Sign in

Luke Rendell

@lrendell.bsky.social
2.3K followers 1K following 233 posts

Reader in Biology @_SMRU_ @SchoolofBiology @univofstandrews. Ocean Yachtmaster for hire! Marine conservation, cetacean & fish behaviour, cultural evolution. He/him. Thalassophile. Sailor. #Fife www.st-andrews.ac.uk/biology/people…

PostsRepliesMedia
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Such a cool idea - not great for whale language claims however 😏🧪
160
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
🙌
030
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
New paper: Classifying bioacoustic data without individual call annotations using temporal convolutional networks and feature extractors - first (but not last!) PhD paper from @garrobe.bsky.social 🥳 pubs.aip.org/asa/jasa/art... @seamammalresearch.bsky.social 🐋🦑🧪
pubs.aip.org
1126
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
New paper! Costs and benefits of group size for sperm whales of the open ocean royalsocietypublishing.org/rsbl/article... w/ Hal Whitehead, Sam Walmslsey and @anaeg.bsky.social 🐋🦑 @seamammalresearch.bsky.social
royalsocietypublishing.org
Costs and benefits of group size for sperm whales of the open ocean
Abstract. Individual feeding success can change with the size of a social group through competition, cooperation, recruitment and other processes. Female s
12419
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Exceot they are not vowels or even "vowel-like". In any way. At all. The entire myth is built on fundamental misunderstanding or misrepresentation of sperm whale sound production - which is why the word 'vowel' appears only in the PR and not the actual peer-reviewed paper 🙄
Screenshot of an article in the Guardian about claims regarding vowel sounds im sperm whales highlighting dubious linguistic gymnastics by the study's defenders
053
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
So cool! 🌕 🐒
021
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Jasper Blom @jasprblom.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
What a powerful way to illustrate shifting baseline syndrome. And how sad it sounds... www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Listen to Britain’s dawn chorus of 1976: the dramatic loss of birdsong in 50 years
Guardian recreates audio landscape of past filled by loud morning symphony before 73m wild birds were lost
25232
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
New chapter: Sperm Whales in Handbook of the Mammals of Europe. Led by Sanna Isojunno, a comprehensive review of knowledge of sperm whales in European waters - happy to see this out! @jlkershaw.bsky.social @seamammalresearch.bsky.social 🐋🦑 link.springer.com/rwe/10.1007/... DM yr email for PDF
link.springer.com
Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758
This comprehensive species-specific chapter covers all aspects of mammalian biology, including taxonomy, global and European distribution, genetics, morphology, life history, ecology, behavior, parasi...
0164
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
New paper! I am now officially a bowhead song researcher thanks to Seth's cool new paper - see thread for details - there is so much work to do on bowhead song and I am excited to continue this collaboration! @seamammalresearch.bsky.social @taylorhersh.bsky.social @sethharris15.bsky.social 🐋🦑🧪
1177
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
New paper! Dialect variation in Mediterranean sperm whales shows evidence of cultural evolution in an isolated population tinyurl.com/yrfepekh with @taylorhersh.bsky.social @asociaciontursiops.bsky.social and the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute 🐋🦑🧪 @seamammalresearch.bsky.social
A group of sperm whale adult and calves at the surface taken from above. Credit Asociación Tursiops
14923
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Tay (Antonio J. Osuna Mascaró) @biotay.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
1/4 The enormous complexity of algae fishing Researchers have studied in detail how chimpanzees in Guinea fish for algae. They prepare their tools (up to 4 m long) in advance, and use 22 different techniques. (paper) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
13622
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Cat Hobaiter @nakedprimate.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
I like ba-o-babs and I can not lie… but as it turns out I’m not the only one! Fongoli chimpanzees incorporate baobab hollows into their vocal drumming displays!! 🧪🐵🥁 Are you sitting comfortably… 1/n #newpaper #sciencestorytelling brill.com/view/journal...
A black and white photo of a large fat baobab tree trunk with a hollow
2367
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Alexa Robles-Gil @alexaroblesgil.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Many of us have seen videos of humans swimming with orcas. The reality, however, is much different. Over the course of nearly a year, I traveled to Norway and Mexico to report on the complexity of swimming with these apex predators. Read more in @nytimes.com gift link www.nytimes.com/2026/04/29/s...
nytimes.com
Clear Waters, Murky Morals: When Humans Swim With Killer Whales
2187
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Camille Troisi @camilletroisi.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
📢Fully-funded #PhD opportunity with us: 🐦 Quantifying (social) learning and social behaviour in an urbanised world 🐦 Position at @ceec-research.bsky.social 📆29th May deadline More info: tinyurl.com/yz28s96x Apply: tinyurl.com/2wpkb64y #cognition #socialbehaviour #fieldwork #birds 🙏Please Share
Great tit perched on a branch, with beak slightly open. 
