is now OPEN for the UKIRSC 2026 Marine Mammal Conference hosted @plymuni.bsky.social 🎓A FREE event bringing together students from across the UK & Ireland to share research, connect, and learn from leading marine mammal scientists. 👇Link below

#UKIRSC2026 #MarineMammals

A set of human footprints next to tracks left by a turtle, in the white sand down to the sea with stormclouds in the distance

Counting turtle tracks 🐢 👣 #fieldwork #addocean

Jane Goodall’s legacy: three ways she changed science The primatologist challenged what it meant to be a scientist.

Jane Goodall’s legacy: three ways she changed science

Noddies! Can someone help me out though - brown or lesser?? & any tips for differentiating 🙏

#birds #indianocean

Also love the browns! Haven’t managed to get a good photo of one yet though. Having just googled abbots, can confirm you are correct

Thanks! 😄

I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA

10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)

A breeding pair of Gannets on the Bass Rock with their chick. One of the adults clearly has a black eye, an indicator of past exposure to highly pathogenic avian influenza, while the other is normal/healthy.

Very cool new #seabird paper showing no difference in breeding success between healthy and black-eyed gannets, but a worrying overall decline in productivity following the #avianflu outbreak. 🦠🐣

Read the paper here 👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #seabirds #ornithology

Here’s a really interesting study on their foraging ecology - bsky.app/profile/ruth...

#addBirder

Obsessed with red-footed boobies, which have the most colourful bills and sometimes perch on the front of the boat to keep us company at sea. They are unafraid of humans so giving them their name (original meaning = stupid, poor things)

Thank you!

Hi, my research isn’t directly linked to climate change so it wouldn’t be a personal story, but I’d be happy to hear more about it! (Feel free to dm)

Welcome!

Thanks Josh! 🤞