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Adrian Stier

@adrianstier.bsky.social
506 followers 185 following 36 posts

Ecologist and Conservation Biologist. PI @oceanrecoveries lab | Focus: ocean ecosystem resilience. | @ucsantabarbara | he/him/his www.oceanrecoveries.com

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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Congratulations to Mack White on his new PNAS paper! He led our LTER working group at NCEAS in studying how fish diversity relates to the stability of nutrient recycling. Years of work behind this one. Well done, Mack! doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
doi.org
Scale-dependent effects of species richness and asynchrony regulate the temporal stability of consumer-mediated nutrient dynamics | PNAS
Understanding the factors that regulate ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycling, is increasingly important as global change accelerates the d...
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
I do think it's becoming a tool our students will encounter in the workforce, and there's value in them learning how to use it critically—knowing when it's useful, when it's not, and how to verify what it produces. Same way we teach them to use any other tool with appropriate skepticism.
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
I don't think AI is a panacea. It hallucinates, it gets things wrong, it raises real questions about reproducibility and intellectual labor, but...
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Been using Claude Code for a year. My R scripts no longer make me want to walk into the sea (which, as a marine biologist, is occupationally inconvenient). Made codewithclaude.net for researchers who've ben meaning to learn AI coding. open source, assumes you have a experience. open to feedback!
codewithclaude.net
Claude Code Learning Hub - Master AI-Powered Development
Learn Claude Code, VS Code, Git/GitHub, Python, and R with hands-on tutorials. Build real-world projects with AI assistance.
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Reposted by Adrian Stier
Miriam Posner @miriamposner.com · 18/11/2025
WE JUST KEEP WINNING. (UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program RESTORED!!!!)
On official UC letterhead: 
UNIVERSITY
OF
CALIFORNIA
James B. Milliken President
Office of the President
1111 Franklin Street Oakland, CA 94607
universityofcalifornia.edu
CAMPUSES Berkeley
Davis
Irvine
UCLA
Merced
Riverside San Diego San Francisco
Santa Barbara Santa Cruz
MEDICAL CENTERS
Davis
Irvine
UCLA
San Diego
San Francisco
NATIONAL LABORATORIES Lawrence Berkeley Lawrence Livermore Los Alamos
DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
November 18, 2025
Dear Chancellors:
I'm writing with regard to the President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (PPFP) and the program's associated faculty hiring incentive.
As you know, for more than 40 years, PPFP has provided postdoctoral research fellowships, professional development, and faculty mentoring to scholars in all fields whose research, teaching, and service advance the academic and research missions of the University of California.
Since 2003, UC campuses that hire current and former PPFP fellows into ladder-rank positions have been eligible for a hiring incentive funded by the University that provides support for newly hired fellows for five years. Since the creation of the incentive, more than $162 million has been invested by the University to support PPFP faculty hires. This commitment has enabled our campuses to successfully recruit and retain outstanding faculty across a range of disciplines.
Given the myriad challenges currently facing UC - including disruptions to billions of dollars in annual federal support, as well as uncertainty around the state budget- reasonable questions were raised in recent months about whether the University could maintain the commitment to current levels of incentive funding. After considering a recommendation to sunset the incentive program due to these significant fiscal constraints, I consulted with all of you as well as faculty and campus academic administrators and systemwide Academic Senate leadership.
[continued on next image]After learning more about the history and success of the program and weighing the thoughtful perspectives that have been shared, I have concluded that barring extraordinary financial setbacks, the PPFP faculty hiring incentive program will continue while the University continues to assess the program's structure as well as its long-term financial sustainability. As a result of our continuing consultation and review, there may be consideration of some changes to elements of the program including the total number of incentives supported, a number that has fluctuated significantly over the years, and how the awards are distributed among campuses. In the meantime, the University will continue to fund the PPFP faculty hiring incentive program and campuses may continue to take advantage of these incentives. We will have an opportunity to discuss any potential changes prior to adoption.
As we look to the future, I will continue to engage with faculty leaders, program stakeholders, and UC community members about this important program. I especially appreciate the thoughtful perspectives shared in recent weeks by Academic Council Chair Palazoglu and Vice Chair Scott, the Council of Graduate Deans, UC faculty members, and you as our campus leaders.

