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Real Scientists

@realscientists.bsky.social
1.6K followers 29 following 77 posts

Real Science, from Real Scientists and other STEAMM Professsionals. Migrating from the other place. This week: BlackMammalogists Week with @blackmammalogists.bsky.social blackmammalogists.com

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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 22/09/2024
Equipping rangers with reliable data collection tools (e.g #SMART) to track their patrols can help correct bias and improve poaching models. However, it’s a challenging journey that may require a separate thread. For more insights, check out this piece: conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) in Mid‐Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe: Implementation challenges and practices
Biodiversity monitoring and data-management technologies can enhance the protection of persecuted species, such as African elephants (Loxodonta africana), through providing management-relevant inform....
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 22/09/2024
However, ranger-collected data can be unreliable due to patrol bias, leading to inaccurate models. 🤔 Collaborations between rangers and spatial modelers can help correct this bias and create more accurate maps.🗺️ www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 22/09/2024
Moving to poaching - it’s still a challenge in many landscapes, particularly in Africa. Its encouraging that spatial models built using ranger-collected and remote sensing data can help predict the drivers and distribution of elephant poaching. 🐘📊
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 22/09/2024
Co-creating connectivity maps with communities in elephant🐘- inhabited landscapes showed how Indigenous knowledge 🌍 complements geospatial analysis 🛰️ for validating elephant corridors in data-limited areas. Community voices 🗣️ are key to tackling habitat fragmentation! 🌱
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 22/09/2024
This makes identifying elephant corridors critical. But how do we assess and validate connectivity with limited telemetry data?🤔
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 22/09/2024
2) Most potential pathways for anthropogenic expansion cut across potential wildlife dispersal areas between protected areas. www.mdpi.com/2673-7418/2/...
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 22/09/2024
Our findings revealed that: 1) Human activities are encroaching on natural landscapes. 📉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 22/09/2024
Since habitat fragmentation is a top priority threat to elephant conservation. Let’s dive into it first. We used deep learning and circuit theory to assess land use changes in the Okavango Basin, part of KAZA-the largest TFCA and home to the biggest elephant population.🐘
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 22/09/2024
Our findings revealed that: 1) Human activities are encroaching on natural landscapes. 📉:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402309970X
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 21/09/2024
In recent years, I've worked with various mammal species in #Africa, including hippos, buffaloes, hyenas, and elephants. Today, however, I will focus on my research concerning the endangered African Savanna Elephant #Loxodontaafricana.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 21/09/2024
Good morning! I’m Blessing Kavhu (@BleKavhu), and I’m excited to take over today for BlackMammalogists (@blackmammalogists.bsky.social) Join me as I dive into my work on mammals, with a focus on geospatial analysis. Currently, I'm a postdoc at #UCSC , and I can't wait to share my journey with you!
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
Thanks for joining me today folks! Have a restful weekend and, in the wise words of @sciencewithtyus.bsky.social, stay curious! Give me a follow on Twitter @Science_Miathod as I start my PhD. 🫡
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
(Basic) definitions: One Health- human, wildlife, & environmental health are all dependent on one another Zoonoses- diseases from animals to people Anthroponoses- diseases from people to animals Spillover- disease from one sp./popu. to another
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
So yeah, that’s what I’ve been up to for the last few years…any questions?
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
My ultimate goal is to understand host-microbe interactions and their effects on host outcomes. This info will allow us to look at individual- and population-level effects. Since everything’s connected (#OneHealth), there can be large effects on the health of a system.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
That project is wrapping up right now (trying to finish writing the code between tweets!) It was definitely a pivot from what I had been working on, but a really interesting opportunity to get into microbiology. I’ll let y’all know when that paper is ready too.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
I cultured A LOT of bacteria this summer.
