New paper by Cristina Claver (@azti.bsky.social), published in @icesmarine.bsky.social JMS.
We combine #eDNA and acoustic-trawl data in a Bayesian joint model to estimate biomass of the European anchovy in the Bay of Biscay.
From the potential of eDNA to operational use
π doi.org/10.1093/ices...
Posts by Luke E Holman
π§¬π New publication! "Invasion Genomics" explores how genomic techniques and data are revolutionising the study of biological invasions. βοΈ by @dan_g_bock and @riuslab.bsky.socialΒ πwww.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/978180062626...
I do not want your AI slop
I do not want it in my mop
I do not want it in my house
I do not want it in my mouse
I do not like brain-rotting AI spam
I do not want it, Sam Alt-man
π¦£π𧬠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 π
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...
Some thoughts on how our recent theme issue came together
A marine illustration featuring two contrasting marine ecosystems in one perspective.
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 π
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.
π
New theme issue of #PhilTransB out today βShifting seas: understanding deep-time human impacts on #marine #ecosystemsβ. Read here: royalsocietypublishing.org/toc/rstb/202...
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.
Contributions use bones π¦΄, shells π, old catch records π, logbooks π, marine sediments π§ͺ & more to reach before monitoring began. Using stable isotopes π§¬, ancient DNA π§«, ecosystem models π & other tools, they reveal fresh insights into our impact on the seas π.
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!
There wasnβt an obvious place to bring together data from archaeology πΊ, ecology πΏ, and marine geology πβ¦
Then I saw a call from @royalsocietypublishing.org π£ for theme issues β and suddenly, everything clicked! π‘π§©
A couple of years ago we were beginning to see exciting interdisciplinary datasets coming out of @erc.europa.eu π @seachange-erc.bsky.social π. It was amazing to begin to understand the complex dance of climate π‘οΈ, humans π§ββοΈπ§ββοΈ, and marine biodiversity ππͺΈ across centuries! β³β¨
π Out today βShifting Seas β Understanding Deep-Time Human Impacts on Marine Ecosystems.β π
A theme issue asking how, when, and where humans have impacted oceans over millennia.
π doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0026
π§Ά below on how it came to life!...
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 π
Paper π www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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. π www.nature.com/articles/s43...
Did llamas make it to southeast South America before Europeans? π¦
Our manuscript used #archaeology, isotopes, and palaeogenomics #aDNA to find out π¦π¦΄π§¬
In summary, nope. Just guanacos hanging on into early historical times.
Read it here: authors.elsevier.com/c/1kvQy,rVDB...
Reposts appreciated π
π Thanks to amazing co-authors @kbohmann.bsky.social sky.social, @mikkelwp.bsky.social @seachange-erc.bsky.social, many others not on πβοΈ, & our funders @erc.europa.eu.
Dive into the full study here: doi.org/10.1111/1755...
Lots more detail in the supplements!
π‘ Some takeaways:
Different eDNA methods give us different snapshots of ancient biodiversity. Interpret ancient records with care βmethodological biases can shape ecological conclusions.
When your material crosses 2-4k years BP be careful interpreting alpha diversity changes.π
π Consistent beta diversity
Despite the richness differences, both methods produced similar beta diversity patterns, highlighting consistent shifts in community composition over time.
Phew!
π Very different richness across methods!π
Our results showed opposing alpha diversity trends:
β’ Metabarcoding = lower ASV richness in older sediments
β’ Metagenomics = lower genus richness in younger sediments
A clear reminder that the method truly matters! π―
π What taxa overlapped? π
We found that only 3 metazoan genera overlapped between methods:
β’ Oikopleura (larvacean)
β’ Gadus (cod)
β’ Clupea (herring)
(+ πΏseagrassπΏ)
Interestingly we found that only metagenomics provided reliable detections beyond 4k years for all taxa.
π¬ What did we do?π¬
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.
π Excited to share our new paper:
βNavigating Past Oceans: Comparing #Metabarcoding and #Metagenomics of Marine Ancient Sediment eDNAβ
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! ππ§¬
We have so much more to do to support women in STEM! π©βπ¬ Here at GLOBE, across Danish academiaπ©π°, and around the π
π 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! π #WomenInSTEM #EquityInScience
Finally, the super talented Lene Bruhn Pedersen! π§ͺβ¨ Her lab skills are crucial to keeping our projects running. π¬π‘
Lene is looking for new opportunities in Copenhagen as our project wraps up. If you need the best lab tech in town, reach out! ππ’
π More about Lene: seachange-erc.eu/people/lene_...
Working with us on @seachange-erc.bsky.social, weβre lucky to have Giulia Zampirolo! π§¬β¨ She brings deep expertise in ancient metagenomics to help us decode past oceans. π
π’ Her latest paper: π doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...
π More about Giulia (not on bluesky) π seachange-erc.eu/people/giuli...
Next up, the fantastic Kristine Bohmann! π§¬β¨ A metabarcoding & eDNA wizard who is simultaneously:
ππ PI of @seachange-erc.bsky.social (@erc.europa.eu)
π¬οΈπ¦ Leading the airDNA project (DFF)
π§ͺπ Heading the eDNA group at GLOBE
Follow her for top-notch eDNA research! ππ‘
π @kbohmann.bsky.social