Photo credit: Alizée Vernouillet
28398
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Franca Eichenberger @francae.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Really nice to see our recent paper picked up in a Dispatch. It highlights a point we care a lot about: even in a conservation success story like humpback whales, recovery is about more than numbers.🐳 Dispatch: www.cell.com/current-biol... @currentbiology.bsky.social @seamammalresearch.bsky.social
cell.com
Marine biology: Don’t call it a humpback comeback!
As a population recovers from extreme exploitation, it is not simply a matter of how many individuals are in the population but who they are, which can affect sexual selection. A long-term study of hu...
1189
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
So exciting to see sperm whale dialect data being collected from the Turkish eastern Med waters 👏 Aylin Akkaya - and presented with good humour 🤣 sperm whale squeals can indeed sound like drowning cats! watch this space for more developments on this topic! 👌🦑🧪🐋 #ECS2026
Aylin Akkaya in front of a title slide about sperm whales 🥳
0184
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
@denrisch.bsky.social sent gliders bearing soundtraps around the famous Stanton Bank - dolphins on the bank, porpoises off it...super cool work! #ECS2026 🦑🧪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🐋
Denise Risch and a glider PAM methods outline slide
1102
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Georgina Whittome with important findings about blue whale distribution and ENSO patterns in the eastern Pacific 👏 @seamammalresearch.bsky.social #ECS2026 #MSc_MMS_St_A 🐋🦑🧪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Georgina and the talk title slide
073
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Day 3 #ECS2026 🥳 Super thoughtful and thought provoking plenary on importance of taking perspective in conservation science from Paul Thompson this morning 🐋🦑🧪
Paul Thompson celebrating the growth in marine mammal research in previous decades
040
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
@oceangill.bsky.social looks beyond Europe to summarise coastal cetacean conservation issues and massive data gaps around the Indian Ocean, focussing on the concerning status of humpback dolphins and establishing a vital international network #ECS2026 🦑🐋🧪 @seamammalresearch.bsky.social
@oceangill.bsky.social in front of her title slide
093
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Minke whakes in Western Scotland need dynamic management of protection and entanglement mitigation as distribution changes across seasons awesome work - local fisher knowledge can be vital! Nice work @timawbery.bsky.social #ECS2026 🐋🦑🧪
Tim with a slide of Western Scotland, God's own country 🤣
171
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Day 2 #ECS2026 @eva-mariab.bsky.social telling us about diving physiology explored with foraging experiments at @seamammalresearch.bsky.social #MSc_MMS_St_A 🐋🦑🧪
@eva-mariab.bsky.social and their title slide
142
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
So chuffed to see @ellengarland.bsky.social and I's #MSc_MMS_St_A project student @sethharris15.bsky.social presenting his awesome work on bowhead songs at #ECS2026 🥳🐋🧪
Seth and I standing in front of a poster describing bowhead whale song research
092
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Full disclosure I co-supervised @amsouth.bsky.social but my unbiased and objective opinion that his work on humpback song rhythms is awesome! 🤣 @seamammalresearch.bsky.social #ECS2026 🐋🦑🧪
Alex South and his title slide about rhythmic variability in humpback song 😎
0112
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Great to see #MSc_MMS_St_A graduate Thomas Webber blazing trails to automatically identofying Rissos dolphin clicks - see cool! #ECS2026 🐋🦑🧪
Thomas Webber telling us about Rissos dolphins in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
031
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Marleine Meister mesmerising with bowhead song, showing how vocal behaviour varies with ice cover. Amazing! #ECS2026 🐋🦑🧪
an audience fascinated by a spectrogram of bowhead song
020
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Count the #MSc_MMS_St_A students and graduates at #ECS2026 - I make it 41 but I will be wrong 🤣 so nice to see everyone!
Marine Mammal Science MSc current and past students at #ECS2026
196
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Ever masterful Enrico Pirotta shows how individual health can modulate responses to stress in dolphins 👏🐋🦑🧪 #ECS2026
Enrico describes a slide of controlled exposure results
042
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Sinking creel lines effectively mitigate by catch in these fisheries in Scotland! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Here's a picture of a creel with a sinking line. Amazingly important presentation by Susan Calderan #ECS2026 🐋🦑🧪
Slide show rope leading from creel to seabed
030
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Great job @jessmontabaranom.bsky.social! Important findings about seal behaviour around tidal turbines monitored with multibeam sonar @seamammalresearch.bsky.social #ECS2026 🐋🦑🧪
Jess and a slide highlighting concerns about declining harbour seal populations interacting with tidal turbine
074
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Leigh Hickmott present a fine scale analysis of dive behaviour of beaked whales responding to milttary sonar #ECS2026 🐋🥳🐋🦑🧪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Leigh Hickmott in front of a title slide
082
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Very important work from Amy Feakes (who bravely defeated technical glitches!) on the impacts of seismic survey on fin whale vocal detections 👏 #ECS2026 🐋🦑🧪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Speaker and title slide seismic surveys reduce fin whale vocalisations detections
071
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Highly informative plenary from Emer Rogan to kick off #ECS2026 - detailed and sobering - Celtic Sea harbour porpoise need bycatch relief! 🐋 🦑 🧪
Prof Emer Rogan describing small cetacean assessments
061
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Let's goooo! #ECS2026 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @jeannemrdl.bsky.social is presenting work on humpback song in soundscapes of New Caledonian lagoons 🥳 🐋 🦑🧪 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Jeanne Merindol stands beside her poster
0297
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Erin Wessling @northernlimitpt.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
🎉 New paper out in Biological Reviews! 🎉 With 19 brilliant co‑authors from the IUCN SGA's Working Group on Chimpanzee Cultures, led by Crickette Sanz and me, we provide a much needed toolkit on how animal cultures can be built into conservation. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Identifying practical pathways from animal culture theory to conservation practice
Wildlife conservation has traditionally focused on the maintenance of population size, preserving genetic diversity and protecting habitats, with success typically measured through stable or increasi...
