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S Otto

@sarperotto.bsky.social
3.8K followers 217 following 55 posts

evolution & math = a super interesting job

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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
What’s your reaction? What are you concerned about? Read the bill here: www.parl.ca/DocumentView...
parl.ca
Government Bill (House of Commons) C-39 (45-1) - First Reading - Building Canada Strong Act - Parliament of Canada
Government Bill (House of Commons) C-39 (45-1) - First Reading - Building Canada Strong Act - Parliament of Canada
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
In several places, Bill C-39 states that permits must be technically, economically, and practically feasible. But what if it costs a lot to avoid the destruction of habitat?
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
What does it mean to start “enabling activities” before a project has been assessed and approved, if “in the public interest”? Who decides that public interest? A single person/Minister? What if the damage is done?
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Is it ok to just pay a fee to destroy fish habitat?
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
🇨🇦 Bill C-39 dropped today & is making my mind spin with its vastness - and vagueness. I’m worried about what exactly will be called a “region of national interest”, allowing projects to be pre-approved & skip most environmental checks & balances.
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Evolution Letters @evolletters.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Recombination helps evolution—but it can also cause mutations. New theory shows that even small increases in mutation near crossovers can oppose the evolution of higher recombination rates. By @sarperotto.bsky.social and Bret Payseur academic.oup.com/evlett/advan...
academic.oup.com
Elevated mutation near crossovers inhibits the evolution of recombination
Abstract. Recombination diversifies offspring genomes and helps ensure chromosome segregation during meiosis. Mutation rates are elevated near crossovers d
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Center for Biological Diversity @biologicaldiversity.org · 26/08/2026
The Trump administration’s move to dismantle the #RoadlessRule could hasten the extinction of more than 400 threatened and endangered plants and animals protected under the #EndangeredSpeciesAct, according to the analysis we released today ⬇️
bit.ly
Resisting the Roadless Rule Rollback
Trump’s USDA wants to undo the landmark Roadless Area Conservation Rule. That would open about 58.5 million acres of wild, unfragmented national forests to road construction, logging, and other develo...
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Charles Mullon @charlesmullon.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
With @ewanflintham.bsky.social @thomaslesaffre.bsky.social and @sarperotto.bsky.social we've been thinking about what theory tells us about sexual antagonism (SA = when selection favours different trait values in females and males). Our review is here: tinyurl.com/ct5mk8mv
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
A herd divided -- what the Grays Bay Road and Port means for caribou and the people living in the community of Kugluktuk, Nunavut. Hear and amplify their voices: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR0J.... c.org/wskDPmrXBN
c.org
Sign the Petition
Tell Canada: Don't Fast-Track the Grays Bay Road and Port
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Leana Hosea @leanahosea.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
I interviewed Chief Billy Joe Tuccaro about the health impacts of oil pollution, for the BBC World Service. Studies found cancer rates in Fort Chipewyan, downstream from the tar sands oilfields, are 30% higher than in the rest of the Province.
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Link to the proposal: www.canada.ca/en/one-canad... . You can email your feedback to engagement@pco-bcp.gc.ca by July 22, 2026.
canada.ca
Getting Major Projects Built in Canada - Discussion Paper on Proposed Legislative, Regulatory, and Policy Reforms - Canada.ca
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Worried about selling our (environmental) soul? Me too. Please read and comment on the proposal to fast track major projects in 🇨🇦 despite harms to our air, water, lands and species. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/06/09/o...
nationalobserver.com
Fast tracking major projects puts our environment at risk
The proposed legislation to speed up infrastructure projects is designed to eliminate red tape. But environmental regulations are not red tape, they are designed to protect our natural world.
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Seema Sheth @seemasheth.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Amy Angert and I are recruiting 2 temporary field technicians to assist with demographic surveys across the range of scarlet monkeyflower in California and Oregon. Perfect for recent graduates who are considering applying for grad school. Apply here: jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/231.... Please share!
jobs.ncsu.edu
Temporary Plant Ecology Field Technician - CA/OR
The Sheth evolutionary ecology lab in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, North Carolina; USA) and the Angert Lab in the Departments of Botany an...
