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Dr. Jessica Richardson

@definearth.bsky.social
393 followers 361 following 98 posts

freshwater and marine scientist | wetland lover | MATLAB coder author of peatmail.substack.com

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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
🧪 Communities standing up against large, loud, energy-intensive data centers have some important new allies. 🤝Beverage companies also rely on the world's finite freshwater supply! I write about water pollution + free enterprise in my lastest newsletter: peatmail.substack.com/p/data-cente... 🌎💧🍻
peatmail.substack.com
Data Centers Need Your Pee
So, a canned water company, a canned beer company, and a former offensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles are teaming up to help you send it to them.
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Lars Sturm @dinivateres.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
More beautiful views from Taylor Meadows. Taylor Meadows, Garibaldi Provincial Park, BC, Canada 🇨🇦 #nature #photography #film
Landscape picture of an alpine pond, wetland, and meadow. 
The water in the foreground is perfectly still amd refelcts the blue sky and tips of the trees. It transitions into reddish-brown reeds and then a green-brown meadow with occasional red sprinkles. Towards the back, more and more conifers are growing, eventually forming a forest.
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Soh Kam Yung @sohkamyung.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
A Lineated Barbet (Psilopogon lineatus) spotted at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore on 20 Sept 2026. A common introduced bird. This one appears to be preparing a nest hole. On iNaturalist [ www.inaturalist.org/observations... ]. #iNaturalist #Nature #Singapore #Birds #Aves #BirdsSeenIn2026
A bird on a tree trunk beside a hole in the truke. The bird has a yellowish bill, a broad yellow ring around the eye. There are broad whitish streaks on the head and chest, and it has a green wings and tail. In the photo, the bird is looking at the hole in front of it.In this photo, the bird has turned its head to look over its back, with one eye paying attention to the camera.
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Dolly Jørgensen @dollyjorgensen.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Doing a little birding in the small wetland park attached to the Hotel Verde at Cape Town airport. Some photos: Southern red bishop Brimstone canary Southern masked-weaver Rock kestrel
Red bird in reedsYellow canary with sticks in mouthWeaver bird working on nestKestrel on top of building
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Lu @lululeigh.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” -Dolly Parton #DollyParton #rainbow #HudsonRiver #NY
A double rainbow dips into a river after a rainstorm.
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 25/08/2026
This is truly heartbreaking. Dolly Parton was an extraordinary person and an irreplaceable champion of the working class. We are a better country because of her.
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maegan (she/her) @ohmaegan.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Dolly was the embodiment of love and joy. Her heart was full of compassion. She literally put books in children hands because she cared. Iconic in life. May we forever remember you. 💛 We lost a true one today.
Photo of Dolly Parton behind a row of books while hiding a book. The book ends are trains and the books are its cargo.
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Unemployment update - still job searching, been close a few times, no offers. I've gotten some feedback too: be an internal candidate, be born and raised in-state, take yet another exam (apparently a PWS and Ph.D. are not enough), be less qualified, and know more about birds 🫩 #unemploymentdiaries
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
🧪 Restoring upstream wetlands saves thousands 💰 per acre in flood damage to downstream properties. But what about massive coastal resilience projects that cost 10s of billions 💲? Researchers are calculating if carbon credits could help lower construction costs! Read more: tinyurl.com/yn82nr2
tinyurl.com
Financing Our Future with Carbon
Blue carbon credits could support funding-limited wetland restoration and coastal protection projects, while preparing us for the future.
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
🧪 Looking for a new science podcast to OBSESS over? 🎧Meet the Fluxers just released Season 4, with a full episode on the atmospheric dynamics of Burning Man! My fave is a minisode (hosted by yours truly) on how virtual reality can help us envision restored coastlines 👁️🪸🤩https://tinyurl.com/mtflxers
tinyurl.com
Minisode 6: Reef Colored Glasses
Meet the Fluxers · Episode
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
I've reached the point where it is hard to smile in interviews anymore. I want a job, I want to contribute to society with my work. But it's so depressing continuing this facade that everything is okay, like I'm not running on a limited savings and a finite supply of dopamine. #unemploymentdiaries
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
I do not care what Jeff Bezos thinks about taxes, or anything else. I care about the artists, the intellectuals, the lovers, and the people fighting for a better world even if it means putting their own personal interests aside. Just thought I should put it out there, you know, for the algorithm.
