Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 07/10/2026New from RMBL: tiger salamanders at Mexican Cut that fluoresce, a caddisfly moving upslope after low-snow years, color-chip decoys that test what male butterflies see, and how one 1992 summer shaped an ecologist's career. rmbl.org/newsletter/october-2026-newsletter 001
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Our July e-newsletter is here! www.rmbl.org/newsletter/july-2026-n… #RMBL #GothicColorado #ScienceOutside #ecologynews 001
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 18/06/2026🍻 Raise a glass to science! Join us July 1 at Public House, Crested Butte for the launch of Irwin Brewing Co.'s Marmot Tears, a special edition of their best-selling IPA, with a portion of proceeds benefiting RMBL. Learn more at www.rmbl.org/marmottears. 000
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 13/06/2026Congratulations to RMBL scientist and University of Arizona Professor Brian Enquist, who recently received the 2026 Robert H. MacArthur Award from the Ecological Society of America (ESA)! 👏🍃 020
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 10/06/2026RMBL seeks a chef for the 2026 summer season (June-September). This position supports meal preparation and service at the field station in Gothic, CO. End of season bonus, housing, and meals are possible. To learn more, go to www.rmbl.org/about-us/jobs 001
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 01/06/2026The RMBL June e-newsletter is here! conta.cc/4o0cG9F Sign up: www.rmbl.org/newsletter-sign-up 031
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 19/05/2026RMBL scientists Jill Anderson and Ian Breckheimer have won the 2026 Ecological Society of America W.S. Cooper Award! Press release: www.rmbl.org/news-press/media-cente… 📸 Boechera stricta (Jill Anderson); Anderson (Tom Pendergast); Breckheimer (Dave Basden) 031
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 03/04/2026New research from RMBL scientists shows that snow cover plays a critical role in supporting bee populations. 8 of 13 species had higher populations after years with longer snow cover. 📸Photo credit: Michael Stemkovski royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/art… 021
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 02/04/2026Our April e-newsletter is here! Link: www.rmbl.org/newsletter/april-2026-… 000
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 01/04/2026200- to-1,000-year Snow Anomaly Observed in Colorado Mountains, according to a new analysis at RMBL. Read the press release at www.rmbl.org/news-press/media-cente…. Graph by Dr. Ian Breckheimer on March 23, 2026 000
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 24/03/2026Podcast alert❄️🔊 Check out the newly released Vox Unexplainable podcast episode titled "Snow day!", featuring RMBL scientist Dr. Jessica Lundquist, professor of civil & environmental engineering at the University of Washington. UW Civil & Environmental Engineering 🔗Link in bio to listen! 010
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 23/03/2026Congrats to RMBL scientist Courtenay Ray and collaborators on their recent publication in the American Journal of Botany! Discover how plant and seed shape influence seed trapping and retention: tinyurl.com/24t6cppb Photo: Michael Hensley using the wind tunnel. Credit: Courtenay Ray 030
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 09/03/2026Is winter arriving earlier than it used to? After a conversation with John Harte, David Inouye looked at decades of data from the Crested Butte weather station. The trend suggests more winter precipitation is falling earlier in the season by late January. Learn more on our website. 010
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 18/02/2026Changes in climate reshape soil ecosystems as well as plant communities, according to new findings by RMBL scientists Jennifer Rudgers, Stephanie Kivlin, Aimée Classen, and Lara Souza (pictured L-R at the RMBL research site). Read the new article in PNAS: tinyurl.com/warming-winters-PNAS 010
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 03/02/2026Research shows marmot alarm calls aren’t just cute—they’re nonlinear, meaning these furry sentinels dial up the vocal drama to signal danger in surprisingly complex ways. Predators nearby? The sound gets intense. Read more here: royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article...royalsocietypublishing.orgNonlinear phenomena in marmot alarm calls: a mechanism encoding fear?Abstract. I review a case study of marmots that contributed to the empirical basis of the nonlinearity and fear hypothesis, which explains why certain nonl 020
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 16/01/2026Climate change reshuffles plant communities in unexpected ways. RMBL found warming and cooling change which species appear, but not how related they are. 👉 Species counts don’t tell the full story. #RMBL #ClimateChange #PlantScience Read more here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...biorxiv.org 053
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 05/01/2026What lives on conifer needles? Metagenomics of 67 Rocky Mountain trees uncovered 447 microbial genomes. Communities vary more by location than tree species—revealing a highly adaptive phyllosphere. #Microbiome #ForestEcology #Metagenomics link.springer.com/article/10.1...link.springer.comHost species and geographic location shape microbial diversity and functional potential in the conifer needle microbiome - MicrobiomeBackground The aerial surface of plants, known as the phyllosphere, hosts a complex and dynamic microbiome that plays essential roles in plant health and environmental processes. While research has fo... 000