Sincerely,
James B. Milliken
President
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
ottom line: Population regulation isn't a fixed property—it's contingent on ecological context. Want to dive deeper? 📖 Paper: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... Big thanks to my coauthor @CraigOsenberg and everyone who shared their data! 🙏 (8/8)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Widespread Heterogeneity in Density‐Dependent Mortality of Nearshore Fishes
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Why does this matter? Understanding density-dependence is crucial for: 🔹 Managing fisheries 🔹 Conserving endangered species 🔹 Predicting how populations respond to disturbance (hello, climate change) But we can't predict what we don't understand. (7/8)
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Here's the kicker: Most studies don't report the environmental details we need to understand WHY results vary so much. It's like trying to predict weather without knowing temperature, pressure, or humidity. We need better reporting! 📊 (6/8)
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Species that naturally occur at LOW densities showed STRONGER density-dependence. This makes sense—if you're not adapted to crowding, adding neighbors hits harder. Think: introvert at a packed party 😅 (5/8)
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
The same species showed wildly different responses depending on: Predator density Shelter availability Habitat complexity Even the SIZE of fish when the study started Location, location, location! (4/8)
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
When predators were present, density-dependent mortality was ~15× stronger than without them. Why? At high densities, fish compete for hiding spots—and those left exposed become snacks. (3/8)
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
For decades, ecologists have known that when fish populations get crowded, mortality often increases—a key mechanism regulating populations. But here's what surprised us: the STRENGTH of this effect varied by 1000-fold, even within the same species! 🤯 (2/8)
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
New paper alert! We just published a massive meta-analysis in @EcologyLetters asking: How does crowding affect survival in reef fish populations? The answer? It's way more complicated than we thought. 🧵 Thread on what 147 studies taught us (1/8) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
This plays out in real West Coast fisheries—Pacific hake, petrale sole, sablefish—where assessments update every 1-4 years. Climate-ready doesn't mean win-win. It means being transparent with communities about whether we're prioritizing conservation or catch.
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
We modeled fish populations under climate change and found consistent trade-offs. When productivity declined, adaptive management kept populations 42% larger but reduced harvest. When it increased, adaptive rules boosted harvest >100% but populations ran 40% smaller.
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
Our new study by Jameal Samhouri in @PLOSClimate reveals an uncomfortable truth about climate-ready fisheries: adaptive management strategies can boost population biomass OR harvest—but rarely both. The 'right' choice depends on what we value as a society. journals.plos.org/climate/arti...
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HTj...
youtube.com
Cryptic predation on coral spawn: Hidden trophic links in the dead of night
YouTube video by Tom Shlesinger
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
Coral spawning = nature’s biggest party 🎉🌊 But while corals release their eggs + sperm into the night, a hidden guest list shows up hungry… 🦀⭐🐚🦪 @TomShlesinger reveals crabs, barnacles, brittle stars & more secretly feasting on coral spawn. doi.org/10.1002/ecy....
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 07/09/2025
🦈 Sharks, skates, and rays aren’t locked into slow, “fixed” life histories. New work in Ecology Letters shows they can shift to higher reproductive output when food availability increases — a surprising plasticity in elasmobranch biology! 👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Changing Feeding Levels Reveal Plasticity in Elasmobranch Life History Strategies
We analysed life history traits of 151 elasmobranch species for two contrasting feeding levels in a principal components analysis. Two axes, reproductive output and generation turnover, structure ela...
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
Stratford et al. tracked >1,000 coral “babies” in the remote Chagos Archipelago after bleaching. Survival & growth were high, but after 3 yrs they still made up just 2.4% cover. Even “ideal” reefs often recover painfully slow. 🌊🌱 👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-025-02732-8
link.springer.com
Fate-tracking early coral recruits following bleaching in a remote reef ecosystem - Coral Reefs
As coral reefs face increasingly frequent and severe disturbances, their condition relies more heavily on recovery dynamics. Understanding reef recovery is essential for assessing the long-term ecolog...
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Take-home: Indonesia’s reefs may be showing more resilience than expected, but cover alone doesn’t capture species shifts, functional change, or hidden vulnerability.
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
3/ The “shifted baseline” point is key: most data begin after the 1998 global bleaching event. What looks “stable” may already reflect reefs that declined before monitoring began.
