iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

The #SciArtSeptember Day 6 theme of coral calls for a daisy parrotfish! Parrotfish play an important role in keeping coral reefs healthy - they feed on algae that would otherwise smother the coral #SundayFishSketch

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

If you see this, post your getaway vehicle

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

In honor of National Dog Day, here is Appa looking exactly how I feel about things right now

A large white dog on a dog bed; his name is Appa and he is the best

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Muppet Treasure Island was far and away my most-watched VHS as a child, so this one hits hard

Tim Curry as Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

The winning "I voted" sticker designs for Michigan this year are A++ (www.mlive.com/politics/202...) the legend lives on from the Chippewa on down, indeed

The top nine designs for "I voted" stickers in Michigan for 2026

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Last week, routine monitoring found several hundred juvenile silver carp in the Marseilles Pool of the Illinois River, ~80 miles from Lake Michigan. This marks the first time invasive carp of this size have been found this far upriver since monitoring began in 2010 www.illinois.gov/news/release...

A map of the Illinois River, with locations highlighted showing where adult invasive silver carp and juvenile silver carp have been found in the river.

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

And of course, don't miss the annual Mayfly Music Festival in nearby Dundee, MI

A banner on a light post advertises the Mayfly Music Festival

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Oh good, my order of mayflies has arrived (from a couple years ago at a boat marina near Monroe, MI)

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

A new challenge for the #GreatLakes: "Scientists believe western Lake Erie’s 2026 algal bloom has formed in Maumee Bay, but wildfire smoke is obscuring satellite imagery." t.co/tX5q6VVXvW

An image of the sun obscured by wildlife smoke

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

The Mackinac Bridge (to nowhere) this morning due to the wildfire smoke

An image of low visibility on the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan due to wildfire smoke

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Made this a couple summers ago, but unfortunately relevant again here in the #GreatLakes region

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

A little more red, white, and blue(gill) to round out the holiday weekend #SundayFishSketch

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

land of the free, home of the giant musky

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

While I love my state's official fish (Bluegill, which was selected by votes from school children in 1986), I think Hawai'i absolutely clears the other states with Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa (coincidentally, also selected thanks to school children who campaigned for the species in a public survey)

A reef triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus), also known by the Hawaiian name Humuhumunukunukuāpua‘a

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

When it's 91-93°F me: dying Devils Hole pupfish: thriving

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

I don't blame him! They're just so striking against all the black lava rock!

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

🦀 See a crab, post a crab 🦀 (Sally lightfoot crab, Galapagos Islands)

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Happy Father's Day to the super-dad bowfin! Bowfin males aggressively guard their nests after eggs are laid and later shepherd around the newly-hatched babies in a “bowfin ball” until they're big enough to head out on their own #SundayFishSketch

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

The call for abstracts for the State of Lake Michigan meeting is now open! Lots of different symposia planned, but if you work on aquatic invasive species (research, education, management, etc.), consider submitting to our session. Abstracts are due July 13: iiseagrant.org/work/great-l...

A flier for the State of Lake Michigan meeting being held on November 4-6, 2026 in Michigan City, IN

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Americans will measure in literally anything but the metric system www.popsci.com/environment/...

A screenshot of a news article about invasive carp removal in the Illinois River; wildlife officials have removed 50 million pounds of invasive carp, the equivalent of roughly 5000 elephants

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

tag yourself, I'm Existential Crisis Bug

A cropped image showing a snorkeling bug asking "Am I shrimp too?"

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

An old #SundayFishSketch for all the moms out there - thanks for taking care of your kids, even if it means holding them in your mouth for an extended period of time to protect them from being eaten by predators. A clearly universal experience for moms everywhere.

A mouth-brooding cichlid fish and her grateful spawn

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

There are over 50 plant, fungus, and animal taxa named in honor of Sir David Attenborough, including Nothobranchius attenboroughi, a brightly colored seasonal killifish found only freshwater ephemeral pools and wetlands in Tanzania

A species of fish, Nothobranchius attenboroughi

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

very normal day on campus today wgntv.com/news/illinoi...

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

This was the second Congressional Fly-In @amfisheriessoc.bsky.social has done in partnership with the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission - this visit, we had groups talking about the #GreatLakes Mass Marking Program / invasive species issues, Sportfish Restoration Act, and aquaculture

A group of people outside the US Capitol Building

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

🎶 I'm just a gill, sitting here on Capitol Hill 🎶 Spending the day running around talking about #GreatLakes fisheries issues on behalf of @amfisheriessoc.bsky.social and the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission

The US Capitol Building in Washington DC

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

It's a snap to stay up to date with the latest crayfish research! The Invasive Crayfish Collaborative is hosting 2 webinars next week featuring short lightning talks from crayfish experts about the newest science and management of all things crayfish - register here: invasivecrayfish.org/events1/

A flier advertising upcoming webinars that will feature lightning talks about crayfish research and management; one webinar will be held on April 27 at 2 PM CT, and the other will be held on April 28 at 11 AM CT.

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Did somebody say "tiny turtle time"

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

For those unfamiliar, the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, which has faced significant delays over many years, is basically a proposed series of barriers that will serve as a carp gauntlet to keep the invasive species out of Lake Michigan (and the rest of the #GreatLakes)

A visualization of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project barrier

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

good thing invasive carp can patiently wait in the river while the political bullshittery continues

A screenshot of a Twitter post about the Brandon Road project

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

After disappearing from the Milwaukee River in the early 20th century due to overfishing and habitat loss, the new discovery of an adult sturgeon 20 miles upstream from Lake Michigan is a milestone in a massive restoration project that’s been underway for 20 years www.wuwm.com/lake-sturgeo...

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Here in Illinois, you might not think about the US Forest Service having much of a presence, but the agency manages important places like Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and Shawnee National Forest - learn more about what they do from @extension.illinois.edu: aces.illinois.edu/news/illinoi...

Two bison at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Shawnee Hills in the Shawnee National Forest

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Ah yes, my favorite bass species, the *looks at smudged writing on hand* smartmouth bass

A screenshot of a news broadcast with the text "VA Smartmouth Bass Fishing"

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

There are serious and nuanced conversations about wind projects in the Great Lakes, but every time the subject comes up, my immature brain initially goes to:

A screenshot of a tweet with text "living by the Great Lakes in winter" and artwork of a fox dealing with a lot of wind

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Big Boat Stuck Era inspired some truly great memes

A screenshot of a Twitter post about a beaver blocking a subway entrance in Canada

A comic showing two fish; one is late for work because of Big Boat Stuck

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Yep! The current adult population front is still around the upper Illinois River's Dresden Island Pool, ~64 river km downriver of Lake Michigan (doi.org/10.1111/1365...). It's possible that the combo of barriers/harvest in upper river has helped slow expansion there (doi.org/10.1007/s105...)

A map showing the distribution of invasive bigheaded carps in the Illinois River

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Just to be clear, invasive carp do pose a significant threat to the #GreatLakes and we need to continue taking action to prevent their introduction, but they're not yet "rapidly taking over Lake Michigan" as the president claimed in a social media post yesterday www.woodtv.com/news/michiga...

Invasive silver carp jumping out of the water

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Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Join the Invasive Crayfish Collaborative next Tuesday Feb. 24 at 12 PM Central for a webinar on all things crayfish risk assessments with John Bieber of Loyola University Chicago. Register here: invasivecrayfish.org/events1/

A flyer for the Invasive Crayfish Collaborative webinar on Tuesday February 24 at 12 PM Central time. Register for the webinar here: https://invasivecrayfish.org/events1/

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