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jamesmacarthur.bsky.social

@jamesmacarthur.bsky.social
76 followers 78 following 9 posts

PhD student at UHI Inverness - using eDNA and traditional approaches to investigate the impacts of Eurasian beavers on migratory fish and conservation priority mammals

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University of Stirling Biological and Environmental Sciences @uofstirling-bes.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Congratulations to #UofStirling's @nigelwillby.bsky.social, @dralanlaw.bsky.social and colleagues, who have a new paper out this month using #eDNA sampling to uncover the effects #beaver recolonisation on migratory #fish distribution 👏 🦫🐟🧬
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
<fc>eDNA</fc> sampling reveals no evidence of negative effects of beaver recolonisation on the catchment‐scale distribution of migratory fish
This study provides novel insights into the catchment-scale co-distribution of beavers and migratory fish, and there was no evidence of negative effects on the catchment-scale distribution of migrato...
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ProfColinBean @profcolinbean.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
New Paper Alert 📢 eDNA sampling reveals no evidence of negative effects of beaver recolonisation on the catchment-scale distribution of migratory fish. Journal of Applied Ecology, 63, e70475. doi.org/10.1111/1365...
doi.org
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bioRxiv Ecology @biorxiv-ecology.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Biodiversity effects of beaver activity in a semi-natural enclosure revealed by eDNA www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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Lynsey Harper @lynseyrharper.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Nice talk by Ruaidhri Forrester on using #eDNA #metabarcoding to locate #coregonid spawning grounds. High read counts correspond to locations of known spawning grounds in spawning season. Relationship spatially explicit and not seen outside spawning season, but not consistent across lakes #UKDNAWG26
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Lynsey Harper @lynseyrharper.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Fab talk by Nathan Griffiths on invertebrate #eDNA #metabarcoding for statutory #lake assessment in Scotland. Initial results are promising for high quality sites, but low quality sites may be overestimated by #eDNA. Also need to consider reference database coverage and sampling effort #UKDNAWG26
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Lynsey Harper @lynseyrharper.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Cool talk by @jamesmacarthur.bsky.social on #beaver #eDNA transport. Sample in winter to understand if beavers are present in wider landscape due to long transport distance. Sample in summer to understand localised distribution in a catchment due to shorter transport distance #UKDNAWG26
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Thank you to everyone who brought and presented posters at #SNSC2026 - we were lucky to have such a wide range of fascinating topics and great engagement in great conversations about ongoing research!
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
A big thanks to our student keynote speaker Adam Woodward for presenting work on light pollution and seabirds in Scotland. We look forward to hearing all about future work with @naturescot.bsky.social to tackle this! #SNSC2026
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Congratulations to our #SNSC2026 prize winners! Alice Turner delivered an amazing talk on the impact of human disturbance on #beaver foraging 🦫 Jess Frater presented an engaging poster on social acceptability of increased deer culling in Scotland @cieem.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
We want to express a massive thank you to all of the organisations that contributed to the #SNSC2026 conference, including those who brought stalls and spoke to attendees. Without these organisations, this event would not be possible!
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The FSBI @thefsbi.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Great to be at Scotland Nature Student Conference, aptly represented by previous president of the FSBI, Professor Colin Adams! The FSBI is a strong advocate for students and early career researchers, with a string of funding opportunities available to members. Membership starts at just £10!