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 23/12/2025Plant metabarcoding upgrade: Adding time + place data boosted bumble bee pollen ID by 77.5%. Clearer bee diets, stronger ecology. 🌿🐝 #Metabarcoding #Pollinators Learn more here: bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.comImproving plant DNA metabarcoding accuracy with ecological filters and Angiosperms353: Field and pollen microscopy validationPremise Metabarcoding has become a successful tool for the identification of species in ecological assemblages. However, the usefulness of metabarcoding for identifying plant species has been hamper... 010
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 12/12/2025❄️ Snowfall study! W-band radar and snowflake images show high KDP can arise from turbulence, blowing snow, small crystals, and surface dendritic aggregates—not just heavy snowfall. #SnowScience #RadarMeteorology #Cryosphere Learn more Here: acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/...acp.copernicus.orgInvestigating KDP signatures inside and below the dendritic growth layer with W-band Doppler radar and in situ snowfall cameraAbstract. Polarimetric radars provide variables like the specific differential phase (KDP) to detect fingerprints of dendritic growth in the dendritic growth layer (DGL) and secondary ice production, ... 000
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 01/12/2025🌼 New Science study shows that even common, widespread plants like Drummond’s rockcress are at real risk from climate change. Big implications for biodiversity. Read Here: ecology.uga.edu/2025/05/01/s... #ClimateScience #Ecology #Biodiversity #PlantResearch #RMBL #ClimateChangeecology.uga.eduStudy reveals even common plants are threatened by climate change - Odum School of EcologyNew research from Jill Anderson is published in Science. 010
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 25/11/2025Beavers aren’t just cute engineers—they’re reshaping mountain rivers in big ways. 🦫💧 A new study used hydrologic models + machine learning to see how beaver ponds boost groundwater. Read here: agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.comQuantifying Groundwater Response and Uncertainty in Beaver‐Influenced Mountainous Floodplains Using Machine Learning‐Based Model CalibrationFloodplain structures and hydraulic conductivities are important for groundwater response with beaver ponds in mountainous floodplains Large down-valley underflow in permeability-stratified flood... 020
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 19/11/2025🐜 Check this study out! It reveals that not all “dominant” ants rule the same way! 💪 The study highlights that dominance in nature is complex, with different species excelling in different ways. 🌿 #RMBLResearch #Ecology #AntScience #ClimateBiology Read here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....onlinelibrary.wiley.comDifferent Aspects of Dominance Are Not Equivalent When Testing for Trade‐Offs in Ant CommunitiesDominance hierarchies are often invoked to explain the outcomes of competition across ecological communities. However, there are a number of difficulties associated with quantifying dominance, making... 021
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 17/11/2025🎉 Big congrats to RMBL scientists Reed Benkendorf, Jane Ogilvie, Paul CaraDonna, and collaborators on their new paper in Applications in Plant Sciences! Their work reveals hidden plant–pollinator stories by pairing field data with genomics. Read here: bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.comImproving plant DNA metabarcoding accuracy with ecological filters and Angiosperms353: Field and pollen microscopy validationPremise Metabarcoding has become a successful tool for the identification of species in ecological assemblages. However, the usefulness of metabarcoding for identifying plant species has been hamper..... 000
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 12/11/2025✨ A rare sight in Gothic! A strong geomagnetic storm sent charged solar particles colliding with Earth’s magnetic field, painting our mountain skies with the aurora borealis. 🌌 #RMBL #NorthernLights #AuroraBorealis #ScienceInTheMountains Read more: www.denverpost.com 📸 Ashley Hale & David Inouye 060
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 10/11/2025🌼 New research alert! A study led by Kaysee Arrowsmith and co-authored by Berry Brosi reveals that rising temperatures are changing which flowers pollinators choose—reshaping plant-pollinator networks.🌿#ClimateChange #Pollination #MountainScience besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.comTemperature influences pollinators' choice of floral partners independently of community compositionThis paper presents novel research that empirically demonstrates a direct link between temperature and plant–pollinator interaction patterns, independently of changes to community composition in eith... 010
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 07/11/2025❄️ Exciting news from RMBL! Anton Kötsche and collaborators published their findings on snowfall microphysics in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics from the 2022–2023 SAIL atmospheric campaign. Congratulations to the team! 🎉 acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/... #RMBL #SnowScience #ClimateResearchacp.copernicus.orgInvestigating KDP signatures inside and below the dendritic growth layer with W-band Doppler radar and in situ snowfall cameraAbstract. Polarimetric radars provide variables like the specific differential phase (KDP) to detect fingerprints of dendritic growth in the dendritic growth layer (DGL) and secondary ice production, ... 010
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) @rmblscience.bsky.social · 07/11/2025Hello, Bluesky! 👋 We are the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) — one of the world’s leading field stations for ecological and climate research 🏔️ rmbl.org Follow us for field research highlights, scientist stories, and updates from Gothic, Colorado! #Ecology #FieldScience #ClimateResearchrmbl.orgScience at the Top - Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory 020