Me with my green KN95 and barrier lab coat showing you all the bright red plates I was about to streak.Stacks of colorful, bacteria-filled plates.Me in my pink KN95 mask and barrier lab coat showing you all the media plates I’m making. So scientific.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
This summer I worked on a project assessing human enteric pathogens carried by feral swine with an interest in swine found near agricultural systems. Essentially: 🐗 ➡️💩🦠🌾➡️😷🤢
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
Feral swine are an introduced species that have been implicated in quite a few problems in the US (e.g. ecosystem damage, disease, being incredibly cute, etc). www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/defaul...
aphis.usda.gov
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
I’m grateful to the lab and my PI for all the experience and support they provided to this growing, first-gen scientist. I officially left my lab of 5 years to pursue my PhD and explore new opportunities. Welcome to the summer of 50-60+ feral swine!
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
The desert and rodents are now permanently etched into my heart. The desert is a rich, unique ecosystem in need of your support and protection. It’s home to many beautiful and strange species. Warning: non-mammals mentioned
A tiny dark green frog sitting on top of a metal Sherman trap. We were in the middle of a bulrush marsh.A roadrunner I was 90% was going to hop into the back of the car with me. It minded its business, running along the vegetation on the ground.A bush of yellow desert daisies thriving in the rocky hills of the Mojave.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
After many dissections, hours at the microscope, and more gel electrophoresis than one could hope to do in 3 months, I wrapped up my thesis. Once I publish, I’ll let y’all know the species I found 😉
Me in full PPE (face shield, blue KN95 mask, gloves, and a lab coat). I’m giving a peace sign because idk how to pose for pictures.Olde faithful, the compound microscope I used to look at all of my samples.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
For my MSc thesis, I looked at the gastrointestinal parasites MUMUs carry to see if they could spill over into Amargosa vole populations. That study involved stomach nematodes crawling toward me…nightmare fuel.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
MUMUs carry an assortment of diseases and move readily between habitats, making them a big concern in this story. Over the last decade, they’ve expanded their range in the Mojave marshes, which are like little islands. More marshes have MUMUs now. dx.doi.org/10.1007/s429...
dx.doi.org
Interspecific interactions, human proximity, and season affect spatiotemporal structure of a Mojave Desert wetlands rodent community with a highly endangered species - Mammalian Biology
We analyzed the influences of interspecific interactions and environmental factors on rodent community assembly in Mojave Desert wetlands that support the endangered Amargosa vole (Microtus californic...
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
Enter our next character: the house mouse, which I will refer to as MUMUs (MUs MUsculus). House mice are highly adaptable commensal species, meaning they reproduce rapidly, live in many habitats, and follow human settlements.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
“Mia, it’s almost noon and you haven’t mentioned disease!” -you, screaming at your phone in front of the code that isn’t going to write itself
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
Want more pup news? In 2022, pups were born after some adults were reintroduced to a marsh in their historic range. They hadn’t been detected there in decades. A conservation win! www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/endange...
vetmed.ucdavis.edu
Endangered Amargosa Voles Begin to Repopulate Desert Habitat
Seven years of carefully planned habitat restoration on private land in the Mojave Desert have yielded hope for the persistence of the endangered Amargosa vole.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
Amargosa voles create little nests for their pups. Uniquely, both parents provide care! They shred dry bulrush to create soft nesting material. This creates insulation and helps break down the bulrush that dies annually, allowing its nutrients to return to the soil.
A little vole pup, still with a pink belly and dark back. Its eyes are closed while it curls up on dry vegetation.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
In addition to it being incredibly cute, Amargosa voles are an important prey source to many predators in the ecosystem: bobcats, coyotes, birds of prey, etc. They also engage in a process called bioturbation.
A colored camera trap photo of a coyote taking a stroll through a marsh edge.A black and white camera trap photo of a bobcat butt exiting stage left.A rusty brown Amargosa vole hanging out on a mix of brown and green bulrush vegetation. There’s a pink flag in the foreground to help us find traps.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
Collaborators have been hard at work fixing up these marshes which are vital to the survival of many native and endemic species, including the Amargosa vole. Why do we care so much about this little rodent?
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
Though all contribute, the main driver for Amargosa vole decline is habitat loss and degradation. These voles live in gorgeous wetlands…in the Mojave desert. Redirection of water for human uses stresses the wetland system and can cause collapse of the delicate habitat.