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
@csee-scee.bsky.social
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Brett Favaro @brettfavaro.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... We cannot accept this framing. It's not "economy vs green" - it's that we are allowing developers to dump old, outdated technology into their new builds
cbc.ca
Vancouver passes mayor's motion to pause emissions tracking, ban on natural gas heating in new homes | CBC News
Vancouver city council voted on Thursday to pass Mayor Ken Sim's motion to pause one of the city's emissions tracking initiatives and again allow new homes to use natural gas for space and water heati...
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Why we’re concerned about “Getting Major Projects Built in Canada” 👀 and its impact on nature and a healthy environment. Have your voice heard - read the govt’t proposal www.canada.ca/en/one-canad... and email feedback to engagement@pco-bcp.gc.ca by June 7, 2026 🙏@baumlab.bsky.social
canada.ca
Getting Major Projects Built in Canada - Discussion Paper on Proposed Legislative, Regulatory, and Policy Reforms - Canada.ca
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CSEE_SCEE @csee-scee.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
CSEE has submitted a formal response letter to the Government of Canada's Getting Major Projects Built in Canada - Discussion Paper to voice our concerns about the proposed changes to weaken Canada's environmental legislation and biodiversity obligations: csee-scee.ca/wp-content/u....
Sourced from: https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/right-whale.htmlsourced from: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/sk/grasslands/nature/faune-wildlife/renard_veloce-swift_foxSourced from: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/nature/conservation/retablissement-caribou-recovery/caribou-jasper
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Concerningly: Nearly half of H5N1 data from 🇺🇸 lacks information about when & where the sample was collected! For ~3000 virus genomes submitted in 2025, there is no state information and no day (only year) of collection (up a lot from 2024) 😩. This makes tracking transmission very challenging.
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Good news: The median delay between sample collection and posting to GISAID dropped from 474 days in 2024 to 59 days in 2025 😀. Median delays dropped ten-fold for both 🇳🇴 and 🇫🇷 😀😀! But there remains great variation. 🇨🇦 improved but still has a median delay over a year (469 days in 2025).
Table of submission delays to GISAID by country for 2024 and 2025
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Globally, genomic data sharing has improved greatly over the past year for the highly pathogenic avian flu H5N1. Some great news and a major concern... virological.org/t/timely-h5n...
virological.org
Timely H5N1 sequence data now provided by many – but not all – countries
Sarah Otto* * Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC Canada V6T 1Z4. E-mail: otto@zoology.ubc.ca A year ago, we raised concerns about ...
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Even Harper 'Did Not Put Extinction on the Table' @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/News/2026/05... by @sarahcox.bsky.social Please submit comments on Major Projects proposal by June 7 www.canada.ca/en/one-canad.... Some projects can be approved even if they drive species extinct & proceed without assessment
thetyee.ca
Even Harper ‘Did Not Put Extinction on the Table’ | The Tyee
Carney’s proposal to allow major projects that threaten species at risk is ‘morally wrong,’ former environment minister says.
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Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 17/05/2026
WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda ‘emergency’ of international concern www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
theguardian.com
WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda ‘emergency’ of international concern
At least 80 deaths reported in Congo’s Ituri province while Uganda reports spread from travellers from the DRC
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Marco Festa-Bianchet 🇨🇦 @marcofesta.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
To oppose the wholesale dismantling of environmental regulations in Canada, please go to this page www.canada.ca/en/one-canad.... ignore the very leading 'proposed' questions and submit your comments. CC your MP. If you need inspiration here is what I just sent.
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Looking forward to @csee-scee.bsky.social in 2027 in Halifax (May 15-19) and in 2028 in Edmonton (tentatively May 29-June 1). Thanks to all the organizers! @csee-sceemtgs.bsky.social
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
@csee-sceemtgs.bsky.social I want to get CSEE on my calendar for 2027. Do we know upcoming dates after Toronto? Thanks!
