Elena Kazamia
@drkazzie.bsky.social
scientist, writer regular contributor to Nautilus magazine writing a book about algae
We reach for "symbiosis" as a shorthand for harmony or neat partnership. But from 19th-century botany to modern lichen biology, the true nature of living together is far stranger. On heartbreak, de Bary, and why a lichen is actually a song: splashofelectricink.substack.com/p/a-lichen-i...
A lichen is a song
We treat "symbiosis" as a synonym for ideal partnership, but the true nature of lichen reveals a much stranger, fluid reality.
splashofelectricink.substack.com
I had a lot of catching up to do when it comes to reading sci-fi. But one voice stood out above all others after a spring of reading quite a few books - Ted Chiang. A little review on my substack here. Don't forget to add your voice in a comment: open.substack.com/pub/splashof...
My Accidental Sci-Fi Spring (And Why Richard Dawkins Is Wrong About AI)
Driven by the uncanny era of silicon minds, I read thirty sci-fi books in three months. I found a few duds, a lot of magic, and the one writer who actually understands our future.
open.substack.com
In my essay on 'what are corals' I might have gone slightly overboard with the metaphors. I describe coral as 'stinging flowers', 'vases', 'mythological creatures' and 'crocheted rocks'. I guess my love language is metaphors #MarineLife 🪸 Lets keep them rolling in the comments 👇
Elena Kazamia@drkazzie.bsky.social · 4mo agoTo complement my feature on the coral reef tipping point for @nautil.us I wrote a deep dive essay on a fundamental question: who are the corals? #addOcean #naturewriting #newnaturewriting open.substack.com/pub/splashof...
To complement my feature on the coral reef tipping point for @nautil.us I wrote a deep dive essay on a fundamental question: who are the corals? #addOcean #naturewriting #newnaturewriting open.substack.com/pub/splashof...
THE MOST FLUID OF STONES
The hardest question in coral biology is not how to save coral, but understanding what coral is.
open.substack.com
After I read this piece @nautil.us I immediately bought Tennyson's new biography. Lovely to hear the author, Richard Holmes read some poetry too, embedded in the article. Tennyson is perfect for our moment of #newnaturewriting "Words, like nature, half reveal and half conceal the soul within".
Philip Ball@philipcball.bsky.social · 5mo agoReally nice piece by Kevin Berger in @nautil.us on the new biography of Tennyson by the master biographer of the Romantics Richard Holmes. nautil.us/a-poet-of-sc...
My piece on the coral reef tipping point, with on the ground reporting from the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is out today for @nautil.us Ask me anything in the comments. Coral Reefs Are at a Tipping Point - nautil.us/coral-reefs-...
Coral Reefs Are at a Tipping Point
Coral Reefs Are at a Tipping Point: My underwater dive to discover whether the beautiful ocean organisms are ever coming back
nautil.us
There is a new magazine on the block, launched by some of my favorite journalists! A piece from the first issue @nowvoyagermagazine.bsky.social If you enjoyed Robert Macfarlane's @robgmacfarlane.bsky.social Is A River Alive, try nowvoyagermag.com/reporting/th... (story by @t-mcconnell.bsky.social).
The Barrister Fighting to Give English Rivers Legal Rights | Now Voyager
Paul Powlesland, River Roding, UK, rights of nature, citizen scientists, legal rights rivers and trees, eco-activism.
nowvoyagermag.com
What a beautiful essay by @brandonkeim.bsky.social in @nautil.us on dreaming bumblebees and asters. It is a balm for the heavy heart. The perfect autumn read. (And such masterful writing!) nautil.us/the-dreams-o...
The Dreams of a Bumblebee in Autumn
The Dreams of a Bumblebee in Autumn: Yes, bees dream. We can even imagine what.
nautil.us
I saw this rose on my walk today, and it was so obnoxiously beautiful, I decided it should live on forever in the metaverse. If AI is going to slop up all our writing and images on the internet, let the bots feast on this! And know that they could never even come close.
Can I share this curious bit of Faroese art factoid. The first Faroese artist Díðrikur á Skarvanesi died in obscurity, but his illustration of Faroese breeding birds (approx 1830s) is truly unique and (mayb biased) but I think this great skua is particularly beautiful 🌍🧪 #ornithology #teamskua #art
So excited to receive my copy of 'The lives of lichen' after visiting Professor Toby Spribille's lab at the University of Alberta. Lichen have been challenging biologists for 100+ years now, repeatedly pushing us to reconsider much of what we think we know about life. "Lichen is a song"...
Salmon reach headwaters for first time in a century after California dam removal www.sfchronicle.com/california/a...