Overlooking the edges of a desert wetland in the Mojave. There are scrubby bushes in the foreground. In the middle there are salt pans, water, and shorter grasses. The sun is casting beautiful reds and yellows in the partially cloudy sky.We’re on the side of the road looking past the muddy, salty ground at the sun setting behind the mountains in the distance. The clouds are fluffy and illuminated.My favorite marsh. The ground is covered in lush green vegetation. Oh look, the sun is directly in the center of the photo again, raising above the mountains.Here we stand a few feet away from a hot spring feeding into a large standing pool of water. The water is lined with brown and green bulrush — a tall, pointy grass. Shorter vegetation fills out a patch to the right of the photo. Sorry, no sun in this picture, but there are some gorgeous mountains.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
Amargosa voles are one of the most endangered mammals in North America, with population estimates around ~500 individuals. Why do you think they’re endangered? Predation? Disease? Habitat loss? All of the above?
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
Over the last 5 years, I’ve worked with 3 main mammals: Amargosa voles, house mice, and feral swine. Today, they are our main characters. First up: Amargosa voles.
An Amargosa vole. This is a small brown rodent with a white soul patch. It’s peeking over a gloved hand, trying to figure out what’s going on.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
Happy Friday science lovers! I’m Mia (@Science_Miathod on Twitter) and I’ll be your host for today. I’m a first-year PhD student at UC Davis and just finished my MSc in Ecology. My specialty is disease ecology and conservation. Come learn about disease, deserts, and more!
Me, a young Black woman smiling so hard. I’m wearing my headlamp and sun hat, my white zip up is pretty dirty from being in the field. The background features a lush desert wetland and mountains.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
Keep up with me over on X and IG (@kenleecalhoun). Or via my website: kendallcalhoun3.wixsite.com/espm 🌈✊🏿🔥🦌🐻🦇🐺 📷: Neetha Iyer; Brashares Group - UC Berkeley
kendallcalhoun3.wixsite.com
Home | kcalhoun
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
Be sure to tune in to the rest of #BlackMammalogists Week! We've got a great panel tomorrow diving into "Resilient Mammals" and the resilient scientists who study them! Register here: tinyurl.com/BMW2024Resil...
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 20/09/2024
When I'm not in the field, I'm usually on my laptop writing or running some type of code. I grew up really being afraid of math and stats, but I've come to embrace the creative side that comes with coding and modeling. Here's some running code and I running late to a meeting : )
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 19/09/2024
Being outdoors and in the field is one of the things I love most about what I do ❤️ Wanna learn what a typical field day is like? Check out this AWESOME article written by an undergrad @UCBerkeley about our day in the field: ucnrs.org/megafire-and...
ucnrs.org
Megafire And Megafauna: How Ecological Disturbances Impact Wildlife Resilience To Climate Change - Natural Reserve System
Kevin Calhoun is studying how fire characteristics influence the behavior of mammals such as deer, bobcat, and jackrabbit at the NRS's Blue Oak Ranch Reserve.
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 19/09/2024
We can also use acoustic monitors to leverage sound like ultrasonic calls by bats to understand how their habitat preferences change after fires as well! Bat species' search calls have unique species-specific characteristics that can be used to ID them! 🦇
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 19/09/2024
To understand the benefits and threats associated with fire I use biodiversity monitoring tools like camera traps! Cameras are a fun and intuitive way to understand how mammals respond to fire over time. Anyone remember Pokemon Snap? haha #gottacatchthemall
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 19/09/2024
Fire is quickly changing in California and around the world in response to climate change and other stressors. In California, we know frighteningly little about how these changes in fire may affect non-forested ecosystems specifically: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Spatial overlap of wildfire and biodiversity in California highlights gap in non‐conifer fire research and management
Aim Global change has spurred the escalation of megafires in California over the last 20 years throughout a variety of ecosystems. Here, we examine the spatial distribution of California wildfires a...
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 19/09/2024
It's been a real privilege to work with and learn about the diverse ecosystems, wildlife and people throughout California! People and fire have shaped California's landscapes for thousands of years, and fire remains a critical component of many of California ecosystems.
