Ending this almost a month-long research trip here in Katsuura, Chiba where I examined the black coral collections at Umihaku (Coastal Branch of Natural History Museum & Institute). Especially grateful to curator Dr. Kensuke Yanagi whose exceptional hospitality is second to none!

Visited yesterday the small yet important black coral collection of the late Prof. Kumao Kinoshita (1881-1947), a prominent Japanese coral taxonomist. Some of his specimens are currently missing but several are deposited at The University of Tokyo where he used to work.

I am usually powered by caffeine everyday but spent the whole day earlier drowned by fumes of either ethanol or formalin. Such a privilege to examine the black coral collection of the late Emperor Showa at the Museum of Nature and Science (NSMT). One important collection down, onward to the next!

Wrapped up my training on NGS workflows at AIST. Working on black coral systematics. Grateful to @hkise.bsky.social for the invite, access to facilities and resources, as well as hands-on instruction. Travel support was made possible by @icrs.bsky.social graduate fellowship.

We are proud to celebrate the recipients of this year’s ICRS awards 🪸🏆 Each recognition reflects not only scientific excellence, but also dedication, collaboration, and meaningful contributions to to coral reef science and conservation. Congratulations to all awardees!

Hello Hello! I'd like to share our recent letter on coral reef-related policy published in Science! 🪸🪸🪸 Endangered Species Act changes threaten reefs www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... 🪸🪸🪸 More below ⬇️

Endangered Species Act changes threaten reefs

science.org

Google Scholar seems a bit unresponsive to Boolean search operators lately or it is just on my end?

Counting down my days as a fellow at SI NMNH. Nothing but pure bliss to be here.

Workspace at NMNH MSC. #taxonomy #blackcorals

First day of fellowship begins today.

Back on land after a month of being at sea sampling in Earth's most remote ecosystem - the deep sea. Always just grateful for the experience and the kind people I have met during that time. @dsbsoc.bsky.social

Another exciting 2025 #DSBSoc support awardee! Meet Kurt Bacharo (@kurtbb.bsky.social), a grad student in the @miselab.bsky.social at U. of the Ryukyus working with #BlackCorals and currently aboard the #JAMSTEC R/V Kaimei exploring the biodiversity off the Daito Islands. Read more in alt-text!

The D-ARK (Deep-Sea Archaic Refugia in Karst) voyage continues! Was able to join as an @oceancensus.bsky.social participant last year. And now, on its second year, I am lucky to be part of it again with the generous cruise support provided by @dsbsoc.bsky.social.

🎨🔬 CALLING ALL ARTISTS & DEEP-SEA SCIENTISTS! 💡 Open to ALL artists & scientists 
🗓 Deadline: August 31 
📍 Apply via the short form in our bio / link below! 🔗 forms.gle/SftLbez3ML2j...

In case you missed it: SSB is hosting a breakout meeting Jan 9-11. Thinking about hosting a workshop or tutorial? Email @jembrown.bsky.social for more information - or find him at the in-person #evol2025 in two weeks! ssb2026.github.io

Excited to share our study on sailing siphonophores, AKA bluebottles or man-o'-war! 🌊 we received hundreds of samples from scientists around the world, part of a huge effort to sequence genomes and test for multiple species 🧬 out today in @currentbiology.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.cu... 🦑🧪📌

A new species of black coral, represented by two specimens collected 738 m and 1604 m deep off Puerto Rico and Hawaii, respectively, is recognized in the family Schizopathidae. See its description here: doi.org/10.3897/zook...

Description of a new species of Stauropathes (Anthozoa, Antipatharia, Schizopathidae) from Puerto Rico

A new species of black coral, Stauropathes monopinnata sp. nov., represented by two specimens collected 738 m and 1604 m deep off Puerto Rico and Hawaii, respectively, is recognized in the family Schi...

doi.org

Many may not remember the DENDROGRAMMA mystery! This weird mushroom-shaped thing was described in 2014 as a "new metazoan" of unknown affinities! They were hinting that it might be a new phylum-but THEN 2 years later @drtimohara.bsky.social sequenced it and BOING! BENTHIC #SIPHONOPHORE!

Looking to join a marine expedition — but need funding support? 🚢 The Ocean Census Expedition Awards are now OPEN for applications. Find out more and apply 👇 oceancensus.org/publications...

The Ocean Census Expedition Awards are now open

The Ocean Census Expedition Awards provide support to taxonomists, biodiversity and community scientists who wish to take part in an existing expedition onboard a research vessel.

oceancensus.org

Interesting video showing off the Antarctic brittle star Ophionotus cleaning itself off! #echinoday youtube.com/shorts/9cBOk...

Antarctica - the Kingdom of the Echinoderm!

YouTube video by Inkfish Expeditions

youtube.com

New paper by MISE octocoral crazy collectors and friends!! @lauramacrina.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Biodiversity and biogeography of zooxanthellate soft corals across the Indo-Pacific - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Biodiversity and biogeography of zooxanthellate soft corals across the Indo-Pacific

nature.com

A feather star, sitting on this weird sponge/black coral cluster, 1445 m but with interestingly weird arm movements! Kure Atoll #okeanos #saveNOAA #echinoday

A curiousity! Glass sponge with a black coral inundated within it! 981 m #okeanos #saveNOAA #spongethursday

Visual depiction of the evolutionary trend of black coral skeletal networks and ridges. www.nature.com/articles/s42...

🚨 Fossilized Black Corals 🚨 Includes two transitional species too! Come learn about the evolutionary trend toward regularity in the axial skeleton from the Ordovician to modern day antipatharians (includes reduced ridges and a longitudinal fusion of networks). www.nature.com/articles/s42...

Unveiling the early evolution of black corals - Communications Biology

The authors describe two transitional species of Sterictopathes from the Middle Ordovician of Shaanxi, China, bridging the fossil gaps and thereby elevating the genus Sterictopathes to a new family, S...

nature.com

Calling all marine scientists involved in marine species discovery 📣 The Ocean Census Species Discovery Awards are now open for applications. These are financial awards, generously provided by The Nippon Foundation, to help fund the discovery of new species. Info here: oceancensus.org/awards/

Was at #AWESOMECON here in DC and wow. Handmade PLUSHIE NUDIBRANCHS! Sometimes I think education about invertebrates is working! #molluscmonday

The Ocean Census Species Discovery Awards support outstanding taxonomists, biodiversity and community scientists involved in marine species discovery. Financial awards available to apply for now oceancensus.org/awards/

Benthic siphonophores! aka Sea Dandelions! GORGEOUS, weird & deadly! All those thin threads? stinging cells! but also holding the animal in place. It has created a curtain of death around it as food gets stung and eaten! #okeanos Lumpy Seamount North Atlantic #saveNOAA

IRIDIGORGIA! the fireworks coral-for #octocoralFriday #Okeanos #saveNOAA south of Hawaiian Islands, about 700m I think? from dive 4 of the shakedown cruise!