Well folks, it’s #PhDone for Dr Simons!! 👩🏽‍🎓 What a challenge in every sense of the word. It’s been the hardest and most rewarding four years of my entire life. Here’s to surviving! 🥂

My third #UKDNAWG conference, but my first repping the Environment Agency Chief Scientist Group DNA team! Lovely to see colleagues in 3D and hear about all the fantastic ongoing eDNA work. Also very much enjoying being back in my undergraduate home, Sheffield! 🧬 @ukdnawg.bsky.social

Dr Dina in the house! 🧬 🌊 🦀 Massively proud to share I passed my PhD viva yesterday. I even got two thesis themed cakes thanks to my amazing colleagues. Although it felt like climbing Everest, I know the PhD is just the start. Onwards!

It’s me! 🧬 www.mba.ac.uk/pioneering-s...

Pioneering study uses eDNA to reveal intertidal biodiversity across UK shores | Marine Biological Association

A groundbreaking study, part-funded by the Marine Biological Association (MBA), has demonstrated the power of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to assess

mba.ac.uk

A wonderful venue for the Collecting Stories launch 📖 Such a pleasure to be invited as part of the Q&A panel!

Liverpool University Press@livunipress.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Yesterday, we celebrated the launch of Collecting Stories: The Cultural Collections of the University of Liverpool edited by Katy Hooper. This new book introduces 52 items from @liverpooluni.bsky.social’s collection, revealing its cultural heritage and research futures. bit.ly/LUPCollecting

Yesterday, we celebrated the launch of Collecting Stories: The Cultural Collections of the University of Liverpool edited by Katy Hooper. This new book introduces 52 items from @liverpooluni.bsky.social’s collection, revealing its cultural heritage and research futures. bit.ly/LUPCollecting

Such a joy to be part of the Collecting Stories launch this evening! ✨ It’s a one-of-a-kind book celebrating the University’s archives and the stories each object holds. My piece explores the voyage through time of the lollipop sea squirt! 👉 www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/book/10....

If you ♥️ barnacles, time-series, fieldwork, modelling, and AI, apply for a PhD with myself, Phil Fenberg, @michaeltburrows.bsky.social, and Steve Hawkins @thembauk.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Combining long-term ecological monitoring with AI-analysis and field experiments to model biodiversity responses to climate change at University of Southampton on FindAPhD.com

PhD Project - Combining long-term ecological monitoring with AI-analysis and field experiments to model biodiversity responses to climate change at University of Southampton, listed on FindAPhD.com

findaphd.com

Groundbreaking work on the use of eDNA for characterizing intertidal biodiversity, comparing it to my MarClim time-series from @dinathebiologist.bsky.social, myself, Tom Webb, Helen Hipperson, and Matt Spencer @thembauk.bsky.social @livuniresearch.bsky.social onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Characterizing Rocky Intertidal Biodiversity Using Environmental DNA Metabarcoding From Local to National Scales

We assess the resolution of eDNA metabarcoding for detecting rocky intertidal taxa across three spatial scales—national, regional, and local. Distinct eDNA signals were observed at each scale, with c...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

🚨 NEW PAPER: eDNA in the Intertidal 🧬 
We explored how eDNA reveals marine biodiversity across UK rocky shores from local patterns to national trends 🌊 
Read it in Journal of Environmental DNA 👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #eDNA #Intertidal #Biodiversity #PhDlife

Characterizing Rocky Intertidal Biodiversity Using Environmental DNA Metabarcoding From Local to National Scales

We assess the resolution of eDNA metabarcoding for detecting rocky intertidal taxa across three spatial scales—national, regional, and local. Distinct eDNA signals were observed at each scale, with c...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

New blog post about my week at #ITRS2025! What happens at ITRS, stays at ITRS (or does it?) 😜🌊 www.dinathebiologist.com/post/what-ha...

What happens at ITRS, stays at ITRS

Attending the 14th International Temperate Reefs Symposium (ITRS) as a final-year postgraduate researcher.

dinathebiologist.com

After the conference, I took the chance to visit the Roscoff Biological Station founded in 1872 🌊🔬 It was a blast exploring the labs. Thanks to the lab manager for showing us around and #ITRS2025 for organising 🌊

Spontaneous final dinner was a blast (although I was running on 4hrs sleep)! Nice to meet you @trinebekkby.bsky.social 🌊

Trine Bekkby@trinebekkby.bsky.social · last yr.

Last night together before we all go back 🌸 #ITRS2025

Huge thanks to my funders @challengersoc.bsky.social, @britishecologicalsociety.org and ACCE DTP for making my attendance at #ITRS2025 possible 🌊🦀🐚

Dina-Leigh Simons@dinathebiologist.bsky.social · last yr.