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Haku loves the old folding chair that I brought inside as a temporary office chair while we pack for our upcoming move. Happy Caturday! 😺💚
Green eyed tabby cat lounges on folding chair
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
🧪 Wetlands are becoming more diverse! Succession + disturbance paved the way for generalist and nonnative plants to dominate these landscapes over the last 100 years, while the # of species in sparsely vegetated systems declined. 🌱 Read about it, view bird pics, and more: tinyurl.com/adcanimals 🦆
tinyurl.com
Cardinals Appear When Angels Are Near
Could religion and other spiritual beliefs about animals restore humanity's love for our natural environment?
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Update: the interview went well! Unfortunately, they did share that first-round interviews will continue for several weeks, so if I move forward, it seems like there's going to be a lot of competition and waiting for one or two open positions. Still, I'm glad to be considered. #unemploymentdiairies
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Sorry for what I said when I was sad and feeling hopeless about the job market. 🙃 Today I have an exciting interview with a super cool nonprofit organization. I'm keeping hope alive! #unemploymentdiaries #unemployedphd #unemployed
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Getting laid off sucks. There's this defeated feeling that there aren't any jobs for wetland scientists because no one cares anymore. Why delineate wetlands when there are no more protections? Why monitor or restore? Scientists have been vilified and devalued. Will it ever get better?
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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Four new chameleon species described from Mozambique's sky islands. These tropical rainforest 'islands' are isolated on granite outcrops scattered across savanna plains and are further threatened by slash-and-burn land clearing. 🌐🧪🌏 via @theconversation.com theconversation.com/mozambique-s...
Nadzikambia franklinae from Mount Namuli. Werner Conradie, CC BY
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
🧪 Need good news today? Mangroves are leading the way for regenerative tourism ✈🌏 Plus we now know more about South American coastal wetlands during the Age of Dinosaurs from recent isotopic studies. Read about it + see bog beacons, a fungus 🍄 that look like gumdrops: shorturl.at/xapx8 #scicomm 🤓
shorturl.at
Telling Marsh Tales With Metaphor
Wetlands' filtration and regulation abilities have earned them the title of "Earth’s kidneys". Strong environmental policies offer a "golden opportunity" for their preservation.
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Caught Haku working out this morning. Happy Caturday!
Green eyed tabby cat on a rug next to free weights stares into camera
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Happy #Caturday from Haku, my 6 year old green-eyed tabby! His plans for today are to cat nap, wait at the auto-feeder, try to steal his sister's dog food, window watch, wash paws in the water bowl, and set a personal record for hallway sprinting. 😺🥰
Grey-eyed tabby cat shows fangs while being petGreen-eyed tabby cat stares into camera
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
🧪 Wetland fires can be beneficial for healthy soil and vegetation, but for disturbed ecosystems the effects can be devastating. 🔥🔥🔥 I share my thoughts after rabbit hunters set my study site ablaze, new research, a podcast recommendation, and waterfowl photos: peatmail.substack.com/p/my-worlds-... 🐰
peatmail.substack.com
My World's on Fire, How 'Bout Yours?
How cleansing with fire can be a healthy reset, and how to know when it isn't.
