Sign in

Melanie Smith

@whalesmels.bsky.social
210 followers 199 following 7 posts

She/her PhD Student Syracuse University Bioacoustics and Behavioral Ecology Lab Interested in using bioacoustics for baleen whale conservation and making marine science more accessible 🐳 Views my own

PostsRepliesMedia
Melanie Smith @whalesmels.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Incredibly honored and grateful to have been selected!
010
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Bioacoustics and Behavioral Ecology Lab @subabel.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
We are BABEL, the Bioacoustics and Behavioral Ecology Lab at Syracuse University! We focus on the ecology and evolution of acoustic signaling and animal behavior. Research in the lab spans the fields of behavioral ecology, evolution, bioacoustics, oceanography, and conservation biology.
082
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Mason Youngblood @masonyoungblood.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Happy new year! I wanted to share my new Python package called chatter that streamlines the process of applying AI/ML models to animal communication 🦜🦇🐋🐵👨‍🌾 masonyoungblood.github.io/chatter/
37927
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Luke Anderson @dialektical.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Fun to collaborate with @whalesmels.bsky.social on this study, where we worked with Mark Stanback to glean insights from his amazing hornbill nesting data! 🪶
021
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Daryll Marie @daryllmarie.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Early results, only 1 of 4 species, & only Ch 1... but the dissertation is finally giving me results I can share! 🥳🐳 I presented a promising acoustic+visual species distribution model for the North Atlantic right whale & discussed the role of bottom temp & silicate as important predictors! 🦑🧪🔊 #ASA
A title slide of a presentation called “Modeling North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) distributions in the Northwest Atlantic”
1636
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Estelle in ‘t Zandt @eintzandt.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
Super excited to share the first part of my thesis work! Perhaps how you might be able to both recognize someone’s voice *and* understand what they’re saying, we find that both social identity and vocalization category can be decoded from gerbil auditory cortex activity👂🧠 tinyurl.com/4fba6wk4
43310
Melanie Smith @whalesmels.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Very pleased to announce our research on #nestlinggrowth and #broodreduction in #hornbills has been published! I started this work as an undergraduate and am grateful for everything I have learned from my co-authors. @dialektical.bsky.social onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Nestling Growth and Brood Reduction in the Southern Yellow‐Billed Hornbill (Tockus leucomelas)
In the southern yellow-billed hornbill, Tockus leucomelas, we found first-hatched nestlings had a higher growth rate and that growth rate was negatively correlated with mortality, such that early hat...
061
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Ines Carvalho @inesccarv.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Really cool study - #whales play a super important role in the ecosystem in which they live! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Migrating baleen whales transport high-latitude nutrients to tropical and subtropical ecosystems - Nature Communications
Baleen whales migrate from high latitude feeding grounds to subtropical reproductive winter grounds, translocating limiting nutrients across ecosystems. This study estimates the latitudinal movement o...
093
Reposted by Melanie Smith
David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
We ( @drcatmac.bsky.social and I) are writing a marine conservation science and policy textbook! We'd love to include case studies of ocean conservation success stories, and we welcome submissions of ideas here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... Please be clear and detailed! 🧪🦑🌎🐟
Call for submissions of ocean conservation success case studies.
817695
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.net · 07/03/2025
Getting reports of some sound problems with our Twitch livestream. Here's another stream while we sort out some technical difficulties! www.youtube.com/watch?v=eemj...
youtube.com
WATCH LIVE: 'Stand up for Science' rally with Bill Nye and others at Lincoln Memorial in Washington
YouTube video by PBS NewsHour
6470102
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Caitlyn Cardetti, PhD @caitlyncardetti.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Amazing speech by @sarahmackattack.bsky.social inspiring us to be "bad" for the greater good - Embrace chaos and break the right rules. #StandUpForScience2025 #Philadelphia
A photo of Sarah on stage giving her speech at the Stand Up for Science rally in Philadelphia
536251
Reposted by Melanie Smith
SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
ICB weekend read #BlackHistoryMonth guest blog From #Science to #Storytelling: How My Passion for Discovery Inspired Black #Nerds Matter by Deidric Davis, BIMS member, Eckerd College senior, marine #scientist & #podcaster integrativeandcomparativebiology.wordpress.com/2025/02/09/g...