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M.J. Crockett @mjcrockett.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Last weekend I received the Troland Research Award from the @nationalacademies.org. I’m so grateful to the communities who made this work possible. It's strange to receive this award at a time when much of the work being recognized is not eligible for federal funding. My remarks 👇 and a 🧵>>
youtube.com
NAS 163rd Annual Meeting - Awards Ceremony
YouTube video by National Academy of Sciences
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Dezene Huber 🍁 🌻 @dezene.me · 29/04/2026
Ma première réunion #SCEECSEE20 a eu lieu en 2017 à Victoria, en Colombie-Britannique. J’apprécie beaucoup cette communauté collaborative, solidaire et réfléchie. Si vous n’êtes pas encore membre de @csee-scee.bsky.social, c’est un grand jour pour rejoindre : csee-scee.ca/fr/signup/
csee-scee.ca
SignUp | CSEE: Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution
Become a CSEE Member CSEE plays a vital role by promoting ecology and evolution in Canada and facilitating communication amongst its members. We aim for the broadest possible membership. If you suppor...
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CSEE_SCEE @csee-scee.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
🎉💚The Canadian Society of Ecology and Evolution turns 20 this year: As we head toward the annual meeting, we invite you to share your favourite memories, photos, and throwbacks from past CSEE meetings and events! Tag your post with hashtag #SCEECSEE20
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Science Magazine @science.org · 25/04/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump has fired all 24 members of the National Science Board, the body that oversees the National Science Foundation. scim.ag/4cxQWhl
scim.ag
Trump fires NSF's oversight board
Dismissal of the National Science Board is widely seen as latest move to erase NSF’s independence
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
New research finds few improvements for British Columbia’s endangered wildlife theconversation.com/new-research...
theconversation.com
New research finds few improvements for British Columbia’s endangered wildlife
Data shows that almost all of B.C.’s endangered wildlife are not recovering quickly enough, if at all.
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David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
I defended my Ph.D. on April 1, 2016, ten years ago today. I am not at all where I thought I'd be. But I love where I ended up and wouldn't change a thing. I wrote some reflections on a decade of personal and professional change and growth and hope you enjoy reading them. 🧪🌍🦑
southernfriedscience.com
Reflections on science and my role in it, ten years since my Ph.D. defense
I defended my Ph.D. on April 1, 2016. Ten years later, I’m not where I thought I’d be, but I couldn’t be happier with how things turned out. My original goals If you had asked me …
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
If you can, think about leaving a bigger tip for nature than 5¢ a day: give time or money to a land trust or eNGO, help restore land in your neighbourhood, ♻️, and encourage your 🇨🇦 MP & MLA to give back more to protect and restore our lands & waters. #naturedeservesmore www.canada.ca/en/services/...
canada.ca
A Force of Nature: Canada's Strategy to Protect Nature - Canada.ca
Canada’s plan to protect and value nature - a foundation of our economy, sovereignty, and well-being.
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Is a nickel a day enough to protect nature? I think we get so much more - fresh air, water, nourishment, jobs, inspiration, beauty - than a nickel a day. While "Canada's Strategy to Protect Nature" is a major $3.8B boost (yay!), it's still only a nickel a day per person in 🇨🇦
canada.ca
A Force of Nature: Canada's Strategy to Protect Nature - Canada.ca
Canada’s plan to protect and value nature - a foundation of our economy, sovereignty, and well-being.
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Insightful summary of an extraordinary person being extraordinarily fired: "you don't silence a woman of color who raised concerns about racism by silencing her...The fingerprints are distributed perfectly across the system." www.linkedin.com/pulse/uclas-...
linkedin.com
UCLA's Most Decorated Ecologist Just Got Fired : Here's the sequence
In January of 2025, at the ICTP ICTS winter school at NCBS, Priyanga Amarasekare offered to take me and a few other students out for my birthday. She didn't have to do that.
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
In our new piece @theconversation.com, we break down pressures facing Canada's migratory caribou — and some solutions identified by Indigenous communities and science.
theconversation.com
Canada’s migratory caribou are under threat. Will we act before it’s too late?