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
🧪 While getting my master's, my advisor taught me how to do scientific peer review. Weirdly, that was the catalyst for my fascination with ethics in scientific publishing, which I recently wrote about in The Confounder! ✍️ I share facts about costs, biases, and more: theconfounder.org/pitfalls-of-...
theconfounder.org
Pitfalls of the Peer Review Process and How We Can Combat Them - The Confounder
Many scientists dream of being published in Science the way that a high schooler dreams of being crowned…
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AGU (American Geophysical Union) @agu.org · 05/03/2026
The "Meet the Fluxers" podcast celebrates FLUXNET's legacy of relationships and broader impacts that empower diverse communities.🎧️ 🔗 Learn more about the podcast in AGU's Perspectives: buff.ly/0gfY86Z #AGUPubs @definearth.bsky.social @ecophysism.bsky.social @kyledelwiche.bsky.social
New in Perspectives
Relationships Beyond the (Ivory) Flux Tower
By Bassiouni et al 2025
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
🧪 Got asked to peer review a paper that reeked of "chatbot prompt". 🤖 Ashamedly, I've been fooled by AI videos before, but in the scientific literature it was easier to spot. Writing was vague, references lacked hyperlinks, and there was no clear "story". Should AI be allowed in science writing?
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
If you are an employee of US federal, state, or local government, or other who has today off for President's Day - it's a good day to make 5 calls to your representatives on current issues! there are so many things we can still fight for right now - keep it up! @5calls.org
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Happy Caturday from the ever-annoyed Haku 😸 his middle name is Ca$hmoney because the rescue where we got him let kids name the animals on their birthdays, and we couldn't let it be his first name 😂 are you a cat person or a dog person?
Green eyed grey and black cat looks off the the leftGreen eyed grey and black cat rests on a couch
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Recently, while maintaining a flux tower in Fourleague Bay, Louisiana, I discovered rabbit hunters had likely started a wildfire to ease their hunt. 🐰Luckily, this wetland is healthy and should recover quickly, though the process could still take years. 🔥🔥🔥 #WorldWetlandsDay
Fire scars wind around a solar panel and remnant cordgrass in a salt marsh.
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
🧪 Did you know AI servers need treated freshwater for evaporative cooling? 💦 Water escapes as vapor, so recycling isn't an option. Water demand can be even higher with newer, more energy-intensive chips. Learn how communities are rallying against data centers: peatmail.substack.com/p/chatbots-e...
peatmail.substack.com
Chatbots’ endless thirst for clean water
Artificial intelligence has unlimited potential just waiting to be tapped into...and that could be a problem. I share why policy change and regulation surrounding this new tech is so important.
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🔫 climp @climp.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Amazing what ancient people built even though they were all skeletons
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
What is a great nonfiction environmental book you have read recently? 📚🤔 Looking for suggestions on books to read in the new year from my fellow friends on ScienceSky 🧪👩‍🔬 even better if it is something optimistic, or an oldie (cheaper to get on an ereader and more likely to be at the local library!)
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
🧪 Meet the Fluxers Season 3 is now available for listening on Spotify! Transcripts & audio of the science podcast are also on our website (meetthefluxers.github.io) We chat about methane emissions from crab burrows, the net cooling effect of solar panels, REUs and more 🎙️🎧🦀 tinyurl.com/mtfseasonthree
tinyurl.com
Spotify – Web Player
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
Lead shot is a big problem for diving ducks, and it's not something you could recover easily with a magnet. Good news is there are tons of other ways to restore habitat for these beloved birds, from using steel shot and shotgun extractors to protecting coastal wetlands 🦆 tinyurl.com/rubberduckie...
tinyurl.com
Rubber Duckie, You're the One
Could widespread admiration for mottled ducks and other waterfowl be the reason for their steady decline?
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
🧪 SCIENCESKY! Check out the awards that Meet the Fluxers won from Spotify Wrapped this year, like being an "instant hit" 😲 Our debut season was more popular than 86% of other new shows. The amount of shares was incredible - more than 96% of other shows. Thanks for listening to our science podcast! 🎶
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
🧪 Did you know drought stress can have a legacy effect on recalcitrant compounds in leaf litter? 🍃 Or that deforestation added an extra 3°C in the past 20 years? 🌡️ Read more, plus a timeless concept about wetlands (hint: it's about protecting them), in Peatmail: peatmail.substack.com/p/lessons-wr...
peatmail.substack.com
Lessons Written in Mud: Why We Can’t Drain the Swamp
Reflecting on the mistakes of past societies and the future of wetland conservation.