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Poor-poise - Concentration patterns of intentionally and unintentionally produced PCBs in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) stranded along the British coast - Presentation by Katerina Schiffnederova
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Alleviating climate anxiety in undergraduate students using skills-based learning by @lindindin.bsky.social #SNSC2026 @stir.ac.uk @britishecologicalsociety.org
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Ticked off! Woodland patch and landscape characteristics determine tick presence and density in Scotland by Benjamin Miller
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Ladybirds of a feather flock together? Callum Grant explores the question 'do ladybirds prefer to overwinter with conspecifics?' 🐞 #SNSC2026 @naturescot.bsky.social @stir.ac.uk
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Measuring nature connectedness in children: A face validity investigation of the NCI by Zsuzsa Lugosi-Grant #SNSC2026 @naturescot.bsky.social @stir.ac.uk @nhm-london.bsky.social
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
that's a-boar-e! Belonging, Legitimacy and the Governance of Free-Living Sus scrofa in Contemporary Scotland: A Critical Discourse Analysis by Eleanor Foster #SNSC2026 @naturescot.bsky.social @stir.ac.uk
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Building a web - Understanding online interest in invasive non-native species, presented by Ruth Wright at #SNSC2026 @ruth-wright.bsky.social @stir.ac.uk @naturescot.bsky.social @iapetusdtp.bsky.social
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Not got mush-room, unless you’re a willow! @sarahwatts.bsky.social is unearthing the ectomycorrhizal fungi co-occurring with relict arctic-alpine willows and restoration sites using eDNA
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Taking the sting out: Controlling nettles to improve puffin breeding habitat - presentation by Finley Bruce
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Gr-aspen the regeneration - from soil to suckers: drivers of clonal regeneration in Aspen (Populus tremula) at Muir of Dinnet NNR - Presentation by Callum Nicol from SRUC
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Professor Kirsty Park ( @stir.ac.uk ) delivered her keynote speech on the WrEN project, undertaking a “natural experiment” approach to assess the effects of historic woodland creation on current biodiversity in order to inform future restoration actions
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Day 2 of #SNSC2026 kicks off with an introduction from Stuart MacQuarrie (@naturescot.bsky.social) – hope isn’t just a feeling but a strategy. Hope-based action within environmental work delivers success and we have the proof!
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Dam humans ruining my meal! 🦫 Alice Turner from @stir.ac.uk (and of SNSC organising committee fame) presents her PhD research on how human disturbance affects beaver foraging #SNSC2026 @naturescot.bsky.social
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Our #SNSC2026 panel explored how to navigate career pathways across in the environmental sector. We heard about "wiggly" career paths, and how they can lead to accumulation of diverse skillsets, how to gain experience in your area of interest, and how we can bridge gaps between research and policy.
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Having a whale of a time with our student keynote speaker Penny Clarke, detailing research from the recently completed PhD on how satellite imagery is giving insights into whale monitoring and conservation 🐋 #SNSC2026
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Our #SNSC2026 poster session is underway, with presenters discussing a wide range of environmental and ecological topics including blue crab, tansy beetles, ticks and more!
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
All Time Crow 🪶 - our second student talks session kicks off with allofeeding and allopreening of a crow with a beak abnormality from Julia Chase
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
I want to break tree! Sitka spruce colonisation of treeline environments in Scotland by Rory Abernethy 🌲 #SNSC2026 @naturescot.bsky.social @stir.ac.uk
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Peat and Tidy - Niamh Gurrin from the University of Edinburgh presents how peat bog restoration impacts stream water quality 💧 #SNSC2026 @naturescot.bsky.social @stir.ac.uk
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Living life to the Gull-est! Helen Pruzina from @stir.ac.uk with work on modelling how resource use influences Herring Gulls
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
CoreGone? - Not on Ruaidhri's watch! Ruaidhri Forrester from University of Glasgow with a talk on assessing Vendance (Coregonus lavaretus) status in the UK
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
A "Newt" approach to monitoring Edinburgh's Great Crested Newt population from Finn McElrue-Inch and Luisa-Marie Dickenmann, highlighting the importance of volunteer monitoring efforts - sign up using the QR code if you are in the Edinburgh area for spring training!
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Kicking "moth" session one of our student talks, we heard from Jemma Guthrie from the University of Glasgow presenting on the changing dynamics of of moth pollination networks in temperate rainforest ecosystems #SNSC2026
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
From our first #SNSC2026 keynote speaker Tom Bowser (Argaty Red Kites), we heard a story of resilience from the first site to reintroduce #beavers to a working Stirlingshire farm, overcoming challenges to bring these ecosystem engineers back to the landscape, and highlighting the changes seen since.
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Chris Harrod @profchrisharrod.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
And @nowpas.bsky.social 2026 is off!