22715
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
❤️
010
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Gwen C. Katz @gwenckatz.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
I know how you feel, Allan the teenage sperm whale, I know how you feel.
14111
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Stephanie L King @stephanielking.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
New OA paper @royalsocietypublishing.org: What can we learn from bonobos and bottlenose dolphins about the evolution of between-group cooperation? royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article... Lovely collab with @lirsamuni.bsky.social Martin Surbeck and Richard Connor.
49448
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Dr. Headbutt 🌈🧪 @nicoleackermans.com · 26/03/2026
Sperm whales have been recorded headbutting for the first time by drone! This behavior has often been hypothesized (think Moby Dick) but never captured. Exciting news for the headbutting world! 🧪 doi.org/10.1111/mms....
doi.org
Headbutting Behavior Between Sperm Whales Documented Using Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles
Click on the article title to read more.
37424
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Daniel MacPhee 🇨🇦 @d-macphee.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
“Gero and his colleagues show that two “matrilines”—independent, female-led groups—of sperm whales in Unit A appeared to cooperate to assist in the calf’s birth. This behavior has never been observed in such detail before in this species.” #Whales 🧪 #Birth www.scientificamerican.com/article/sper...
scientificamerican.com
Scientists saw a sperm whale giving birth. And then things got weird
Sperm whales are known to socialize, but scientists were stunned when they saw a group of sperm whales gather as one of them gave birth
16633
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
How incredible: “The full delivery took about 30 minutes. For hours afterward, pairs of whales held the baby above the water until it was able to swim… What struck the researchers was how many mother, sister and daughter whales united to support the new calf, even ones that weren’t related.”
apnews.com
Scientists captured female sperm whales on video working together during a birth to protect the calf
Scientists have captured rare footage of a sperm whale giving birth, offering a window into the large mammals' behavior.
958181393
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Amazing footage from @asociaciontursiops.bsky.social shows two young males and a smaller female calf - is their boisterousness part of the explanation why males leave/are isolated from the social units they were born in, because they bring threat od injury to vulnerable calves? 🐳🦑🧪
2299
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
New paper - one for the headbangers! 🐳 🦑 🧪
13512
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Cat Hobaiter @nakedprimate.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
"if you want to be able to follow someone’s gaze, then you need contrast of some kind. A dark iris on a white background broadcasts direction like a compass needle; a dark iris on a dark background tells you almost nothing" Yes, but with one really important element missing... 1/2
131
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Jane @localnotail.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Bless the librarians of Aberystwyth University for sending this blog out to their students: "Wait a Minute…What If I Don’t Want to Use AI?" #LibrarySky
wordpress.aber.ac.uk
Wait a Minute…What If I Don’t Want to Use AI?
AI is everywhere right now. It writes summaries, explains theories, fixes grammar, and recommends playlists.But here’s the thing nobody says out loud: you’re allowed not to use it. Whether you feel…
418180
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Melissa Ramsay @melissa-e-ramsay.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
We saw so many ragworms during fieldwork today, bright green for the breeding season! @animalsdoingstuff.bsky.social
0204
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Culture Conference @cultconf.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
So much to take away from Taylor Hersh’s keynote — taking us deep into the cultural realms of sperm whale vocal clans across the oceans. 🐋 Heartfelt thanks, @taylorhersh.bsky.social!
0213
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Amazing work from @francae.bsky.social! 🐳🦑🧪
0130
Reposted by Luke Rendell
Éadin O'Mahony, PhD @eadinomahony.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
🐋 Loved having a chat about bubble netting humpbacks on @npr.org's Science Desk with Nate Rott! As a *major* NPR Tiny Desk fan... can someone tell me is this the scientists' equivalent?! 🤪 www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...
npr.org
Humpback whales cast bubble nets to catch prey. They may be learning from each other
Humpback whales will sometimes use an intricate strategy to catch food called bubble-net feeding. A new study suggests they're spreading the knowledge of how to do it to each other.
0123
Luke Rendell @lrendell.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Awesome work by @izzylangley.bsky.social 🐳🦭🦑
091