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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I am doing a public talk on sea slugs with the Bailey Mathews Shell Museum on September 16th. It is free and live broadcast over Zoom, but you have to register in advance: shellmuseum.org/learn-and-ex...

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Very cool looking porcelain crab from Anilao, Philippines for #invertfest. There were a bunch of them hiding in this sponge! 🦑🦀

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

A few nudibranch sea slugs for #invertfest. These photos were taken in Anilao, Philippines. #sluglife

A dorid nudibranch sea slug with an orange body with purple spots on the dorsum. The slug has a yellow band and light yellow gills and rhinophores.

A dark green nudibranch sea slug munching on some light green tunicates.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

This one cracked me up. A nudibranch sea slug hanging upside down in over a moray eel. This photo was taken in Anilao, Philippines. #sluglife 🦑

A photograph of a moray eel sticking out from a crevice on a coral reef. Above the eel is a green nudibranch sea slug handing upside down. The eel is a mottled brown color.

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Reposted by Michael Middlebrooks

Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

One way you know Dolly Parton lived life the right way: I don’t think anyone’s going to get fired for accurately quoting Dolly Parton today.

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Reposted by Michael Middlebrooks

Rocket Witch @emoroffle.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I think it's time we forgot about Dre.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

A new mollusc mix for Mollusc Monday! This one was all filmed in Anilao, Philippines and is of course, mostly slugs. #sluglife #invertebrates 🦑

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Reposted by Michael Middlebrooks

Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance @invertebrates.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

While in Boracay, Philippines for the GIGA IV meeting we were able to sneak in a little scuba diving. Here are some of the fantastic nudibranchs we saw. Photos by @secretsluglab.bsky.social Did you see any cool critters while at GIGA IV? Please share them with us!

A purple nudibranch with yellow gills and rhinophores crawling on a sponge on a coral reef.

A blue nudibranch sea slug with a yellow edge around the mantel skirt. The slug has orange gills and rhinophores and some black markings on the dorsum.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Really cool colony form on this lace bryozoan I found under a ledge on a reef in Boracay, Philippines. #invertebrates

A photograph of a lace bryozoan colony. The colony is white with a bunch of small holes on it. It is next to some sponges.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

The animal on the left is a nudibranch sea slug (Phyllidia sp.) but the one on the left is a mimic. It's actually a juvenile sea cucumber! #sluglife #invertebrates Photos were taken in Boracay, Philippines.

A nudibranch sea slug. The slug is white with some yellow bumps on the dorsum. There are black lines crossing the body of the slug and the rhinophores are yellow.

A juvenile sea cucumber that mimics nudibranchs in color and pattern. The animal is what with some black stripes and yellow bumps along the body.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

There is a proposal to build a marina that will likely ruin one of the very best shore diving locations in Florida, the Blue Heron Bridge. Here is a petition to try to stop it: c.org/xgB2TjwJ7h

c.org

Sign the Petition

Preserve the Blue Heron Bridge Dive Site: Protect Phil Foster Park’s Marine ecosystem!

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

I have an entire dive resort to myself in the Philippines!

A photograph of a dive resort overlooking the water. There are some green islands in the distance.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Last month I was in Iceland and I tried to do some tidepooling, but I kept getting attacked by the arctic terns nesting nearby! Here are a few of the cool inverts I was able to find on some boulders when the tide was low. #invertebrates

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Just spent 30 minutes and ~$20 getting my boarding pass reissued from Philippines Airlines because it didn't have the "Jr" on it. (There is not a spot for it on their website). Moral: Don't add a suffix to your children's names.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

One of the coolest things I found on the Great Barrier Reef was a soft coral that had these interesting benthic ctenophores on it. I have never seen this species before! #combjelly #invertebrates #ctenophore

A close up of a benthic ctenophore. The animal is transparent with opaque yellow spots all over its body.

A leather coral that is a pinkish brown color with several yellow benthic ctenophores on it.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Wow, I got an e-mail from Skin Care Awards letting me know that my recent article on a sea slug microbiome has been selected for the best researcher award. I'm sure that's not a scam...

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

My latest sea slug article is out today on the microbiome of the sacoglossan Elysia papillosa. www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/16... #sluglife

A photograph of the sacoglossan sea slug Elysia papillosa on a black background. The slug is mostly green with yellow/brown around the edges of the parapodia and on the rhinophores

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Reposted by Michael Middlebrooks

Rob Verchick @robverchick.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

🦑🌎Imagine if the media covered The Gulf of Mexico’s algal “dead zone” as enthusiastically as it covers the algae in an 18-inch-deep reflecting pool.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

My university published a short article about my Coral Reefs course! www.ut.edu/news-and-uta...

ut.edu

Marine Biology Students Dive the Great Barrier Reef

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Conchs are probably the cutest snails and this juvenile conch I found on a night dive on the Great Barrier Reef extra adorable. I love those eyes! #snail #invertebrates #conch

A juvenile conch on the great barrier reef. It's two large eyes are right next to each other. The shell is orange/cream/white. It's adorable.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

I taught Invertebrate Zoology at New College one semester before I landed a full time professor position in Tampa. It was a very special place. It is an absolute shame what Ron DeSantis did to it. youtu.be/jFMc07F1UUU?...

youtu.be

New College of Florida: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

YouTube video by LastWeekTonight

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Some of my favorite slugs I saw while teaching my Coral Reefs course last month on the Great Barrier Reef. #invertebrate #sluglife #nudibranch

A yellow nudibranch with a purple trim around the mantle skirt and purple polka dots with a white ring around them on its dorsum. The rhinophores and gills are also yellow.

A yellow nudibranch with black lines on it.