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Doors are open and posters are going up at #SNSC2026 Day 1 kicks off with a warm welcome and message of hope and resilience from Professor Colin Galbraith from @naturescot.bsky.social, followed by a reflection of SNSCs past from University of Stirling’s Professor Kirsty Park (@stir.ac.uk)
photo of the lecture theatre with welcome presentationphoto of two University of Stirling students in the welcome hall
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Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 @scotnsconf.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
We are getting ready for #SNSC2026 Scotland's Nature Student Conference - welcome and arrival tomorrow at the Pathfoot Building, University of Stirling, from 10am! View the programme on our website: scotnsconference.wixsite.com/2026 We look forward to welcoming you to our event!
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bioRxiv Ecology @biorxiv-ecology.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
Process-based model predicts seasonal variation in eDNA transport - a case study on Eurasian beavers in a small river www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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jamesmacarthur.bsky.social @jamesmacarthur.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Calling all Scottish nature students! Come and join us in Stirling from the 3rd - 4th March to discuss all things nature in Scotland! This is a free conference open to all university students from undergraduates to PhD with opportunities to present both posters and talks. Link below:
docs.google.com
Scotland's Nature Student Conference 2026 - People and Planet: Innovation and Resilience in a Changing World - 3rd & 4th March at the University of Stirling.
Registration Form - please register by Wednesday 11 February 2026. Please note registration may close earlier if all the places are filled. We will also be asking you to re-confirm your attendance 10 ...
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University of Stirling Biological and Environmental Sciences @uofstirling-bes.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
The University of #Stirling is excited to be hosting #SNSC2026 😀 The registration deadline for attendance, posters and talks is Wednesday 11th February - can't wait to see you all there! 🏞️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🦫🐜🦌🌿
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jamesmacarthur.bsky.social @jamesmacarthur.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
!!Absolutely fabulous!! A slightly surreal moment hearing Dame Joanna Lumley narrate my PhD research. Thankyou to Nina Constable and @emccandlessphoto.bsky.social for letting me play a small part in this film. A brilliant film on beavers and migratory fish!🦫🐟 Link: m.youtube.com/watch?v=uZE5...
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NoWPaS - Salmonid Research Network @nowpas.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
🐟 The 2026 NoWPaS call for abstracts opens Monday, October 13th! For early-career researchers (PhD students & postdoctoral fellows) in salmonids research - connect, share, and grow Stay tuned for more information 👉 nowpas.wordpress.com #NoWPaS2026 #SalmonidsScience #EarlyCareerResearchers
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Allan McDevitt @shrewgod.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
1st PhD chapter from @jjackman27.bsky.social on comparing #eDNA filtration methods in a hyper-tidal estuary. Although some methods outperform others, all are generally effective in recovering fish biodiversity, including the passive metaprobe. Paper here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
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William Perry @drwillperry.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Hot off the press! Our #JFB paper showing #eDNA #metabarcoding's ability to give quantitative insights in #AtlanticSalmon distribution in a river: doi.org/10.1111/jfb.... Showing, once again, the value of integrating eDNA into #freshwater #biodiversity monitoring. Big thanks to Nigel Milner!
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The FSBI @thefsbi.bsky.social · 20/07/2025
Congratulations to Niamh Heatley (pictured) and James Macarthur for winning 3rd place in the #FSBI2025's oral presentation award!
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jamesmacarthur.bsky.social @jamesmacarthur.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
My first FSBI conference did not disappoint. The spawning run, sea dip, hatchery visit and seeing the farm where my granny grew up were just some of the highlights. Topped off with an award for my talk. Not to mention all the fantastic talks heard and people met throughout the week! #FSBI2025
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Chris Harrod @profchrisharrod.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
Next year's @thefsbi.bsky.social conference will be at the @unisouthampton.bsky.social See you there!
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Peter Betts @peterbetts.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
It was brilliant to catch up with so many people from #NoWPaS2025 at #FSBI2025
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The FSBI @thefsbi.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
The FSBI Medal Winners session starts with a talk from Colin Adams. Colin, previous President of the FSBI, has been awarded this year's Beverton Medal. Given the FSBI's focus on supporting ECRs, Colin draws on his wealth of experience, with a talk titled "Surviving a career in research" #FSBI2025
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