iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Darrin T. Schultz @dts.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I'm thrilled to share that I've started as an Assistant Professor in Biological Sciences and the Oceans Research Center at Lehigh University! I'm building a group in evolutionary genomics to study the origin of animals, and to use those concepts to better understand human disease. More: evogeno.me

Darrin Schultz, a man with curly dark hair and tortoiseshell glasses, smiling at the camera in a brown blazer over a blue patterned shirt with sunglasses hooked on the collar, standing in front of a stone wall.

25912

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Niki Hubbard, PhD 🐙🦀 @nikihubbard.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Once upon a time I just admired nudis and sea slugs. But it was not enough. Now apparently I'm creating an R package to celebrate their colour palettes? 😅 First up, my Sydney fave, Hypselodoris bennetti. #rstats #nudibranch #dataviz 🦑🐙🧪 #marinelife #invertebrates

Close up with a beautiful nudibranch on a rocky reef. The lower half of the image is a palette of swatches made from the nudi's vibrant colours.

411494368

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Lisa @tuexplorer1.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

While waiting for the next @schmidtocean.bsky.social dive here's a look back at my favorite benthic ctenophores they've filmed. Dive 366 Lihou Reef, Coral Sea Marine park on east coast of Australia, Queensland Plateau (sound is a tad loud) #VisioningCoralSea #MarineLife

830351

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Nat Clarke @natclarke.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Felt a little festive at the microscope this morning for #FluorescenceFriday 🎄 Here’s the nervous system of a juvenile sea star ⭐️ Green = acetylated tubulin, red = nuclei Happy holidays!

Confocal microscopy image of a juvenile sea star (Patiria miniata) viewed from the oral side. The animal has a five-armed, star-shaped body with a central nerve ring. The nervous system is labeled in green, forming radial nerve cords extending into each arm, and cell nuclei are labeled in red throughout the animal. The image appears against a black background and has a holiday-ornament-like appearance.

11574133

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

MBARI @mbarinews.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

First ROV science mission for R/V David Packard ✅ After months of work to integrate the ROV Doc Ricketts, our team conducted the first ROV science dives from our flagship research vessel during an expedition with our partners at @montereybayaquarium.org. Learn more: www.mbari.org/news/mbari-c...

An MBARI researcher with short gray hair and a gray beard wearing a black headset, navy blue polo, blue jeans, and tan slip-on shoes points to a wall of video monitors in the dark submersible control room of a research ship. The researcher is seated in a black leather chair with his legs up on a black plastic milk crate. In the background are two submersible pilots seated in chairs and operating submersible controls and a third submersible pilot holding a cup of coffee. The video monitors on the right side of the frame are displaying a live feed from a deep-sea submersible showing an array of clear plastic sampling canisters and a bright red jelly.

A submersible pilot and two biologists sit in black leather chairs and watch video monitors in the dark submersible control room aboard a research ship. The pilot is in the foreground. He has wavy salt-and-pepper hair, is wearing a headset, a black hooded sweatshirt, and gray pants, and is holding a black rubber joystick. The biologist in the center has short blonde hair. She is wearing a headset and a navy-blue jacket. The biologist in the background has short blonde hair. She is wearing glasses and a headset. All three are watching a wall of video monitors on the left side of the frame displaying a video feed and data from the deep sea. A bright red comb jelly swimming in open blue water is displayed on the two monitors at the center of the wall.

A submersible pilot operates the robotic arm of a deep-sea submersible from the dark control room of a research ship. The pilot has long brown hair and is wearing glasses, a black headset, and a green jacket. She is seated at a desk with various controls on the counter. She is holding a jointed black metal arm and watching a video monitor displaying the silver metal robotic arm of a submersible as it grips a rock on the deep seafloor attached to a red coral.

A Monterey Bay Aquarium biologist examines a red deep-sea jelly in the lab aboard a research ship. The biologist has short blonde hair and is wearing an orange beanie cap, blue hooded sweatshirt, yellow vest, and black pants. She is leaning over looking at a clear plastic canister filled with water and a bulbous red comb jelly. On the right side of the frame is a black fiberglass frame with water hoses. In the background are white walls and windows looking out to black night sky.