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
2/ This stability is surprising given repeated mass bleaching and local disturbances. So what’s going on? The authors suggest 4 possibilities: • shifted baselines (post-1998 data dominate) • averaging masks local losses & gains • sampling biases • true resilience of Indonesian reefs
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
1/ New paper in Coral Reefs compiles 7,600+ observations of coral cover across Indonesia (1994–2022). Surprisingly, they find no clear national-level decline in coral cover over nearly 30 years. 🤯 link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-024-02540-6
link.springer.com
Long-term dynamics of hard coral cover across Indonesia - Coral Reefs
Most comparative studies assessing reef health focus on living hard coral cover as the key metric. In Indonesia, in situ monitoring of coral cover has been ongoing for over five decades. However, as m...
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
Had so much fun visiting @ucdavis.bsky.social Bodega Marine Lab today and learning about all of the amazing work going on here. Thank you @dranyabrown.bsky.social , @rachaelabay.bsky.social , @tessahill.bsky.social and Jay for such a nice visit! 🐳
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
After marine heatwaves, removing dead coral skeletons cuts macroalgae in half and boosts coral recruitment 5-fold. A novel, field-tested strategy to promote reef resilience. Bravo, Kai Kopecky! 🧠📸🪸 Open access @ESA_org doi.org/10.1002/eap....
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Reposted by Adrian Stier
Halley E. Froehlich @dochfroehlich.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
Just wrote and submitted a paper with another co-author in less than a week as a follow up to our Froehlich et al. 2021 pub (below), focused on comparing the U.S. Seafood Executive Order from 2020 to the one that was just released in 2025. Preprint coming soon 👀 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Securing a sustainable future for US seafood in the wake of a global crisis
The United States seafood industry is undergoing rapid change, as a result of the current trade war with China, ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, and …
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
New in Coral Reefs ! 🐟🪸 Our review of how coral-associated fishes boost coral health by enhancing oxygenation, nutrients, and defense—key allies for coral resilience. With Craig Osenberg and Tory Chase! drive.google.com/open?id=1s57... #coralreef #marineecology
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Reposted by Adrian Stier
Phil Levin @phillevin.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
Sea Grant is a powerhouse for coastal communities! Through research, education, and outreach, it helps protect marine ecosystems, support sustainable fisheries, and boost coastal economies. Sea Grant keeps our waters and communities thriving. We need sea grant! www.pressherald.com/2025/03/01/m...
pressherald.com
Maine Sea Grant in jeopardy after Trump administration terminates $4.5 million grant program
The move to discontinue the four-year agreement — which comes amid the White House's efforts to slash the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's budget — leaves the fishery organization’s p...
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
To all my colleagues in government who work tirelessly to try to make our world a better place, I'm so sorry you're going through this and am so grateful for your service, thank you ❤️
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
wondering about a log scale to make the smaller values more visible, is it zero bounded?
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
🌊🚨 We're hiring ! 🚨 🪸 a specialist to conduct Management Strategy Evaluation for coral reef restoration! Collaborate with Jameal Samhouri (NOAA) and Darcy Bradley (TNC) Skills: Quant analysis, Ecosystem modeling, Marine ecology. 🗓️ Apply: recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02914 pls RT!
recruit.ap.ucsb.edu
Coral Restoration Assistant Specialist, Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara
University of California Santa Barbara is hiring. Apply now!
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 08/07/2024
Craig and I have a new paper out today in Current Biology highlighting the key role of fishes and invertebrates in driving coral resilience www.cell.com/current-biol...
cell.com
How fishes and invertebrates impact coral resilience
Adrian Stier and Craig Osenberg discuss how understudied coral-associated fishes and invertebrates can both enhance and erode coral resilience.
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 14/01/2024
Would love to hear more about what you’re up to!!
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 11/01/2024
Raine Detmer offers important insight into connectivity and grazer effects in Southern California ! Modeling grazer-mediated effects of demographic and material connectivity on giant kelp metapopulation dynamics www.int-res.com/abstracts/me...
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 10/01/2024
Just published: 🦀 Quick Guide to Coral Crabs! w @OsenbergLab in @CurrentBiology Take a crabtastic voyage into the fascinating world of Trapezia. Learn about their unique biology, habitat, and vital role in coral ecosystems. #MarineBiology www.cell.com/current-biol...
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 11/12/2023
Love this optimism 👏
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 08/12/2023
👋🥳
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Adrian Stier @adrianstier.bsky.social · 10/11/2023
Pete's new paper on algae is important and interesting www.cell.com/current-biol...
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