integrativeandcomparativebiology.wordpress.com
Guest blog- From Science to Storytelling: How My Passion for Discovery Inspired Black Nerds Matter
by Deidric Davis Senior at Eckerd College , originator of podcast -Black Nerds Matter Deidric’s first day at WMNF 88.5 Radio Station. They distribute his show There’s nothing I love more than…
0216
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson @ayanaeliza.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
What a horrifying doozy these first two weeks of the Trump administration have been. YOWZA. I’ve been pacing myself by focusing on climate policy, since it’s nearly impossible to keep up with everything. Here, in @rollingstone.com, is what I’m thinking so far: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
rollingstone.com
What Now for Climate Under Trump? Act Locally
Trump is working to sabotage climate solutions — but there’s a lot regular people can do to push cities and states to fill the growing federal void.
922161
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Ellen Garland @ellengarland.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
We uncovered the same statistical structure that is a hallmark of human language in whale song, published today in Science. @inbalarnon.bsky.social @simonkirby.bsky.social @jennyallen13.bsky.social @clairenea.bsky.social @emma-carroll.bsky.social www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
17269101
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Raphael Viscarra Rossel @ravr19.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Came across this platform—looks useful for those of us working with spatial data. It’s said to hold 18,000+ datasets and links to other websites where one can download data from. Community driven so users can submit new datasets to help grow and improve the collection 🧪🌏🌱 www.geospatial.community
geospatial.community
Geospatial Community
Find Geospatial data effortlessly
0101
Reposted by Melanie Smith
CBMWC @cbmwc.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
🚨 Job opportunity! 🚨 We're hiring a Marine Conservation Intern to join our @wtsww.bsky.social team at #CBMWC! You must be between 18 & 25 to qualify for this internship.🐬 Find out more & apply today: www.welshwildlife.org/jobs/marine-conservation-intern #MarineConservationJobs #Wales #WTSWW
192
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Leila Fouda @leilafouda.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Critical to be aware where we're being misled & what is real “There are no known links between large whale deaths and ongoing offshore wind activities”. Climate crisis & subsequently warming waters impact food sources to force whales to new (unprotected) areas www.capeandislands.org/local-news/2...
capeandislands.org
Is offshore wind driving whales ‘crazy?’ Science says no
Just hours after his inauguration on Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting new federal leases for offshore wind projects. He cited, as one reason, the impact offshore wind m...
04217
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Kelly L. Green, PhD @kellylgreenphd.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
Need a coping strategy in the face of *waves arms around*? After seeing more misinformation accounts here, I've been doing a dive on #scicomm best practices. We scientists should triple down on this and dial up our prebunking and debunking efforts. Here's a 🧵 of strategies and resources: 🧪 1/
2445689
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Callan Alexander @callanalexander.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
New pre-print! 🎙️🦉 Automated Note Annotation after Bioacoustic Classification: Unsupervised Clustering of Extracted Acoustic Features Improves Detection of a Cryptic Owl papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... #bioacoustics #machinelearning #conservation
34211
Melanie Smith @whalesmels.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
In addition to supporting DEI and collaborating with local communities, scientists should use indigenous names and common names when describing species, study sites, etc. Indigenous people deserve respect when research is conducted on their land. #Science #MarineScience #Academia
252
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Eman | Marine Biologist @whale-detective.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
Scientists can and should lead the charge in equity by committing to DEI work despite federal rollbacks by the Trump admin. These actions are vital for the integrity and equity of our research, sci comm, and impact on society #DEI #STEM
1105
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Meade Krosby @meadekrosby.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
EO: "the immutable biological reality of sex" Biological reality:
discoverwildlife.com
10 animals that can change sex
2604761968
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Jon Gorey @jongorey.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
Not a great head space the past few days given both the metaphorical and horrifyingly real fires of 2025 — but my Libby hold on “What If We Get It Right” just came in, and damn if the buoyant optimism of @ayanaeliza.bsky.social hasn’t recalibrated my hopometer. It’s a life raft for climate despair.