1358

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

George Matsumoto @georgeimatsumoto.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

🧪📍🌊 🦑🍎 Attention students and recent grads! opportunity for #oceanscience interns to sail aboard #EVNautilus next year in a paid position for 3-5 weeks. Whether you’re studying #marinebiology, #geology, or any other type of #oceanography. Learn more and apply by Jan 4 at NautilusLive.org

nautiluslive.org

Nautilus Live | Ocean Exploration Trust

Explore the ocean with us! We seek out new discoveries while conducting scientific exploration of the seafloor and stream live to the world aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus.

04333

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

MBARI @mbarinews.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

Fresh from the deep—a rarely seen giant in Monterey Bay. 🤩 Last month, MBARI Senior Scientist Steven Haddock and the Biodiversity & Biooptics Team spotted a seven-arm octopus (Haliphron atlanticus) holding a crimson helmet jelly (Periphylla periphylla). Learn more: www.mbari.org/animal/seven...

mbari.org

Seven-arm octopus • Animals of the Deep • MBARI

The seven-arm octopus is a rarely seen deep-sea giant who feeds on gelatinous animals.

15217

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Society for Developmental Biology @socdevbio.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Hydra (Hydra vulgaris) ✨Small but mighty! Hydra can regenerate its entire body, even its head 🧠 A classic model for regeneration, stem cell dynamics, and body axis patterning 📸 Image by Daniel Bressan de Andrade #ModelMonday #DevBio #Regeneration

08723

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

MBARI @mbarinews.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

MBARI’s mechanical technicians and engineers collaborated closely to build a titanium frame capable of holding cameras, sensors, and instruments used in the SINKER—SINKing Ecology Robot—imaging system, which collects vital carbon data. 🔧 🌊 🔬 Learn more: youtu.be/6_elP8a1o0M?...

youtu.be

MBARI's team of mechanical technicians make innovative new tech come to life

YouTube video by MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)

0269

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

Oh, I love this. A new species of sea anemone was discovered recently that parks itself on top of a hermit crab shell like a hat. It seems to feed partly off the crab's faeces, but it also excretes a hard shell that extends the crab's home. In return, it's carried around the seafloor like a king.

Pictures of a pink sea anemone sitting on top of a hermit crab shell.

1315367975

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Dr. Dawn Wright @deepseadawn.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

30 previously unknown deep-sea species, including a carnivorous “death-ball” sponge, have been confirmed from one of the most remote parts of the planet by The Nippon Foundation–Nekton @oceancensus.bsky.social and collaborators. ecomagazine.com/news/researc... 🦑 🌊

ecomagazine.com

Recent Expeditions Confirm Discovery of 30 Previously Unknown Deep-Sea Species - environment coastal & offshore

Thirty previously unknown deep-sea species, including a carnivorous “death-ball” sponge, have been confirmed from one of the most remote parts of the planet by The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Censu...

17123

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Hourly Cosmos @hourlycosmos.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

Prometheus - From Gordan Ugarković (ugordan.bsky.social) - flic.kr/p/8FBbLN

Cassini narrow-angle RGB composite taken 2009-12-26 05:30 UTC.

Prometheus is seen casting a shadow onto the material it pulled out of the F-ring core with its gravitational interaction. Also visible in the lower right corner is what appears to be a small ring clump or moonlet in the F-ring core itself.

Distance: 58 600 km
Phase angle: 18 deg

011611

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Holly Bik @hollybik.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

Super pumped to be a guest speaker in the COBRA webinar series in two weeks’ time, along with Olivia Pereira from @mbarinews.bsky.social! We’ll be talking about our Science Communication strategies & experiences. Register for Zoom link here: cobra.bigelow.org/webinars/

0116

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

JA Fields | NonCompliantCyborg @noncompliantcyborg.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Ummm, who was going to tell me that Phronima eat Beroe abyssicola and that when they do they and all their little babies turn pink?? Photo from today when I learned that from putting them in a kreisel together. 🦑🐙

A Phronima mom in her barrel with dozens of babies. Inside her head is bright pink and all her babies are pink blobs wirh transparent limbs. The mom also features some sick claws.

