After a four-year investigation, a breakthrough study reveals the cause of sea star wasting disease (SSWD). A strain of the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida is the culprit behind the marine epidemic that has killed billions of sea stars since 2013. Read the study: 🔗https://tinyurl.com/4rcb3xpf
Hakai Institute
After finding Diadumene lineata in high-shore tidepools with native mosquito larvae, we wondered: are they eating them? Turns out, yes—among many other native prey. Watch these anemones in action at 10× speed.
So happy to see the first paper from my MSc out in the world! This anemone went misidentified in a South African MPA for over 20 years. That has changed thanks to sea anemone expert @megdaly.bsky.social and marine invasion pro @tbrresearch.bsky.social.
Read it here: doi.org/10.11646/zoo...
4am alarm. Virtual defence. MSc = DONE 🎉
Had to bridge a massive time zone gap between South Africa and Vancouver, BC, but having friends, family, and colleagues show up online made it a fantastic experience. Thanks to my supervisor @tbrresearch.bsky.social and lab mates for getting me here 🤗
So exciting to see this work from @mad-abbott.bsky.social! Not captured in this publication are the countless midnight low tides and gruelling Vancouver weather that they endured to sample 4,221 hermit crabs 🦀 Well done!
Video
Just finished another round of fieldwork in the stunning Langebaan Lagoon MPA—always a privilege to work in such a unique ecosystem. Bonus: my first South African #octopus, spotted in the shallows!
Findings from the first-ever marine #bioinvasions Rapid Assessment Survey along the Mid-Atlantic USA doi.org/10.1007/s105...
🌊 29 non-indigenous species
🌡️ 7 climate-driven range expansions
Thanks to the amazing lead authors for steering this work — and to everyone for the fun in the field!
Delighted to finally see the work from my honours thesis out in the world! Thanks, Chris Harley @zoology.ubc.ca, for supporting the ambitious amount of fieldwork that went into studying this tiny non-native anemone.
Read it here: doi.org/10.71161/ivb...
Effectively managing invasive alien species in protected areas requires addressing multiple Global Biodiversity Framework targets, not just Target 6, highlighting the need for integrated conservation strategies.
🔗 doi.org/10.3897/neob...
@tbrresearch.bsky.social @drdeahlieurance.bsky.social
Check out our new paper published in @neobiota.pensoft.net presenting results of a global survey of risk assessment practitioners to identify where information is sourced, the experience of assessors, and how results are accessed and implemented.
neobiota.pensoft.net/article/1530...
The Mid-Atlantic waters of North America are warming faster than > 90% of other global oceans, leading to significant increases in bottom water temperatures and influencing shifts in marine community ...
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) sets out ambitious global targets to reduce biodiversity loss by 2030 and will determine the conservation agenda for the next decade. Invasive ...
doi.org
Risk assessment is an important tool in invasive species prevention and management, providing a structured approach to identify and evaluate the risks posed by non-native species. Despite the widespre...
Parasitic barnacles that turn hermit crabs into near-zombies? New UBC/Hakai research that surveyed 4,200 crabs at 65 sites shows these parasites are widespread across B.C., vulnerable to heat waves, and may be multiple cryptic species.
Read more 🔗 tinyurl.com/4tfb5fjj
Hakai Institute
NeoBiota
Dr. Deah Lieurance
Clarifying the identity of alien species is vital for understanding spatial and temporal patterns in introductions. Let's celebrate our taxonomists. #bioinvasions #anemones
Great work @mirandandersen.bsky.social