A white nudibranch sea slug with a yellow edge around the mantle skirt.

A colorful Thuridilla sacoglossan sea slug. The slug is blue with red/orange rhinophores and an undulating blacking yellow line down each side of the parapodia.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Mollusc Mix: Great Barrier Reef Edition (mostly slugs of course). These were a few of the wonderful molluscs I filmed while teaching my Coral Reefs travel course in Cairns, Australia. Music: Djapana by Yothu Yindi 🦑 #invertebrates #nudibranch #sluglife

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Reposted by Michael Middlebrooks

Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance @invertebrates.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Don't miss your last chance to submit your abstract to gigavi.org! Abstracts are due May 15, 2026. The conference runs July 6-10 in Boracay, Philippines. We hope you can join us! #invertebrates #genomics #conference

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Reposted by Michael Middlebrooks

Mya Breitbart @viromegirl.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Lots of people have reached out asking how they can support us after the devastating fire in the MSL building, the heart of @cmarinescience.bsky.social Here’s one way, a GoFundMe organized by our graduate students - gofund.me/4373c6ff3. Please share widely, and thanks for helping our community!

gofund.me

Donate to USF Marine Science: Fire Recovery Support, organized by Bella Iannotta

On Saturday, May 2nd the University of South Florida Marine Science Lab (MSL)… Bella Iannotta needs your support for USF Marine Science: Fire Recovery Support

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

I'm about to spend a lot of time this summer on airplanes and waiting in airports, I need some book recommendations! I prefer fun/interesting fiction books for my summer reading (scifi, mystery, eco/climate fiction, and especially any books that will make me laugh).

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Reposted by Michael Middlebrooks

Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance @invertebrates.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Abstract submissions for GIGAIV close this Friday! Don't forget to send in your abstract: gigavi.org

gigavi.org

Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance VI

Global Invertebrate Genome Alliance VI, July 2026, Philippines

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Reposted by Michael Middlebrooks

Molluscan Horizons @molluscanhorizons.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

We are pleased to introduce Molluscan Horizons, a diamond open-access, peer-reviewed academic journal born from a joint effort of Latin American malacological societies, led and funded by the Brazilian Society of Malacology. To learn more, please visit our website: www.molluscanhorizons.org

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Reposted by Michael Middlebrooks

Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance @invertebrates.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

The abstract deadline for GIGA VI is just a few weeks away! Submit your abstract and register to join us in Boracay, Philippines to learn all about cutting edge Invertebrate Genomic Research. gigavi.org

gigavi.org

Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance VI

Global Invertebrate Genome Alliance VI, July 2026, Philippines

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Really good tardigrade culture in the Invertebrate teaching lab today! #invertebrates #tardigrades

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

The Florida Association of Aquatic Biologists has an upcoming taxonomic workshop on leeches, May 5-7 in Gainesville Florida! www.floridaaquaticbiologists.org/events.html

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Green slugs for St. Patrick's Day! Elysia chlorotica, sometimes known as the Eastern Emerald Elysia, is one of my favorite slugs. They can photosynthesize for many months by stealing chloroplasts from the algae that they eat in a process called kleptoplasty. #sluglife

A photograph of two green sea slugs, Elysia chlorotica, on a black background. The slugs are dark green and like a bit like leaves. They have a darker green head and have veins running over their dorsal side.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

We have a new chromosomal genome out for the lettuce slug, Elysia crispata, in Wellcome Open Research! It's an open publishing model published prior to peer review (like a preprint) and I love my slug photo in it. Looking forward to the reviews. wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/11-... #sluglife

A photograph of a green sea slug, Elysia crispata, on some green algae. The slug is a lighter shade of green and has yellow-orange bands along the parapodia and some large white spots on the body.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Looking for some ideas on ID for this? We found a bunch of them attached to a sea slug. My guess is Licnophora (?) but this is really not my area. Any help would be appreciated! This is 400x magnification #protozoa #protistsky #microscope #id #ciliate

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Made the cover of the latest issue of the American Malacological Bulletin. #sluglife

The cover of the scientific journal the American Malacological Bulletin. It feature a photograph of the green sacoglossan sea slug Elysia chlorotica.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

We're hiring a Biology Lab Coordinator at the University of Tampa: utampa.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Staff/... #academicsky #biology

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

We're hiring a Genetics Lab Coordinator at the University of Tampa: utampa.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Staff/... #academicsky #genetics

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

I'm very excited about this conference and I can't wait to get back to the Philippines.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

I've always liked Bandcamp as a platform for checking out new bands and a place to purchase music digitally. I found them really easy to work with when I was in a band. Great to see that they are doing the right thing about AI music. www.theverge.com/news/861794/...

theverge.com

Bandcamp becomes the first major music platform to ban AI content

Bandcamp is banning AI-generated music and won’t allow its content to be used for training AI models.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Here's the video from the manatee calf I saw nursing in Crystal River, FL.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

I had a great time snorkeling with some manatees last week in Crystal River, FL. I even saw some baby manatees nursing. #manatee

A close up underwater photograph of the face of manatee with its mouth slightly open.

A picture of a young manatee underwater next to the tails of some larger manatee.

A underwater photograph of a baby manatee nursing on its mother.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Seen in a McDonald's parking lot in Jacksonville, Florida. A ziplock full of crabs... 🦀

A ziplock bag full of crabs on blacktop pavement.

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Michael Middlebrooks @secretsluglab.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

2025 Personal Statistics: Scuba Dives: 75 Concerts Attended: 41 No Longer Frozen Shoulders: 2 Scientific Manuscripts: 2 Scientific Presentations: 5 Books read: 37 Countries Visited: 3 Days Abroad: 45 Chocolate Smoothies: ~300

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