Latest Updates

🐋✨ We’ve Got a Match! ✨🐋
Exciting news! This humpback whale (WA0432) was first photographed in Dampier, WA, in 1992 by the Centre for Whale Research and has just been confirmed as a resight 32 years later in 2024, Dunsborough, WA, by MIM Network volunteers onboard All Sea Charters! …🌊📸

To our knowledge, this is the longest resight for the WA humpback population so far—but it’s just the beginning! We’re collaborating with Western Whale Research to process Chris Burton’s 30+ years of humpback ID images dating back to the 80s, with support from the Centre for Whale Research, to compare with their long-term database and the broader WA population. By working with tourism vessels, research groups, and other not-for-profit organisations, we aim to expand our understanding of humpback movements across WA and beyond.

We also want to educate, inspire, and encourage citizen scientists to contribute to this important work! Upload your whale ID images to Happywhale and help track these incredible ocean giants! 🐳

#HumpbackWhale #WhaleMatch #32YearsLater #Happywhale #MIMNetwork #WesternWhaleResearch #CentreForWhaleResearch #AllSeaCharters #MarineConservation #CitizenScience

Are you confused by singing song thrushes? 🤔

One of the species we’re asking you to track this spring is singing song thrushes 🎶

We take a look at how to identify song thrushes, where to find them, and how to tell them apart from mistle thrushes 🔍

Head to the …link in our bio to record the song thrushes you see and help us check spring’s vital signs 🔗

#WoodlandTrust #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #Birds #BirdsOfInstagram #BirdSong #SongThrush #TurdusPhilomelos #SignsOfSpring #Spring #SpringWildlife #CitizenScience rspb btobirds

Alt text:
1. A song thrush perched on a wooden gate. Text reads “How to identify song thrushes.” Photo: Andrew Howe / Getty Images
2. A song thrush perched on a flowering apple tree. Text reads “A singing song thrush is one of the signs of nature we’re asking you to record this spring. But how can you identify them?” Photo: Neil Bowman / Getty Images
3. A close up photo of a song thrush. Text reads “Warm-brown head, wings and back. Cream breast covered in dark spots. Slightly smaller than a blackbird.” Photo: Andrew Howe / Getty Images
4. A video of a song thrush singing. Text reads “Song thrushes begin singing in early spring. Listen for short phrases repeated two or three times in quick succession.” Video: Inner Vision Photography
5. A song thrush standing amidst grass and plants. Text reads “Song thrushes can be found in woodland, farmland, scrub, parks and gardens across the UK.” Photo: mauribo / Getty Images
6. A close up photo of orange, brown, and yellow damaged and empty snail shells. Text reads “Song thrushes are one of the few birds that eat snails. Look for smashed snail shells, a sure sign a song thrush has been nearby.” Photo: Ian Redding / Getty Images
7. A mistle thrush perched on a tree branch. Text reads “Mistle thrushes look similar but are larger. They have darker chest spots and a greyer colour.” Photo: John Bridges / WTML
8. A photo of a song thrush perched on a wooden gate with green leaf patterns. Text reads “Record song thrushes with us. Head to woodlandtrust.org.uk/vitalsigns”. Photo: Andrew Howe / Getty Images

Frustrated by sharks stealing your catch? So are we. 🦈

Depredation is the damage or removal of fish from fishing gear by a predator (like a shark) before the fish can be landed while fishing. It has emerged as a challenge facing several fisheries in the Southeast United States.
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New research led by FishEcoHBOI through cooperative research with NOAAFisheries was conducted to investigate which shark species are most frequently involved in depredation events, and which species are typically lost.

We joined forces with recreational fishermen across the state of Florida to acquire data on the fish species being damaged, frequency, and the sharky culprits.

Methods included angler surveys, analyzing social media posts, and forensic DNA analysis of depredated fish carcasses (and damaged fishing line!) to determine which species of sharks were involved.

The results, recently published in ICES, show that 43% of surveyed anglers reported experiencing depredation, with most shark depredation being from bull and sandbar sharks, and the most frequent fish lost/eaten were snappers and grouper. Depredation also varied regionally and seasonally.

Thank you to all the recreational anglers across the state who helped with this cooperative research! 🎣

More at link in bio.

Photo courtesy of Captain Grayson Shepard and Shelley Shepard.

FAU HBO #fisheries #sharks #depredation #citizenscience #partnerships #science

En la década de 1960, antes de que existieran las grabadoras digitales de sonidos, un ornitólogo -y músico- hizo anotaciones, a mano, de cómo sonaban distintos cantos del copetón, Zonotrichia capensis, en una reserva natural en Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Usando métodos computacionales,… hace un par de años un grupo de investigadores logró crear cantos sintéticos a partir de los esquemas hechos en los 60.

