Dr Lesley Russell
@lrussellwolpe.bsky.social
Health policy wonk, political tragic, hiking & skiing nut. Sydney 🇦🇺 and Keystone 🇺🇸
250 million birds flew across America last night, tracked by radar. Migration season is upon us, and it’s wilder than you could imagine. Birdcast’s live migration maps and forecasts (from Cornell Lab of Ornithology) are brilliant, and you can find them here. birdcast.org/migration-to...
Dolly Parton commanded nearly universal admiration among Americans—and her death “leaves an absence that no contemporary cultural figure could dream of filling,” @dgraham.bsky.social writes in The Atlantic Daily. theatln.tc/owx8oCaS 📸: Tom Hill / WireImage / Getty
Scientists have extracted mitochondria from a woman’s leg muscles and injected them into her eyes in an attempt to treat severe blindness go.nature.com/3UrjVga
Patient’s own mitochondria injected into eyes in attempt to restore vision
Nature - Injection of a person’s own mitochondria into the retina was safe but had only a temporary effect on restoring vision.
go.nature.com
Uh oh! And during Fat Marmot Week! The cute but destructive rodents are criminal masterminds, easily circumventing humans’ meager defenses. www.wsj.com/lifestyle/tr...
Marmots Are Terrorizing California Hikers and Stealing Their Shoes
The cute but destructive rodents are criminal masterminds, easily circumventing humans’ meager defenses.
wsj.com
H5N1 has not yet been detected on Macquarie Island, about 1500 kilometres south-east of Tasmania, but expert assessments predict a high likelihood of a significant mortality event during the upcoming breeding season. www.smh.com.au/environment/...
‘Psychological risk to staff’: Looming mass mortality threat on Macquarie Island prompts evacuation
Staff at a research base in the Southern Ocean will be evacuated to avoid the psychological harm of witnessing H5N1 bird flu wipe out thousands of elephant seals.
smh.com.au
Six narwhals outfitted with transmitters explored remote East Greenland waters for 3 years, bringing data back to scientists that suggest warm Atlantic water is reaching glaciers located deep within East Greenland fjords. Learn more in #ScienceAdvances: https://scim.ag/4zApAkl
It's disgusting that this unpopular clown is using Dolly Parton's death to ride on her legacy of generosity and popularity. He has to use AI because Dolly Parton was never photographed with Donald Trump in real life. Because he is everything she disliked: selfish, dishonest, mean, and rude.
A last hike in Svalbard: landing at Sundneset and a hike to tundra, lakes and rocky outcrops. Lots of signs of polar bears, reindeer - great care taken that there were none around for us to disturb. Flocks of barnacle geese and eider ducks. #ArcticAdventure
Finally! A polar bear photo where you can tell it's a bear. This one meant no beach landing at Kapp Lee but barely moved despite the zodiacs cruising around and a noisy gathering of walrus on the beach. #ArcticAdventure
The WHO has declared Uganda Ebola-free even as the bordering Democratic Republic of Congo faces a deadly, fast-growing epidemic that has killed at least 2,744 people, among 5,713 confirmed cases, according to local health authorities www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
Uganda declared Ebola-free even as Congo faces deadly, fast-growing epidemic
Uganda's final Ebola patient was discharged from hospital care on July 16.
washingtonpost.com
Up at 4:00am as we sailed through the narrow but deep Heleysundet - passage between Barents Island and Olav V Land. Swirling currents and whirlpools highlighted by sunshine, glaciers and cliffs, a lone walrus. #ArcticAdventure
New survey investigates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ scientific priorities www.croakey.org/new-survey-i... #publichealth
A fabulous day exploring area around Boltodden in Storfjord, Spitzbergen / Svalbard. Morning hike along glaciated valley with remains of old miners' huts, some dinosaur footprints found in 2012 (125mill yo), geese, glimpse of an Arctic fox. Guudes w guns but no polar bears. #ArcticAdventure
Great excitement - we are approaching Svalbard! Major expeditions planned for tomorrow - tundra flora, dinosaur footprints, glaciers. #ArcticAdventure
A curlew sandpiper, with its elegantly curved bill, landing at Bald Hill Beach a couple of seasons ago. Curlew sandpipers are listed as critically endangered here in Australia. They will be returning soon from their northern hemisphere breeding grounds & I do hope they are not hit hard by bird flu.