39917

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Steve Haddock @stevehaddock.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

For CTENOPHORE DAY, a little survey: Which end of this fishing Pleurobrachia is the mouth on? Please just "vote" in the comments — no definitive answers. 🦑🧪🌊 P.S. this is one of my earliest #ctenophore photos, shot on film in a home-built kreisel. P.P.S. Legit data-gathering for a future paper.

A spherical comb jelly floating against a dark background, with its tentacles deployed, tentilla (side branches) fanned out. There is a number 1 above the body and number 2 below the body. Photo by S. Haddock taken around 1990.

146619

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

JA Fields | NonCompliantCyborg @noncompliantcyborg.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

Happy Ctenophore Day! 🐙🦑🧪

6439141

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Steve Haddock @stevehaddock.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

Our science photo book The Radiant Sea is out Sept 2nd!! 30 years of research, 10 years of "we should", and a year of collating pix and writing. Sönke and I show (mostly for the first time) images of how organisms produce, use, and interact with light in the sea. #bioluminescence #fluorescence 🦑🧪🌊

1521770

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Schmidt Ocean Institute @schmidtocean.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

In the deep ocean & Antarctic waters, sponges grow at a rate of fewer than 2cm/yr. While life on land seems to move at an oft dizzying pace, the size of this sponge suggests this animal may have been alive for hundreds of years. #AntarcticClimateConnections

215134

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Sarah Hörst @planetdr.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

As currently configured, NASA newest grant opportunity release represents an ****82%**** cut to planetary science research funding. research.ssl.berkeley.edu/~mikewong/bl...

research.ssl.berkeley.edu

mikewong's astroblog

1216768

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Rebecca R Helm @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

BEHOLD! One of Earth's greatest lineages of life: the lil wiggle arm guys, Meteora. These single-celled critters, originally found in deep-sea sediments, are SO DIFFERENT from other lifeforms on Earth that they're likely in their own kingdom (as in, the Animal Kingdom, the Plant Kingdom etc). 🧪🌿

451533473

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Chris Gug @gugunderwater.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Death net Not much escapes from the sticky, stinging tentacles of a #siphonophore. Body of ~7”, and a net of tentacles extending >6’. Yes, this creature is on the Do Not Lick list. #forsakaliaedwardsi #nematocysts #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #chrisgug #gugunderwater #gug

311843

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Enough of you asked me about this that I wrote some brief thoughts on Ocean Ramsey's particular brand of pseudoscientific nonsense. I believe this addresses almost all of the frequently asked questions I receive, but as always I am happy to answer serious questions asked in good faith. 🧪🦑🌎🦈

southernfriedscience.com

What Ocean Ramsey does is not shark science or conservation: some brief thoughts on “the Shark Whisperer” documentary

Netflix has a new (sarcastic air quotes) “documentary” out about Ocean Ramsey, who longtime readers and followers know is a serial wildlife harasser who also coordinates massive online …

41686255

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

MBARI @mbarinews.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

It's #InternationalPolychaeteDay, and we've got something for you to celebrate. ❤️ Flame on: The vibrant red gossamer worm is the race car of the deep sea: youtu.be/PII8AvmEvnE?...

04615

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Chris Mah @echinoblog.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

MORE of Alexander Semenov's gorgeous worm photography! #worldpolychaeteday

rainbow colored underside of segmented polychaete worm

320547

Lena Vincent, PhD @lenaunderwater.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

So many cool nudis (and other little weirdos) at low tide this morning!