1557
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Viktoria Cologna @colognaviktoria.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
Our global study on the state of trust in scientists is now out in Nature Human Behaviour! 🥳 With a team of 241 researchers, we surveyed 71,922 people in 68 countries, providing the largest dataset on trust in scientists post-pandemic 👇🧵https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-02090-5
24903384
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 19/01/2025
Researchers found 15 people in Kansas City who had changed their mind about climate change, and asked them why. Fascinating! link.springer.com/article/10.1...
A quote from the paper stating that their results extend my advice about the importance of talking about climate change
411019300
Melanie Smith @whalesmels.bsky.social · 18/01/2025
Sitting on a train and working on research is very academic core and I love it #PhDSky
010
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Nicolas Mathevon @nicolasmathevon.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
Have you ever heard the underwater song of a bearded seal, the call of a walrus, the call of a baby crocodile, or the song of a fruit fly? All these sounds (and more) are on "The ‘Voices of Nature. How and Why Animals Communicate’ book website 👇 mathevon0.wixsite.com/soundjourney... #bioacoustics
mathevon0.wixsite.com
Book The Voices of Nature | SOUNDJOURNEYBOOK
1116
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Whale Tales @whaletalesorg.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
Another powerful image to remind us of our impact on marine life. Did you know one plastic bottle can take up to 450 years to decompose?  🎨 Dafne Murillo #WhaleTales #TalesOfSavingWhales #StopSingleUse
23012
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Ocean Conservancy @oceanconservancy.org · 06/01/2025
The Biden admin. announced it will protect 600M+ acres of U.S. ocean from offshore exploration & drilling. Thank you Pres. Biden for responding to calls from coastal towns, communities, tribal leaders & countless others who depend on a clean, healthy ocean. oceanconservancy.org/news/biden-a...
oceanconservancy.org
STATEMENT: Ocean Conservancy Applauds Biden Administration's Robust Protections of U.S. Waters from Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling - Ocean Conservancy
"We must, and can, end offshore oil and gas production and move toward responsible, renewable energy sources – like offshore wind – to protect our ocean, while remaining aligned with our goals for Ame...
0186
Reposted by Melanie Smith
SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
#SICB2025 BIMS(Black In Marine Science ) & ICB collaborated on the first ever BIMS issue featuring: free to read The Joy Factor: Redefining Leadership Excellence at Black in Marine #Science through Joy-Centered Leadership Practices By Lynnette Adams, Tiara Moore, doi.org/10.1093/icb/... & more
01512
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Jeremy Kiszka @jjkiszka.bsky.social · 04/01/2025
A tribute to the life and legacy of our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Eric A. Ramos, who passed away last month. The article was published as an In Memoriam in the Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals. Here is the link to the open access article: lajamjournal.org/index.php/la...
072
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Hank Green @hankgreen.bsky.social · 01/01/2025
“The effect may be considerable in a few centuries” is a really remarkable sentence here…
494147557
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Susan Parks @profparkssu.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
Great article in The NY Times today about North Atlantic right whales. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/22/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | A Picturesque New England Town’s Debt to the Right Whale (Gift Article)
We owe it to the right whale — and to so many other species — to reconstruct what our own history has taken from them.
16914
Reposted by Melanie Smith
Peter Corkeron @petercorkeron.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
New paper alert Extreme longevity may be the rule not the exception in Balaenid whales by @alaskaraven.bsky.social , Els Vermeulen, and me. 2 messages: ♀Southern rights could live much longer than we thought (10% >130); ♀North Atlantic rights' lives are truncated (10%>47) 🐳🌍🦑
science.org
Extreme longevity may be the rule not the exception in Balaenid whales
Whale life spans have likely been greatly underestimated.
211032