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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience

@sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social
53 followers 59 following 23 posts

Harnessing ecological, behavioural and environmental sciences to sustain species, ecosystems and landscapes.

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Reposted by MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience
Manchester Metropolitan University @manmetuni.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
We've been named Modern University of the Year 2027 by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide for the second consecutive year! 🎉🙌 We've also been awarded University of the Year for Scholarships and Bursaries 2027! Read more 🔗 bit.ly/4yKfUCf
The image is an advertisement for Manchester Metropolitan University, named Modern University of the Year for two consecutive years, 2026 and 2027, by The Times & The Sunday Times Good University Guide.
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Ever wondered how caffeine contamination influences the behaviour of aquatic invertebrates? Check out our new paper in Biology Letters showing that caffeine pollution makes freshwater shrimp more active and less-well protected against predators. royalsocietypublishing.org/rsbl/article...
royalsocietypublishing.org
Caffeine pollution changes anti-predator behaviour in Gammarus pulex similarly to manipulative parasites
Abstract. Caffeine is an emerging environmental contaminant in freshwater ecosystems that is primarily introduced through wastewater. Even at low concentra
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
If you are working on fish behaviour, cognition, or welfare, and how this is affected by any aspect of anthropogenic change, then we encourage you to submit to a special issue of #Ethology. Submission deadline 31 May 27. Details here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Ethology Call for Papers Fish Behaviour in a Changing World
Ethology is a top international behavioral biology journal, covering physiological mechanisms, function, and evolution across all species.
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Our own Dr Joachim Frommen @ecbb2026.bsky.social talking about highly social fish #Cichlid species that communicate aggression with both smell and sound! 🐟🐠
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
What a great week at @ecbb2026.bsky.social with so many members of our research group sharing their latest research, and talking science with old and new friends and colleagues from all over the world. Thanks to the organising committee at @angliaruskin.bsky.social @caglarakcay.bsky.social 🙌
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
PhD student Ted Andrews from our @manmetuni.bsky.social research group discussing Invasive toads in madagascar and their impact on microendemic frogs at his Poster at @ecbb2026.bsky.social stop him to xhat frogs if you're in Cambridge this week!
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Did you know that songbirds at airports sing differently to birds in either noisy cities or quiet forests, in a way consistent with hearing damage? You could've learned all about it at @ecbb2026.bsky.social if you'd attended Selvino de Kort's talk! #anthropogenicnoise @manmetuni.bsky.social
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
One of our amazing MSc students Maria Maclaren, gave a cool talk about how light cycles affects behaviour in Social #Cichlid fish here at @ecbb2026.bsky.social @asab.org @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social @manmetuni.bsky.social Great stuff!
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Our own Katherine Todd talked about how pinnapeds use whiskers alone (blindfolded!) to discriminate size and subtle variations in textures of underwater objects
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Reposted by MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience
Ben Secker @bensecker.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Sometimes the study species make it too easy 😎#ECBB2026
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
A massive MMU contingent has descended on the @ecbb2026.bsky.social in Cambridge this week! Stay tuned for more highlights! Starting with a fab poster on #cryptic and #socialbehaviour in #gammarids by MSc Elm Yeowart! @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
MMU PhD student @bensecker.bsky.social is working to understand drivers of Willow tit decline in the UK:
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
How do endocrine-disrupting chemicals in our waterways impact the fitness of animals, like these young Sand Martins, that rely on prey from these sources? @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social PhD student Jenny Darby is tackling this question, in a project funded by @songbirdsurvival.bsky.social
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Do all rodents, like cloud rats (shown here), spiny mice, or dormice, use their whiskers in the same way? @robyngrant.bsky.social and Msc student are busy testing hypotheses about whisker sensory behaviour at Lakeland Wildlife Oasis this week!
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Congratulations to our newly minted PhDs! Dr Michal Zatrak's thesis worked with seals in rescue & rehabilitation centres, using cutting edge lab-on-a-chip methods to assess and monitor health. Supervisors: @robyngrant.bsky.social Kirsty Shaw and @mattgeary.bsky.social doi.org/10.83056/mmu...
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Congratulations to our newly-minted PhDs! Dr Rosaria Santoro's PhD used bioacoustics to improve monitoring, censusing, and understanding the individuality and vocal behaviour of Leopards. Supervisors: Selvino de Kort and @parusradious.bsky.social Read her thesis here: doi.org/10.83056/mmu...
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Look at this happy hallway of Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience Research Group members excited to celebrate our amazing graduating Class of '26! @manmetuni.bsky.social
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Reposted by MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience
Alexander Lees @alexanderlees.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Our new commentary rdcu.be/ftx6h in @natecoevo.nature.com written with folks from @inaturalist.bsky.social and @cornellbirds.bsky.social shows that use of AI to manipulate existing or create new wildlife images undermines the huge value of vast citizen science databases. 🌍🪰🪶 #Ornithology 🧵 1/10
rdcu.be