082

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Center for Whale Research @whaleresearch.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Big news! Our latest paper, “Manufacture and use of allogrooming tools by wild killer whales” has been published in “Current Biology”. This is the first known evidence of a marine mammal making tools out of objects in their environment. Explore more here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

25024

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

MBARI @mbarinews.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

Microscopic particles, global impact 🌊🔬 MBARI scientist @cadurkin.bsky.social and her team are using microscopic particles to reveal the mechanisms of carbon transport into the deep sea that can help improve satellite-based models of carbon export. Learn more: bit.ly/carbonexport...

bit.ly

Marine snow provides new clues about the export of carbon to the deep sea • MBARI

Genetic sequences in microscopic particles of sinking organic material reveal the mechanisms of carbon transport into the deep sea that can help improve satellite-based models of carbon export.

0335

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Steve Haddock @stevehaddock.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

I am used to photographing #ctenophores in darkfield, but under those conditions it is hard to see the pigment spots on this little (5mm) specimen. Fun to see the patterns that show up when viewed against a white background. 🧪🦑🌊

Two pictures of a ctenophore in the genus Callianira, collected during blue-water scuba dives off the coast of Hawaii. The figure on the left is a rather poor photo, in an aboral view, against a black background.
The photo on the right is a lateral view on a white background. The ctenophore is shaped like an arrowhead, and in the white-background view you can see that it is covered with small reddish-brown speckles. Larger spots cover the body, and small spots are arranged in rows parallel to the base of each comb plate. One tentacle is extended showing the pink-pigmented tentilla.

25419

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Science Magazine @science.org · 11/06/2025

For the first time, scientists have filmed microscopic worms called nematodes in the wild as they glom together and form large wriggling masses. Learn more: scim.ag/3FBwSx3

1417427

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Sarah Hörst @planetdr.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

The Presidents Budget Request for NASA is out. It’s a bloodbath Canceled are DAVINCI, VERITAS, Juno, OSIRIS-APEX, US participation in ExoMars and EnVision… Huge cut to R&A. No funding to begin development of the Uranus Orbiter. If you’ve ever cared about NASA, time to contact congress.

13755702531

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

MBARI @mbarinews.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

At the heart of MBARI’s research vessel David Packard, a team of skilled pilots commands the ROV Doc Ricketts. 🤖 Chief ROV Pilot Marko Talkovic and his team ensure every system runs safely and efficiently to support missions and advance marine science. Learn more: youtu.be/KGg_xep2vmM?...

youtu.be

Step into the command center for a deep-sea robot

YouTube video by MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)

0295

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Science Magazine @science.org · 13/05/2025

If you happen to see a friend across the street, odds are you might raise an arm and wiggle your hand to say hello. Cuttlefish apparently do something similar—and that’s not the only arm gesture they use to communicate. Learn more: scim.ag/4j5nmQv

251276189

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 12/05/2025

Join our Jellies team on a journey of gelatinous proportions! 🪼✨ Go behind the scenes as we reveal the science and skill behind culturing these delicate drifters from polyp to pulsing beauty: youtu.be/LCVp1sSh8yI

youtu.be

From the surface to the depths: Culturing jellies at Monterey Bay Aquarium

YouTube video by Monterey Bay Aquarium

111919

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

MBARI @mbarinews.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

At MBARI, our “office” is Monterey Bay and its deep underwater canyon. Using advanced robots, we’re revealing the stunning community of life that thrives deep beneath the ocean’s surface.

16617

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Thibaut Brunet @thibautbrunet.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

A dream come true: the first expansion microscopy images of C. flexa 🤩 Generated by Mylan & Uzuki who learned from the best (@hiralshah.bsky.social @gautamdey.bsky.social @dudinlab.bsky.social). We will learn so much from these!

Expansion microscopy micrograph of the choanoflagellate Choanoeca flexa, vaguely evocative of a cactus. Red = tubulin, green = actin, blue = DNA

2029158

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Science Magazine @science.org · 21/04/2025

Five people have seen a color never before visible to the naked human eye, thanks to a new retinal stimulation technique called Oz. Learn more in #ScienceAdvances: scim.ag/442Hjn6

scim.ag

Novel color via stimulation of individual photoreceptors at population scale

Image display by cell-by-cell retina stimulation, enabling colors impossible to see under natural viewing.

