iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Science Magazine @science.org · 20/08/2026

Scientists report evidence of about 16 cascading floods that wreaked havoc across Europe between late 1341 and 1343—the largest number of back-to-back flooding events documented in the past 700 years. Learn more: scim.ag/4wze45N

Medieval Europe was battered with 16 catastrophic floods in just 2 years

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Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon) @acastrocastellon.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Watch and share this 10 min video from the room13 hareclive. One of the three artistic commissions for TQEC U.of Bristol #rivers #aquaticlife youtube.com/watch?v=t_Da...

youtube.com

Rivers - A Race Against Time

YouTube video by University of Bristol Library

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

NL Institute of Ecology NIOO-KNAW @niooknaw.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

New publication: Mammals' zoogeochemical effects change #litter and #soil biogeochemistry in a tropical #rainforest, by @nachomanvillar.bsky.social and others. #biodiversity #defaunation #soilecology doi.org/10.1002/ecm....

Figure 1 in Gonçalves Ribeiro et al. (2026): "Conceptual hypothesis of the effects of ground-dwelling mammals on litter and soil in tropical forests. In open plots, where mammalian biomass is higher, physical activities such as foraging and soil bioturbation are expected to fragment litter into smaller pieces and reduce litter biomass, organic matter, and lignin content (A). As a result, more nutrients are expected to be released into the soil, enhancing soil fertility (B) and stimulating microbial biomass and activity (C). Seasonal patterns are also expected to modulate these processes, potentially enhancing or reducing the effects of mammalian activity. Image credits: created using CanvaPro; Tayassu pecari icon by Fernanda Abra."

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford @oxengsci.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Meet the Internet of Birds🐦📡 Oxford researchers have secured £500,000 in ARIA funding to develop solar-powered tracking rings that could transform how we monitor wildlife and environmental change. 🔗 eng.ox.ac.uk/news/oxford-researcher…

Hand-drawn conceptual illustration of an “Internet of Birds” network. A tagged bird sits on a rock in a woodland landscape while coloured lines show data being transmitted between bird-mounted sensors, mobile phone towers, satellites and urban communication networks illustrating how birds could collect and share environmental data across large geographic areas using terrestrial and satellite communications.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Springer Nature @springernature.com · 28/05/2026

The oldest known poem in the English language was composed by a farm worker in Whitby, England, some 1,300 years ago. Known as Caedmon’s Hymn, it now has left researchers “speechless” at the chance discovery of a previously unknown copy of the poem: spklr.io/63326EMnG4

spklr.io

Hidden copy of the oldest known poem in the English language leaves researchers ‘speechless’

Researchers discovered the copy of the 1,300-year-old poem lurking inside a historical text in an Italian library

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Dr. Mar @boldnewme.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Katalin Karikó is one of the most extraordinary scientific stories of this era. A girl from a modest Hungarian household helped develop technology that saved millions of lives worldwide. In 2023, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for discoveries that enabled effective mRNA vaccines.

SHE WAS DEMOTED, UNDERPAID, AND IGNORED FOR 40 YEARS. HER
UNIVERSITY TOLD HER MRNA RESEARCH WAS WORTHLESS. HER COLLEAGUES STOPPED TAKING HER SERIOUSLY. SHE EARNED $50,000 A YEAR FOR FOUR DECADES. THEN COVID ARRIVED - AND, SHE WON THE NOBEL PRIZE.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

UN Environment Programme @unep.org · 06/05/2026

Every year, millions of people flock to the world's coral reefs to marvel at the diversity of marine life they support. But scuba diving and snorkelling trips can put pressure on these reefs. Discover some practical tips to help safeguard these underwater cities: www.unep.org/news-and-sto...

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Scientific American @sciam.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Artemis II’s views from space trigger a special type of awe. Psychologists suggest holding onto it: www.scientificamerican.com/article/what...