ITRS 2025 ✅ 🌊 This week has been one of the best of my entire PhD. I met so many fantastic scientists doing meaningful work—and managed some well-needed exploring after sitting at a desk for so long. All my academic role models in one room? Amazing. #marinebiology #temperatereefs #ITRS2025 #ITRS25

ITRS 2025 ✅ 🌊 This week has been one of the best of my entire PhD. I met so many fantastic scientists doing meaningful work—and managed some well-needed exploring after sitting at a desk for so long. All my academic role models in one room? Amazing. #marinebiology #temperatereefs #ITRS2025 #ITRS25

I’m at the International Temperate Reef Symposium in France this week! My first ever international conference and biggest conference of my career so far! I’ll be presenting my work on Friday. If anyone is around, come find me!! 🌊 🧬 #ITRS25

Meet me and my supervisor, Nova, at #ITRS25 this week! Chatting all things rocky shores and eDNA 🧬 🌊

The Marine Biological Association@thembauk.bsky.social · last yr.

📍 Meet Dr Nova Mieszkowska at the International Temperate Reef Symposium! @marclim-uk.bsky.social‬ MBA Senior Research Fellow, Nova leads the global MarClim project on marine biodiversity & climate change. Discover her research, @journalofthemba.bsky.social‬, & Membership discount codes 🌿 #ITRS25

📢We're looking for a #MarineOrnithologist to join us! This varied role will include supporting a review of the Special Protection Area (SPA) network, data analysis & review of management measures. 📆 Closing date: 30 June 2025 👉 Learn more & apply here: bit.ly/JNCCpost202529 #JobOpportunity

Amazing time at @pintofscience.uk! The audience were so engaged and asked very insightful questions. Can’t wait until next year! 🧬 🌊 #pint25

I’ll be attending and talking at this year’s International Temperate Reef Symposium in Brest 🌊 Hit me up if you are attending too!

🚨New data paper/open data alert!🚨 BioTIME v2.0 is out now! We've expanded the database with improved spatial and taxonomic coverage, with a new R package! As always, free, public, and open acess :) Paper: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... Database: biotime.st-andrews.ac.uk

BioTIME 2.0: Expanding and Improving a Database of Biodiversity Time Series

Motivation Here, we make available a second version of the BioTIME database, which compiles records of abundance estimates for species in sample events of ecological assemblages through time. The up...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Dina-Leigh Simons @liverpooluni.bsky.social used #eDNA to survey rocky reef #biodiversity. Many spatial + environmental influences on intertidal #eDNA, but local abiotic stress gradients and known biogeographical patterns captured. Scale-appropriate sampling needed #UKDNAWG25

A surreal experience standing at the Royal Society podium to share my PhD research at the @ukdnawg.bsky.social Conference. Grateful for the opportunity to present my work on eDNA for coastal monitoring and to connect with such a brilliant community of researchers 🧬

@dinathebiologist.bsky.social from U of Liverpool traditional monitoring of rocky shores by visual surveys, but limited eg lack of ID. Can #eDNA complement? Multimarker approach. Few shared species by marker. Detections reflected known biogeographical patterns. Yes, eDNA complements #UKDNAWG25

Just a quick hi. Still here, still thesising. T-minus 2 months and 3 weeks (ish)…

Can't remember who said it, but using ChatGPT for your college essays is like using a forklift to move the weights around at the gym. It's the process that's important to your development, not the end product.

Although I wouldn’t describe myself as a bird person, I absolutely loved hosting the Liverpool book launch of ‘The Life-Affirming Magic of Birds’ by the fab @charliebingham.bsky.social 🐦 Such a lovely chat and great book💕 Go buy it!!

I’m speaking at @pintofscience! 🍻🧬Join me to explore how climate change is transforming our oceans — and how DNA might be able to help🌊 🗓️ Tue 20 May 2025 🕖7–9 PM (Doors 6:30 PM) 📍 Frederiks, 32 Hope Street, Liverpool 🎟️ £5 (tickets linked) pintofscience.co.uk/event/scienc...

Science, Culture & Society

What is the logic behind certain food prices? What is the reality of raising a child with more than one language? How does climate change affect habitats f…

pintofscience.co.uk

Just mapped out the last 4 months of this PhD—and I think I’ve got this?! Wild feeling. Ask me again next month.

Reminder that it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in PhD land. Rejected from two travel grants and a postdoc position last week. Rejected from a third travel grant today. No one is currently willing to give me their money (sigh)! At least my R code is looking dishy 😎