47211

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Paul Byrne @theplanetaryguy.com · 19/04/2025

Some photos of Saturn are simply breathtaking.

362522214

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

the Node @the-node.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

Featured image with Allan Carrillo-Baltodano This is an image of a larva of a phoronid worm. To swim, the larva propels itself using cilia 💃 Find out about @allancarbal.bsky.social and his #EvoDevo research on marine annelids: thenode.biologists.com/featured-ima...

Actinotroch larva of a phoronid worm with phalloidin shown in yellow and acetylated tubulin in magenta. Imaged with a Zeiss LSM 800 at 10 x magnification

14112

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Schmidt Ocean Institute @schmidtocean.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

🦑 This baby is COLOSSAL! 🦑 First confirmed live observation of the colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, in its natural habitat. Filmed at about 600m near the South Sandwich Islands during the #SouthSandwichIslands expedition. youtu.be/lzPoG9H8Hlo

youtu.be

Colossal Squid, 1st Live Observation | Searching for New Species in the South Sandwich Islands

YouTube video by Schmidt Ocean

8472227

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Chris Mah @echinoblog.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

OH WOW! A HUGE Radiolarian called Tuscaridium caught on this stalk! 4853 m #okeanos #saveNOAA Murray Fracture Zone

2419

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Leocadio Blanco-Bercial @blancobercial.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

Collodarian Galaxy #NSFfunded

1164

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

MBARI @mbarinews.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

In the deep sea, we know all about romance. ⁠❤️⁠ ⁠ Female gossamer worms (Tomopteris spp.) produce a pheromone that attracts males and signals them to shed sperm into the water. This, in turn, signals the female to release her eggs—a behavior called swarming.

117145

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Steve Haddock @stevehaddock.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

It’s hard to beat field work in Hawaii with @cadurkin.bsky.social @lenaunderwater.bsky.social and others of the @mbarinews.bsky.social team..! We are using blue-water scuba diving to study #ctenophores, siphonophores, radiolarians, and #bioluminescence. 🦑🌊🧪🤿

Two divers hover below a boat in the open ocean 4 miles off the coast of Hawaii. Crissy Huffard from Colleen Durkin’s lab is “flying” plankton into the view of their special ISIIS camera.

1395

Lena Vincent, PhD @lenaunderwater.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

A couple of big diving milestones recently… completed my drysuit and AAUS scientific diver certifications!

Smiling diver standing on a boat platform

050

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

MBARI @mbarinews.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Heading home and looking good doing it🚢⁠ ⁠ MBARI’s new vessel, the R/V David Packard, is making its homeward journey to Monterey Bay. ⁠The crew is hard at work keeping the vessel running smoothly and continuing to upgrade and outfit the ship before its arrival. Follow along: odss.mbari.org/odss/

0597

Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD

Steve Haddock @stevehaddock.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

A fun case of usual-unusual: Most luminescence in the sea is blue-green, but Tomopteris worms emit yellow light. With Warren Francis, we found a species that emits blue light — unusual but usual. 🦑🧪 link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00227-016-3028-2 doi.org/10.1002/bio.2671

Three panels: On top is a face on view of a large Tomopteris polychaete, with orange pigment spots along its long anterior antennae. Lower left shows the yellow bioluminescent emission typical of the genus Tomopteris. Lower right shows the blue bioluminescent emission of a Tomopteris species. This color is typical for marine animals, but atypical for Tomopteris, which is the odd-species-out for luminescent emission spectra.
Blue-emitting Tomopteris were independently discovered by our lab in the Pacific and by Anaïd Gouveneaux working in Jerôme Mallefet's lab in Belgium.
Warren determined that the chemical which gives the yellow color seems to be aloe-emodin, but the function of using yellow light rather than blue remains unknown. See the two manuscripts linked in the main text, and references therein, for more detailed info.

28526