Salmon reach headwaters for first time in a century after California dam removal
Chinook salmon on the Klamath River made it all the way to the river’s headwaters in southern Oregon some 300 miles from the Pacific for the first time in over a century.
sfchronicle.com
This morning I joined the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN): www.garn.org I am excited to hear about the work of local hubs, and especially the legal teams who are working towards building and enforcing legal protections for our ecosystems. ✌️💙
Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN)
GARN is a network of organizations and individuals committed to the implementation of legal systems that respect and enforce Rights of Nature.
garn.org
International eyes needed on Ecuador rn, where an organised assault on constitutional integrity, land- & water-defenders, the rights of nature & Indigenous rights is currently in full swing, as directed by the newly elected president Noboa. Excellent piece here: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
Indigenous and environmental leaders in Ecuador say they are facing state intimidation
Critics say referendum on rewriting country’s eco-friendly constitution is president’s latest pro-extractivist move
theguardian.com
One of my favorite books to have on hand while writing is Werner's 'Nomenclature of Colors'. Legend has it that Darwin used to travel with a copy as well. Today I have been staring at the 'Purples' page and trying to decide which shade best describes the Pacific ocean at noon. Far far from land...
The newest issue of Nautilus is here, and we're covering all things animals! Rhinos, mice, and you. Yes, even you. Subscribe today and get your copy of The Animal Issue: nautil.us/join/
A short piece I wrote on recent research into cats understanding human language
Nautilus Magazine@nautil.us · last yr.Cats are adept at deciphering human communication. Cats can differentiate between their own name and similar-sounding nouns, follow human pointing, and can tell when their owner is angry or happy. 🧪
(1/5) On a distant savannah, two rhinos move like ancient stones under the sun. Najin and Fatu, the last of their kind, carry 10 million years on their backs. Their story asks: Can we outwit extinction—or just learn how to say goodbye? 🔗 nautil.us/the-last-of-... @drkazzie.bsky.social @nautil.us
The Last of Their Kind
Are efforts to resurrect the northern white rhino more technological hubris than genuine conservation?
nautil.us
My latest piece for @nautil.us on efforts to bring back the northern white rhino from the brink of extinction. This took six months of reporting, reading and trying to better understand the nuance of the debates around conservation. With my respect to all the voices, I invite you to read it!
Nautilus Magazine@nautil.us · last yr.The last two Northern white rhinos, Najin and Fatu, have been put through a lot by the scientists trying to save their species. It begs the question: are efforts to resurrect extinct animals genuine conservation, or technological hubris? 🧪
in case you're wondering, "what's the harm in claiming an extinct species has been brought back from the dead" when it most certainly has not, our interior secretary is already using it to justify taking animals off the endangered species list
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌@chanda.blacksky.app · last yr.Shout out to the home of my monthly column, @newscientist.com, which nailed their headline about the genetically modified GREY wolves www.newscientist.com/article/2475...
It's not a dire wolf. It's a gray wolf clone with 20 dire-wolf gene edits, and with some dire wolf traits. And here's my story! Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/s...
For the love of blue 💙 and searching hard for that which is always there, a connection to the past
Nautilus Magazine@nautil.us · 2y agoA Mexican artist rediscovered a pigment of blue used 1,000 years ago by his Mayan ancestors to decorate objects as well as to cover the skin of people and animals during rituals. 🧪
I wrote a piece on ancient tattoos! Incredible what laser aging can reveal, and strange to think that my own tattoo of a koi fish might long outlive me
Nautilus Magazine@nautil.us · 2y agoLaser analysis of a South American mummy's tattoos reveals stunning precision and artistry, with lines three times finer than a modern standard tattoo needle. 🧪
I wrote about swamps in film, and had a ball with the lede 💚 (also, time it is, for a Yoda emoji, me thinks)
Nautilus Magazine@nautil.us · 2y agoSwamps tend to be portrayed in media as pretty unhappy places. This portrayal does a disservice to wetlands, critical resources of biodiversity and in desperate need of conservation. 🧪
An incredible story of tragedy and resilience, and the personhood of a wave. I especially loved the ending, a gem.
Nautilus Magazine@nautil.us · 2y agoAfter a devastating ecological disaster, locals passed a law to recognize the waves at the mouth of the Rio Doce in Brazil as a living being with intrinsic rights to existence, regeneration, and restoration.
This was one of the best reads of the year - such a thoughtful conversation between a philosopher and a deep thinker about AI, and the kinship (none!) between human and machine minds
Nautilus Magazine@nautil.us · 2y ago“We’re not going to deal with the climate emergency or the fracturing of the foundations of democracy unless we can reassert a confidence in human thinking and judgment. And everything in the AI world is working against that.” @philipcball.bsky.social speaks to @shannonvallor.bsky.social on AI