NASA astronaut Christina Koch silhouetted against a view of bright Earth out the window of the Orion spacecraft.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Science Magazine @science.org · 11/04/2026

Dogs and humans have been together for a long time. ⁠ Learn more on #NationalPetDay: scim.ag/47RYDwK

These may be the world's first images of dogs—and they're wearing leashes

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

UN Environment Programme @unep.org · 12/04/2026

Welcome back to Earth, Artemis II. The mission marked a record-breaking orbit of the Moon, but it is also a reminder that as humanity's presence in space expands, so does the environmental impact. This #InternationalDayOfHumanSpaceFlight, learn more: ow.ly/eTox50YGYHZ

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Science Magazine @science.org · 02/04/2026

After successfully lifting off at 6:35 p.m. ET, NASA's Artemis II mission is on its way to the Moon, the first time humans have ventured toward our cosmic companion since 1972. scim.ag/47AK93C

scim.ag

As humans return to the Moon, scientists confront the dangers of deep-space radiation

Shields and biological countermeasures could help protect astronauts during prolonged missions beyond Earth's magnetic bubble

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

UBC Oceans @ubcoceans.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Every March, the United Nations marks World #Water Day to raise awareness about water scarcity and #inequality. This year’s theme — water and gender — focuses on how women and girls often face the brunt of water #inequities. theconversation.com/world-water-...

theconversation.com

World Water Day: Three steps towards gender equity in water governance

Gender inequity is still framed primarily as a problem of access and representation. It is also a governance problem.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

UN Environment Programme @unep.org · 22/03/2026

Water and climate change are inextricably linked. From rising sea levels and floods to droughts, many of the most serious impacts of the climate crisis are related to water. On #WorldWaterDay, get more facts on climate and water: ow.ly/sT6k50YwHmc

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford @oxengsci.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

This #WorldWaterDay, we’re highlighting our DPhil student Gayatri, creating sustainable, decentralised water & cooling solutions using renewable energy. “Water is central to life and a fundamental human right.” 🔗 eng.ox.ac.uk/news/dphil-candidates-…

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

RSC Water Science Forum @rscwsf.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Are you a water scientist, an early career researcher & a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry? The RSC Water Science Forum has grants to attend conferences, placements, and more. If you're a member of the WSF and an ECR, please consider applying! We love to support great work!

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

RSC Water Science Forum @rscwsf.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Things we're excited about: "Our Aquatic Environment: Conservation and Restoration" Conference on 12 February, Ulster University Belfast Campus Expertise from across the island of Ireland to critically examine ‘our aquatic environment’ and the measures being taken to protect and restore it.

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Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon) @acastrocastellon.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

@quantumfreshwaters.bsky.social Welcomed our Stakeholders, Partners & Collaborators on a 1-day NERC QUANTUM conference/workshop. Shared progress and results were followed by interesting questions on the impact of livestock on freshwaters and discussions on mitigations. @pennyjohnes.bsky.social

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Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon) @acastrocastellon.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

@quantumfreshwaters.bsky.social @bristoluni.bsky.social We welcomed our Stakeholders and Partners on a day conference/workshop. Shared progress and results were followed by interesting discussions on the impact of livestock on freshwaters and mitigations.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) @ukceh.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

Read the blog by UKCEH molecular ecologists on the Springer Nature Research Communities website: f.mtr.cool/uaqahjasfy f.mtr.cool/hlpsglwcqi @amycthorpe.bsky.social @susheelbusi.bsky.social

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Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon) @acastrocastellon.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

@AnaCastroCaste presented at #RAMIRAN 2025 Conference WP1 data from QUANTUM freshwaters on work conducted at Universities of bristol (School of Geographical Sciences); Bangor and Bath.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

In the forests of Southern Madagascar, three frog species were discovered in 2019 that represent the very lower limit of vertebrate size: < 9 mm long. The genus was named "Mini", and the three species are: Mini mum Mini ature Mini scule (scientists are nerds, okay?)

A scientific figure from a paper, showing the frogs ventral and dorsal surfaces and one on a fingernail.

Original text:
"(a-c) ZSM 861/2014, holotype, in (a) anterolateral view on a thumbnail, (b) dorsolateral view on a leaf, (c) ventral view. (d, e) ZSM 862/2014, paratype, in (d) ventral view, and (e) lateral view on a thumbnail. (f, g) ZMB 83194, paratype, in (f) dorsolateral view, and (g) ventral view."

