Huge thanks to an amazing team of co-authors: Douglas McCauley, Migdonio González, @connollyseanr.bsky.social, Brígida de Gracia, @jonscibulski.bsky.social, Richard Norris, María Mercedes Gómez, Irene García-Pérez, Nicole Leonard, Jian-xin Zhao, Kimberly García-Méndez, and @odealab.bsky.social

How many #sharks should there be on a coral #reef? Our new publication in Science tackles this question using thousands of fossil shark dermal denticles—tiny, tooth-like scales that are shed and preserve in sediments—from Panama's two oceans. Check it out here: doi.org/10.1126/scie...

#isoecol2026 is now live for abstract and workshop submission! Come join us in Hong Kong! DM with any questions and please share!

The Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS)@swimshku.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Calling all isotope ecologists! We are delighted to welcome you to the 14th International Conference on the Applications of Stable Isotope Techniques to Ecological Studies (IsoEcol 2026), at the University of Hong Kong. The submission deadline is 13 April 2026. www.isoecol.com/2026/

Thank you for coming!

Mónica Medina@momedinamunoz.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Just finished guest teaching a 2-week module in evolutionary and ancient DNA genomics for Hong Kong U’s masters program on Integrative Marine Ecology & Conservation. Great students! Great fun! Great location! Thabk you for the invitatiob! www.scifac.hku.hk/prospective/...

Thanks to my amazing coauthors: Rodnyel Arosemena, @jonscibulski.bsky.social , Brígida De Gracia, @sethf.bsky.social , @otolith-lin.bsky.social , Javiera Mora, Sven Pallacks, and @odealab.bsky.social !

By analyzing thousands of otoliths preserved in sediments, we found that fish were larger on average at death on reefs in Pacific Panama, compared to those along the Caribbean coast, and that this difference has widened over time.

New paper out today! "Fossil otolith assemblages reveal millennial-scale changes in reef fish biomass and trophic structure across the Isthmus of Panama" 🔓https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0419 We used fossil fish otoliths to reconstruct community structure and energetics over millennia.

A juvenile bull shakr found in Hong Kong ! sc.mp/s2ygf?utm_so...

Bull shark found stranded in Hong Kong mudflats returned to sea by residents

Despite being caught in Pak Nai fishing nets, scientist says presence of juvenile shark suggests city’s ‘abused’ marine ecosystem is recovering.

sc.mp

The @swimshku.bsky.social whale has returned!

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP@hongkongfp.com · 9mo ago

A replica of a famous whale skeleton has been unveiled near Shek O, after the original bones were damaged in a typhoon. In full: buff.ly/ZTJ6eAe

Final reminder to consider submitting an abstract to join our thematic session on "Reefs through time" at the @icrs.bsky.social meeting next July. The call for abstracts closes Dec 1! See below for details. Hope to see you there!

Erin Dillon@erinmdillon.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Work on reef paleoecology? Join our session "Reefs through time: leveraging today's interdisciplinary tools to better understand the past of reef organisms and ecosystems" at the 2026 International Coral Reef Symposium 📆Abstract deadline: Dec 1, 2025 🔗https://www.icrs2026.nz/call-for-abstracts

We are so excited to welcome such a great addition to #HKU Science! Can't wait to collaborate!

Matthieu Leray, PhD@mattleray.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Excited to share that my lab is moving to HKU @swimshku.bsky.social early next year! Really looking forward to working with great colleagues in the Baker, Schunter, Mcilroy, Gaitan and Russell labs, @bonebraking.bsky.social, @jonscibulski.bsky.social and others in the School of Biological Sciences

New paper alert! "Isotopic evidence of increased societal diversification in Pre-Columbian Panama" www.researchgate.net/publication/...

(PDF) Isotopic evidence of increased societal diversification in Pre-Columbian Panama

PDF | The Pre-Columbian history of Panama stands in unique contrast to the state-level societies of Mesoamerica to the north and the Andes to the south.... | Find, read and cite all the research you n...

researchgate.net

New paper alert! See press release here! Palaeonology: A small subject has big questions www.fau.eu/2025/09/news...

Palaeonology: A small subject has big questions

The involvement of around 200 researchers from over 30 different countries and more than five years’ work have resulted in 89 “Big Questions” – the most important research questions in paleontology…

fau.eu

Work on reef paleoecology? Join our session "Reefs through time: leveraging today's interdisciplinary tools to better understand the past of reef organisms and ecosystems" at the 2026 International Coral Reef Symposium 📆Abstract deadline: Dec 1, 2025 🔗https://www.icrs2026.nz/call-for-abstracts

Our @icrs.bsky.social 2026 session is now open for abstract submission! Consider it if you work on reef systems through time!

Erin Dillon@erinmdillon.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Work on reef paleoecology? Join our session "Reefs through time: leveraging today's interdisciplinary tools to better understand the past of reef organisms and ecosystems" at the 2026 International Coral Reef Symposium 📆Abstract deadline: Dec 1, 2025 🔗https://www.icrs2026.nz/call-for-abstracts

📊 new paper! The natural phenomenon of upwelling, which normally occurs every year in the Gulf of Panama, failed for the first time on record in 2025... www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... [most co-authors not on bluesky except @javsdiaz.bsky.social @jonscibulski.bsky.social]...

SWIMS will be a very busy place from tomorrow because Integrative Marine Ecology & Conservation (IMEC) MSc has launched! Tomorrow, forty-four students will start their journey at SWIMS and HKU. Their first class – Ocean Biodiversity, is at 9am. Welcome to SWIMS, everyone! @jonscibulski.bsky.social

Dr Jon Cybulski @jonscibulski.bsky.social talks about the story of his latest paper: Historical Ecology of the Southern Central American Pacific Coast. With @odealab.bsky.social More: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... #marinescience #centralamerica #humanspecies #sustainability

Awesome postdoc opportunity with some really great people. If you are interested in spatial paleoecology, take a look and spread the word!

The Spatial Ecology & Paleontology Lab @GT@sepl.bsky.social · last yr.

Join our community! Seeking a postdoc jointly supervised by Jenny McGuire (GATech) and Michelle Lawing (TX A&M). Details here: www.mcguire.gatech.edu/paleontology...

I have never been more honoured. My overhead mobility looking great.

Ian Cooke-Tapia, illustrator@iancooketapia.bsky.social · last yr.

A cute drawing of one @jonscibulski.bsky.social being an amazing power(?)lifter and educator. Also scientist.

🌊Just out! We reviewed the history of human-ocean interactions, focusing on the Pacific coast of the Southern Central Asmerican Isthmus (Panamá and Costa Rica). Over 16K years of stories on culture, environment, and ecology! royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10.... Illustration: Madeline Dall

Historical ecology of the Southern Central American Pacific coast | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

The Pacific coast of the Southern Central American Isthmus is a highly productive and biodiverse region with a rich human history. Although the interaction of the oceans, climate, biodiversity and early human systems has shaped the region’s ecology, ...

royalsocietypublishing.org

Very excited for our new @pnas.org manuscript investigating changes in “big and little fish” ecology over the last several thousand years in the Caribbean! See awesome thread by @odealab.bsky.social below. Go collaborative science team!!

Aaron O'Dea@odealab.bsky.social · last yr.

🐠🦈 Just out: In this paper we ask "How has reef trophic structure changed since humans started removing predatory fishes from Caribbean coral reefs?". www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... Illustrations @cookedillustrations.com