Sailing to Svalbard #ArcticAdventure Seas have picked up, now a 2m swell but blue skies. Lectures on Svalbard history, plants, birdlife. No Northern Lights but amazing skies late last night
Thredbo and Perisher resorts are reportedly experiencing the third-lowest snow levels since records began in 1954, and a couple of smaller resorts have already called it quits on this year’s season – a few weeks shy of the usual close. www.smh.com.au/business/com...
Thredbo’s woes: Is a ski resort without snow like a pub with no beer?
Historically, there has been a vanity aspect to owning both of Australia’s major alpine resorts, Thredbo and Perisher. But global warming has melted their appeal.
smh.com.au
Sightings of 'Sammy' the seal lying near dead birds in Portland spark community concerns
Sightings of 'Sammy' the seal lying next to dead birds spark concerns
Portland residents are calling for authorities to protect a celebrity elephant seal known as Sammy from the bird flu outbreak.
abc.net.au
Listening to the bush: how AI can help NZ rid its wilderness of ‘hold-out’ pest possums. theconversation.com/listening-to...
Listening to the bush: how AI can help NZ rid its wilderness of ‘hold-out’ pest possums
AI listening devices could help find New Zealand’s last remaining possums – but only if they don’t mistake bird calls for pests. Here’s how a new fix works.
theconversation.com
Australia has just 12,000 sea lions left – and ‘carnage’ may await them as bird flu takes hold, scientists warn
Australia has just 12,000 sea lions left – and ‘carnage’ may await them as bird flu takes hold, scientists warn
Virus has already caused catastrophic losses in pinnipeds in South America and sub-Antarctica, particularly among pups * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Scientists have warned deadly H5 bird flu could cause “carnage” for Australia’s seal and sea lion populations after detection of the virus in long-nosed fur seals in South Australia. SA confirmed Australia’s first case in a mammal on Saturday after a dead long-nosed fur seal found at Beachport on the Limestone Coast tested positive for H5N1. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
100 days since the outbreak of Ebola was declared in the DRC. 5500 confirmed cases and counting, over 2600 deaths. 90 case daily average. The outbreak is still outpacing the response. Several trials are underway for antivirals and vaccines www.afro.who.int/countries/de...
Over 5200 cases recorded as Democratic Republic of the Congo crosses 100 days since Ebola outbreak declaration
Kinshasa—One hundred days have passed since the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak, which has now become the country's fastest growing. Transmission is outpacing cont...
afro.who.int
PS. For Shackleton fans and those interested in marine archeology, totally recommend Mensun Bound's book on finding the Endurance beneath the ice.
Dr Lesley Russell@lrussellwolpe.bsky.social · 6d agoSea day aboard Sylvia Earle as we head towards Svalbard. Lectures on photography, nautical charts, whales and mandatory briefing on polar bear safety. In case we miss seeing polar bears, there's a contribution from our cabin steward! #ArcticAdventure
Sea day aboard Sylvia Earle as we head towards Svalbard. Lectures on photography, nautical charts, whales and mandatory briefing on polar bear safety. In case we miss seeing polar bears, there's a contribution from our cabin steward! #ArcticAdventure
After a day at sea sailing north we arrived at tiny Jan Mayen - a volcanic (active) island in middle of Norwegian Sea. Just a weather station w military presence, lots of seabirds, incl puffins, auks, amazing geology. #ArcticAdventure
A long-nosed fur seal has been announced as the first confirmed death of a mammal by the deadly bird flu virus that is now spreading through Australia, a development in the progression of the virus long expected but dreaded by scientists. www.smh.com.au/environment/...
First mammal death from bird flu confirmed, a dreaded advance of killer virus
The long-nosed fur seal, one of 11 detections announced by the CSIRO on Sunday, was found at Beachport in South Australia.
smh.com.au
Who knew? And claiming Iceland as the birthplace of cricket! 🏏
Iceland Cricket@icelandcricket.bsky.social · last wk.We need more talented cricketers in Iceland. If you can play a bit and have an Icelandic grandparent or fifth cousin, get in touch. If you have even watched some films by Baltasar Kormákur, we will think about it.