Citizen science platforms must mitigate against the threat of generative AI
Nature Ecology & Evolution - Citizen science platforms must mitigate against the threat of generative AI
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Reposted by MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience
Alexander Lees @alexanderlees.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Our new paper led by Jenny Darby is the first to test the acoustic niche hypothesis in human-modified tropical forests - logged and recently burned forests had significantly higher rates of avian vocalisation overlap... nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #Ornithology
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Forest degradation reduces acoustic partitioning in tropical avian communities
The acoustic niche hypothesis posits that species partition acoustic space by frequency and time to avoid signal masking, and that any local loss of species leaves detectable gaps in co-evolved sound...
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
New paper led by @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social PhD student Jenny Darby, with @alexanderlees.bsky.social Oliver Metcalf et al: Forest degradation reduces acoustic partitioning in tropical avian communities - Darby - 2026 - Journal of Avian Biology nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Forest degradation reduces acoustic partitioning in tropical avian communities
The acoustic niche hypothesis posits that species partition acoustic space by frequency and time to avoid signal masking, and that any local loss of species leaves detectable gaps in co-evolved sound...
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Reposted by MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience
Friederike Clever, PhD @cfrederica.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
So excited to see this out! Metabarcoding shows fishes shift diets on degraded reefs; growth rates similar, condition diverged → species-specific coping strategies buff.ly/kGkEDpw @mattleray.bsky.social @nancyknowlton.bsky.social @odealab.bsky.social @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social @stri_panama +others
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Reposted by MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience
Robyn Grant @robyngrant.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Katie Todd is a PhD student with me at @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social. She researches whisker growth and layout in pinnipeds, working with many zoos across the world. Her work is featured on the Pairi Daiza website. They have been a fab collaborator in our studies! www.pairidaiza.eu/en/together-...
pairidaiza.eu
Project seals | Pairi Daiza
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Our own @parusradious.bsky.social is presenting a plenary address at this year's Animsl Behaviour Live conference. Registration is free! @manmetuni.bsky.social
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Reposted by MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience
ASABPSGB2026 @asabpsgb2026.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
We are approaching venue capacity to register for the ASAB & PSGB Winter Meeting - sign up soon to secure your spot! When capacity is reached we'll be operating a waiting list. More details about the meeting and registration at: asabpsgbwinter.github.io//2026/
asabpsgbwinter.github.io
Joint Winter Conference of ASAB and PSGB
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Highlights of the recent Ecological Genetics Meeting featuring @manmetuni.bsky.social PhD student Owen Greenwood's research on the critically endangered Bermuda skink, Plestiodon longirostris: go.nature.com/4cqiiGe @britishecologicalsociety.org @bes-egg.bsky.social
go.nature.com
Highlights from the 70th Anniversary of Ecological Genetics Meeting (EGG 2026)
BMC Zoology and BMC Ecology and Evolution were delighted to follow EGG 2026 online. The meeting included 70 participants, 24 talks and 18 poster presentations over three days with time for discussions...
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Huge CONGRATULATIONS 🍾🧑‍🎓🎉 to Andrew Osborne on his PhD viva success today! His thesis is titled "Assessing the habitat requirements and genetic viability of the Large Heath butterfly for successful reintroduction across the north-west" is full of excellent research (much already published)!
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Reposted by MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience
Robyn Grant @robyngrant.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
We absolutely loved doing this study, and the data from @oceannetworks.ca are incredible!
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Check out this amazing new study on by our own Robyn Grant and colleagues on sensory behaviour in Northern Elephant Seals!
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Reposted by MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience
Urban Evolution & Ecology Conference @urbanevoecoconf.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
The first-ever Gordon Research Conference on Urban Evolution and Ecology focusing on "The Intersection and Emergent Properties of Ecology, Evolution and Human Social Environments in Cities" is now open for applications! www.grc.org/urban-evolut... #UrbanEcology #UrbanEvolution #UrbanEcoEvo 🧬🔬🥼🔭
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MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Check out this wonderful guest blog post on Willow tit conservation by our own MMU PhD student @bensecker.bsky.social for @songbirdsurvival.bsky.social www.songbird-survival.org.uk/post/guest-b...
songbird-survival.org.uk
Guest blog: Why are willow tits disappearing from our woodlands?
Guest blog from Ben Secker who is is a Doctoral Researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University studying the willow tit. From SongBird Survival, your voice for songbirds and other small birds in the UK, a specialist charity.
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Reposted by MMU - Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Resilience
Caroline Bailey-Rothschild @naturecaroline.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Proud to be a finalist in the poster competition held for MMU's Festival of Research (@manmetuni.bsky.social) 🥳🗺️ Visit the Geoffrey Manton atrium to see how we mapped 35 years of land use change across the Peak District & an unprotected buffer zone, plus other work from @sbac-manmetuni.bsky.social
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