As delegates gather in Brazil for COP15, the fate of Arctic caribou migrations should serve as both a warning and a test.
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Colette Delawalla, PhD @cdelawalla.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
March 7th, 2026 is about more than standing up for science...it's scientist standing up for DEMOCRACY! Democracy cannot thrive when a paramilitary force being used against civilians, extremist ideology abounds, and science is censored and used against the public. @standupforscience.bsky.social
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
My heart goes out to Priyanga Amarasekare. I don't see justice served with this one-sided Board decision. Is it right to have her reputation & career ruined for being a POC speaking out for equity? Academic freedom is worth protecting. 💔 dailybruin.com
dailybruin.com
The Daily Bruin
UCLA's independent, student-run newspaper
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Ryan Hisner @ryanhisner.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
One thing we've consistently seen is that if an emerging divergent variant competes evenly w/the most advanced circulating variants, it will eventually predominate. We saw this with XBB & BA.2.86, and a similar pattern holds among various minor lineages. 1/3
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WCS Canada @wcscanada.org · 18/11/2025
"Ontario is about to make 106 species disappear - not from nature, but from responsibility." By removing species from the official list under its new Species Conservation Act, Ontario is withdrawing recognition of their imperiled status, writes Justina Ray www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/18/o...
nationalobserver.com
The high cost of turning a blind eye to species at risk
By removing these 106 species from the official list under its new Species Conservation Act, the province is withdrawing recognition of their imperiled status within Ontario.
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
Very helpful overview of our rapidly changing understanding of these issues. Thank you for the guide.
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 19/10/2025
@whysharksmatter.bsky.social - We missed you and the other forever fellows at the @libererofellows.bsky.social training!
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 19/10/2025
Thank you to all the wonderful people and groups we met to make our @libererofellows.bsky.social training transformational: Michelle LeBaron, Chief Hugh Akagi, Adam Wilkins, Kim Davies, Laurenne Schiller, the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, Canada Whale Institute, & NB Museum. So many thanks!!
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WWF-Canada @wwfcanada.org · 22/09/2025
🚨 BREAKING: All major groups of wildlife in Canada are in decline #LPRC2025: Across 910 species of birds, fish, mammals, reptiles & amphibians, wildlife populations in Canada have declined by 10%, on average, since 1970. BUT not all is lost. Together, we can help nature heal & wildlife recover.
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James O'Dwyer @jpodwyer.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
@sarperotto.bsky.social and I are back for the @smtpb.bsky.social, interviewing Warren Ewens. "Get out of that ivory tower and do something useful" might seem unlikely advice for a mathematical population geneticist, but this was key for Warren. Full interview here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_K_...
youtube.com
Reflections on Modeling and Theory in Population Biology: Warren Ewens
YouTube video by SMTPB
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
Exactly! Perhaps let’s hold off on replacing teachers with AI 😉. www.cbc.ca/news/world/d...
cbc.ca
Duolingo's CEO says AI will soon replace teachers. But... should it? | CBC News
Duolingo's founder and CEO is sparking controversy with his recent statements that AI should replace teachers since it teaches better than humans, but that schools will still exist for childcare.
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S Otto @sarperotto.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
At least humerus is right, just spelled wrong!
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David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Great to see @sarperotto.bsky.social !
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James O'Dwyer @jpodwyer.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
For “Reflections on the history of modeling and theory”, @sarperotto.bsky.social and I met with Joel Cohen. We learn how he navigated math and biology, the value of embracing ignorance, and what is a population. Or really, what _isn't_ a population: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCt9... @smtpb.bsky.social
youtube.com
Reflections on Modeling and Theory in Population Biology: Joel Cohen
YouTube video by SMTPB
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Chris Klausmeier @chrisklausmeier.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Going live in 2 hours... @jpodwyer.bsky.social and @sarperotto.bsky.social interview Bob Holt for @smtpb.bsky.social youtu.be/q8hX3S0xMJc?...
youtu.be
Robert D. Holt interview
YouTube video by SMTPB
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