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

'This week, Wolfe and collaborators published new work directly linking rising temperatures to bird declines. Their research, published in Science Advances, tracked birds living in the forest understory at the BDFFP against detailed climate data.' 1/2

theguardian.com

In the most untouched, pristine parts of the Amazon, birds are dying. Scientists may finally know why

Populations have been falling for decades, even in tracts of forest undamaged by humans. Experts have spent two decades trying to understand what is going on

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Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon) @acastrocastellon.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

Thrilled to Lead: “Exhausted lives: The bitter juice of the cane never tasted”. Exploring human and environmental exhaustion in Caribbean Nevis during rum production 17th & 18th centuries. Thanks to @hellobrigstow.bsky.social Projects description: www.bristol.ac.uk/brigstow/res...

bristol.ac.uk

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Brigstow Institute @hellobrigstow.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

We are delighted to announce that we have awarded 5 brilliant projects connections funding around the theme of ‘Postcolonial natural history collections and museum and archive practices’. Find out more: www.bristol.ac.uk/brigstow/new...

bristol.ac.uk

2025: Postcolonial natural history collections and museum and archive practices conne | Brigstow Institute | University of Bristol

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Elizabeth Hilborn @elizabee.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

Hundreds of monarch butterflies died in a winter 2024 event. Investigation implicated multiple pyrethroid insecticides: tinyurl.com/3h3y7wuf From The Guardian: "Combinations of pesticides can have a synergistic effect that makes them even more toxic. The solution...less pesticides." 🧪🌍🦋

theguardian.com

Monarch butterflies’ mass die-off in 2024 caused by pesticide exposure – study

New peer-reviewed research found an average of seven pesticides in each of 10 butterflies tested

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Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon) @acastrocastellon.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

This study evidences the role of allelochemicals and reinforces that Nature-based solutions, such as floating wetlands, could be beneficial for managing blooms. Full article: Hormesis and antagonism in low-dose Phalaris allelochemicals during Microcystis control www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

tandfonline.com

Hormesis and antagonism in low-dose Phalaris allelochemicals during Microcystis control

Aquatic ecosystems face significant challenges globally from cyanobacterial blooms. Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass) is used in artificial wetlands and found in natural wetlands. We investi...

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Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon) @acastrocastellon.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

This week I helped setting up the mesocosm experiment for the @ercrefresh.bsky.social programme lead by @pennyjohnes.bsky.social with @jameslmcdonald.bsky.social and Charly Briddon. The landscape was a dream.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Frank Burdon @fburdon.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

Aquatic-terrestrial food webs are inextricably linked through reciprocal exchanges of subsidies. New synthesis explores their benefits as limiting resources that increase consumer fitness and ecosystem production, but also their dark side by vectoring contaminants, often in human-impacted watersheds

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Integrating the Bright and Dark Sides of Aquatic Resource Subsidies—A Synthesis

You have to enable JavaScript in your browser's settings in order to use the eReader.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Penny Johnes @pennyjohnes.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Our @ukri.org QUANTUM national sampling programme is now well underway. Thanks to @acastrocastellon.bsky.social for help with the SW England sites, Sydney Enns and @victoriahussey.bsky.social for prepping the kit, and my husband who helped with the Welsh sites - great cow poo sampling skills! 🧪🐄🐑🐂

Beef cattle, and a very aggressive bull guarding his herd.

Start of Day 3, in the headquarters of the Tywi catchment before heading over to the Usk. Days 1 and 2 sampled the Cleddau (W and E), Nyfer, Taf, Teifi and Aeron catchments!

A sprightly cow during our sampling trip to the W Cleddau. Shout out to the West Wales Nutrient Management Partnership who put us in touch with the farmers, and the farmer who gave us permission to visit their farms.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Penny Johnes @pennyjohnes.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

When livestock have direct access to watercourses, the risk of ecotoxin, pathogen, organic matter and nutrient pollution increases to 100%. Our @ukri.org QUANTUM programme sampling found some culprits today..... @acastrocastellon.bsky.social @victoriahussey.bsky.social 🧪🐄🐂

An idyllic scene, but hidden within is ecosystem damage as cattle urine and dung are directly voided into the stream or onto the stream margins.

A contaminated site. Water flows from her to the river and out to coastal bathing waters. Contaminants include ecotoxins, pathogens, organic matter and nutrients.