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
🧪 Beavers 🦫 are starting to become a recurrent theme in my newsletters...but this time you can also find a brief summary of a new study in Global Change Biology + highlights of new pop sci articles! Plus a podcast recommendation 🎤 and wetland photos 📷 as usual. Read Peatmail: tinyurl.com/guanoon 🤓
tinyurl.com
Keep Calm and Guano On
Bird poop could help maximize carbon stored in coastal ecosystems.
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
If I ever win the lottery, I won't tell anyone, but there will be signs 💸🫂
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 26/07/2025
Caturday is for looking out windows with Haku 😽
Green eyed cat looks beyond camera
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
🧪 Hey Science 'Sky! Are you a scientist who hosts a science podcast? 👩🏼‍🔬 🎧🎤 I'm interested in publishing a scicomm case study (about 80% written up) but am having a hard time finding collaborators. If you're willing to share your Spotify for Creators data with me and be a co-author please reach out!!
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
🧪 Listen to season two of the FLUXNET science podcast to hear about carbon inset projects with promising results in an Australian mine ⚒️ 🪨 and an Arkansas rice field 🍚🌾, among other interesting stories from our guests! bit.ly/meetthefluxe... this podcast is meant for all curious minds! 🎧
bit.ly
Meet the Fluxers
Podcast · FLUXNET Outreach Working Group · Bridging the gap between eddy covariance flux scientists and those whose work or lives are influenced by flux data.
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 05/07/2025
🧪 At one point in earth's history, warm air temperatures, high humidity, and high CO2 stimulated photosynthesis. Land was covered with dense, lush vegetation🌿. But a new study shows that while marsh CO2 uptake will ⬆️ with atm. CO2, so too will emissions of CH4. peatmail.substack.com/p/jurassic-m...
peatmail.substack.com
Jurassic Marsh: How More Carbon Could Explode Plant Growth
"'God creates dinosaurs, God destroys dinosaurs. God creates Man, man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs.' 'Dinosaurs eat man...Woman inherits the earth.'" Drs. Malcolm and Sattler, Jurassic Park.
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biometlab @biometlab.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Just posted an OpEd in our local paper, the Brentwood Press, on defending science, as encouraged by @wclivestream.bsky.social and others @natureatcal.bsky.social www.thepress.net/opinion/we-s...
thepress.net
We should not dismantle science across America
The Trump administration is destroying our scientific institutions, its infrastructure, and intellectual capital at an unprecedented pace. Scientists are being fired without cause from many federal ag...
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 14/06/2025
NO KINGS
Baton Rouge street lined with peopleUgly trump face poster
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Society for Conservation Biology North America (SCBNA) @scbnorthamerica.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
TAKE ACTION with SCBNA TODAY to write in opposition to the proposed rule to rescind the regulatory definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act. This change would significantly weaken one of our nation’s most effective conservation laws and jeopardize the survival of imperiled species.
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Dr. Jessica Richardson @definearth.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Would you believe that medical descriptions of ADHD date back to at least the 1800s? 🧪 I'm countering misinformation by sharing the science: symptoms, challenges to getting a diagnosis, treatment options, and barriers to medication access. Check out the article I wrote here: tinyurl.com/yr6fbfcy
tinyurl.com
Advocating for ADHD Loved Ones
Diagnosis and treatment can greatly improve life for people with ADHD. Learn why in this article.
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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 13/05/2025
🚨 EASY-TO-TAKE ACTION ALERT! 🚨 Want to do something to protect the integrity of the federal civil service? Submit a public comment! Not sure how to do that and what to say? I have a comment you can submit! 🧪🔭⚛️ Details here: news.chanda.science/archive/urge...
news.chanda.science
Urgent: Take Action to Protect Public Services
Photo by Katie Rodriguez on Unsplash I have something you can do in five minutes or less that can help salvage the integrity of the federal civil service,...
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Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
Agreed. There are so, so many people I know who are doing incredible science communication. We have books in need of readers, podcasts in need of listeners, museums in need of visitors, social media accounts in need of followers. The effort has to come from both ends.
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