Con ayuda de machine learning, lograron demostrar que varios de esos cantos, 5 décadas más tarde, todavía son usados por los copetones en esa área.

Pero encontraron, también, que varios cantos habían desaparecido.

Ahora, a partir de las anotaciones de los 60, investigadores recrearon los cantos ya desaparecidos. Con herramientas de inteligencia artificial, trajeron de vuelta a la vida esos sonidos que se habían perdido de la naturaleza: crearon robots acústicos, que cantan los cantos perdidos.

Y bueno, los cantos sintéticos suenan tan parecidos a los naturales, que un copetón juvenil los tomó como modelo. Aprendió esos cantos y empezó a emitirlos. Se los enseñó a otras aves. Así, con herramientas computacionales, se recuperó parte de la diversidad cultural perdida.

Los copetones aprenden sus cantos y por eso es que pueden presentarse cambios a lo largo del tiempo como los que este estudio mostró. Si varían en el tiempo, por supuesto, los cantos también pueden variar en el espacio.

Gracias a nuestro proyecto gorrioncopeton con Katherin Sánchez ya sabemos que los cantos de los copetones varían en Bogotá. Pero necesitamos más grabaciones para entender cómo es esa variación y por qué ocurre. Por favor ayúdennos a grabar cantos de copetones cerca a sus casas y sitos de trabajo. Cualquier persona puede hacerlo.

Prometemos esto llevará a buena ciencia y a más historias asombrosas. Toda la info, incluyendo explicaciones de cómo grabar y contribuir, en gorrioncopeton.org

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fotos por diegoemerson
#cienciaciudadana #citizenscience #communityscience

Today’s word is phenology! 📖

Phenology is the study of seasonal changes in plants and animals from year to year, especially their timing and relationship with weather and climate 🌸

We know that climate change is impacting spring. Compared to the early 1900s, spring now …occurs an average of 8.4 days earlier 📅

As signs of spring change, it's crucial to track these shifts to monitor nature’s health 🔍

This spring, we're looking for song thrushes, frogspawn, and blackthorn flowers. Log your sightings at the link in our bio 🔗

#WoodlandTrust #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #SignsOfSpring #Spring #SpringWildlife #CitizenScience #SongThrush #Frogspawn #Blackthorn

Alt text
1. A green and yellow textured slide with blackthorn patterns. Text reads "Phenology. Noun. The study of seasonal changes in plants and animals from year to year."
2. White blackthorn blossoms on a clear spring day. Photo: WTML.
3. A brown and cream song thrush perched on a tree branch. Photo: Andrew Howe / Getty Images.
4. A common frog in a pond surrounded by frogspawn. Photo: Andrew Howe / Getty Images.
5. A green and yellow textured slide with blackthorn patterns. Text reads "Add your spring sightings today. woodlandtrust.org.uk/vitalsigns."

The next Great Backyard Bird Count is February 14-17, 2025, and takes place all across America. Here at lewisginter , we’ll be counting birds (and you can help too!) on Feb 17th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join Buz and Barb Sawyer, experienced birdwatchers since childhood, as they lead tours to help …locate and identify birds in the Garden. 🦉🪶🐦

Visit the Lora M. Robins Library where we will have activities and information available from our partnering organizations, including the Richmond Audubon Society, the Riverine Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists, the Wildlife Center of Virginia, the James River Association AND the Hampton Roads Bird Club.

Included with regular garden admission! Visit our website for more info.

richmond.audubon
wildlifecenter_va
jravirginia

📷: Tom Hennessy
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#virginiawildlife #virginiaisbeautiful #owlphotography #birdpics #richmondvirginia #henrico #rvaevents #rvanews #citizenscience #virginiaisforlovers #birdingdaily

Join us at Oregon State University for a fintastic Gills Club meeting, where we’ll dive deep into the world of shark reproduction and growth! 🌊 Learn all about research from the Big Fish Lab and channel your inner scientist as you “work-up” your own shark! 🩺✨ Don’t miss this jawsome… opportunity to learn, create, and explore—see you there!
Link to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLQSHaflG3dZVOt5X6cA_IPjY0oUkDZwPAQFsFxAywBd1JRQ/viewform?usp=header
#gillsclub #sharks #sharkresearch #sharkscience #sharkdiving #lovesharks #oregon #oregonstateuniversity #sharkconservation #protectwhatyoulove #citizenscience #discovery #exploration #diversity #sharkmom

The many shapes, sizes, colours and potential mycoparasites on a selection of Xylaria species from around the world.

Only one of these was captured in the UK. Can you guess which one?
#allthingsfungi