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Black Mammalogists Week @blackmammalogists.bsky.social · 19/09/2024
🔊 Happening in ONE HOUR!! One of our #BlackMammalogists Week workshops with Wildlife Acoustics! “Wildlife Acoustics Presents: Turning Sound into Discovery!” SHARE & Register Here: buff.ly/47Eri6E Scan this QR to get a chance at a FREE Song Meter Micro 2! #BlackSky 🦊 🧪
A bioacoustics recorder (by wildlife acoustics) owned by the Brashares Lab at UC Berkeley on a treeA QR code: scan it and get a chance at a free song meter micro 2
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 19/09/2024
Hi! My name is Kendall Calhoun and I'll be sharing a bit about my work today for today's #BlackMammalogists takeover! I'm currently a postdoc at UC Davis and UCLA studying the effects of fire on mammal species across California! 🔥🐻🦌🦇
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Black Mammalogists Week @blackmammalogists.bsky.social · 19/09/2024
📽️ Happening in 🚨 NOW 🚨 !! Join us for an African Wildlife Filmmakers Showcase, featuring award winning filmmakers Erica Rugabandana, Anthony Mwangi Njoroge, Kiki Cheptoo Ng'ok, & Clement Kiragu !! 🤩 👉🏽 buff.ly/3XuDYrR Share! #BlackMammalogists #RelearningThursday #BlackSky 🦊 🧪
buff.ly
African Wildlife Filmmakers Showcase
Discover the creative minds reinventing Africa's wildlife filmmaking scene. Moderated by Dr. Asia Murphy, Wildlife Ecologist. Joining will be: Antony Mwangi ...
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 19/09/2024
What's happenin, friends! My name is Alexi Grousis, co-host of The 'We Out Here' Podcast (@weouthere.bsky.social) and zoo-based wildlife care specialist here for #BlackMammalogists Week
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Real Scientists @realscientists.bsky.social · 18/09/2024
Thanks for the excellent chats about CWD today! You can find me at my website rhiannonkirton.com or on the 📸 app at @rhi_kirton I don't have a bluesky but if you have more cervid questions you can also find me on the app that uses to be a 🐦 @rhiannon_kirton
rhiannonkirton.com
Rhiannon Kirton
I'm a Wildlife Ecologist, National Geographic Explorer and outdoor enthusiast. My undergraduate career, which provided the privilege of ecological field experiences around the globe, opened my eyes to...
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Black Mammalogists Week @blackmammalogists.bsky.social · 18/09/2024
And if you want your own #BlackMammalogists stickers/T-shirts, they are available for a limited time. tinyurl.com/blackmammalo... tinyurl.com/BMWrainbow tinyurl.com/BMW2024light www.bonfire.com/black-mammal... 🧪 #BlackSky
tinyurl.com
Black Mammalogists Week Stickers
Thank you for your interest in Black Mammalogists Week logo stickers! Stickers are ~3x5 inches and are currently only able to be shipped to the USA and Canada. All proceeds and any additional donation...
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Black Mammalogists Week @blackmammalogists.bsky.social · 18/09/2024
Tomorrow for #RecoveryWednesday we'll be giving away ✨ two more sets of stickers 👕 another fancy #BlackMammalogist t-shirt! 📚 more copies of A Day in the Life: Bears & Big Cats! Make sure to interact with our posts & go to our events to get entered into the giveaway! #BlackSky 🦊🧪
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Black Mammalogists Week @blackmammalogists.bsky.social · 18/09/2024
TODAY for #RewildingTuesday we're giving away ✨ two sets of stickers 👕 a fancy #BlackMammalogist t-shirt! 📚 another copy of A Day in the Life: Bears & Big Cats! 📚 two copies of Dr. Gumbs' Undrowned! 🦊🧪 #BlackSky
A black Black Mammalogists T-shirt, a stack of Black Mammalogists stickers, and a Day in the Life: Big Cats and a Day in the Life: BearsUndrowned by Alexis Pauline Gumbs!
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