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Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon) @acastrocastellon.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

A moment of rest at the purest picnic style before last sampling in this field for the QUANTUM freshwater project. @pennyjohnes.bsky.social

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Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon) @acastrocastellon.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

An image says it all! Coring the field: the tools, the people, the technique.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Penny Johnes @pennyjohnes.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

We had warm sunny weather when we wanted rain for our experiments and now, when we want dry weather to for soil coring and site decommissioning, we had very heavy rain all day. Even so, 62 coring sites surveyed in and cored for our NERC QUANTUM ecotoxin, pathogen, organic and nutrient analyses! 🧪

Prof Andy Binley, Lancaster University with Tony Healey, technical manager at the University of Bristol, surveying in the soil coring sites with the help of Prof Penny Johnes

So course extracted ready for ecotoxin pathogen organic geochemistry and nutrient analysis at the universities of Bath, Bangor and Bristol respectively. 62 corling sites across our control strips and our two slurry amended treatment strips.

Dr Ana Castro-Castellon with Prof Penny Johnes, midway through coring and both of us thoroughly soaking wet but still cheerful!

Dr. Victoria Hussey, Sydney Enns and Dr James McDonald at the start of coring. Six sites into the 62 at 10 am and everyone was already soaked.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Cabot Institute for the Environment @cabot-institute.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

New research reveals mountain glaciers across the globe will not recover for centuries – even if human intervention cools the planet back to the 1.5°C limit, having exceeded it. bristol.ac.uk/cabot/news/2...

bristol.ac.uk

Glaciers will take centuries to recover even if global warming is reversed, scientists warn

New research reveals mountain glaciers across the globe will not recover for centuries – even if human intervention cools the planet back to the 1.5°C limit, having exceeded it.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Dr Ailish Craig @ailishcraig.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

One for the climate scientist! 🌐 📃 In our latest paper we provide an overview of the climate projections used in the National Communications of the 16 countries in the SADC region. Find the full table in the paper: lnkd.in/e-kT9ngA

Table showing the climate projections that feature in the National Communications of each SADC countries. Columns include type of projections, timeframe, scenarios, number of models used, model names and year of document.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Rage Against the Miocene @organiccarbon.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

The CERES and BACC peatland research team (@bristoluni.bsky.social and @exeter.ac.uk) sampled the stunning Cors Caron in western Wales last week. Fantastic peat coring to the lake clays 8.5 m below us. Records of past climate change and home to fascinating bacteria and archaea!

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Rage Against the Miocene @organiccarbon.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Cors Caron is one of the UK's best preserved raised peat bogs (although it also has suffered extensive use and is only a remnant of its past glory). Its surface is a beautiful mosaic of plant life that both responds to and engineers the ecosystem.

A brown and golden field of reeds and cotton grass, the latter creating soft puffs of white that adorn the peatland landscape. In the backgound, green hills rise above the bog, now fields but probably once covered by blanket bogs.

View of peat vegetation from above. On the peat surface are patches of ruddy red and green Sphagnum and crusts of lichen (reindeer lichen?). Popping through them are tufts of cotton grass.

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Rob Acton-Campbell @robcrewshole.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Late Light is a wonderful book, should be an interesting talk.

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Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon) @acastrocastellon.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Research field work has its perks, one gets to be supervised by livestock! Here marking the plots and core sampling points with @pennyjohnes.bsky.social lead of @QUANTUM freshwater and REFRESH projects. James McDonald assisting today.

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Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon) @acastrocastellon.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

There is so much work invested on this experiment that seeing it running is a joy!

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Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon) @acastrocastellon.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Than you Penny, great to be part of your great team!

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Reposted by Ana Castro-Castellon, DPhil (Oxon)

Penny Johnes @pennyjohnes.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Great day setting up a pilot stream warming experiment for our upcoming NERC QUANTUM isotope experiment with our newest recruit, Dr James McDonald who has just joined our NERC funded ERC Advanced Grant REFRESH team. Knowledge transfer at its best!🧪

Professor Penny Johnes in the experimental stream site for the QUANTUM programme.

Dr Ana Castro-Castellon, QUANTUM PDRA with Dr James McDonald, REFRESH Specialist Research Technician, installing mesocosms in our freshly cleaned frames in the stream.

The final pilot study. With jars raised out of the stream at various Heights to test the appropriate stream depth at which we can achieve a 2.3 degree C warming effect in the mesocosms. Results will inform our final installation for our second and final isotope dosing experiment at the site. Results from the November experiment have been very promising and we look forward to comparing them with the May experiment, and comparing the ambient mesocosm results with those from the warmed jars.

Installing the temperature and light sensors, together with the paddle to stir the jars to ambient stream flow velocities

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