Dr Eva Plaganyi
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drevaplaganyi.bsky.social
Dr Eva Plaganyi
@drevaplaganyi.bsky.social

Research scientist, Marine Fisheries and Ecology, Climate Change, Biomathematics, Modelling, Marine Mammals. CSIRO | Ocean, Bird watching, bush walking | #SuperstarsOfSTEM | Opinions my own

Environmental science 74%
Geography 19%

Important insights into impacts of tropical cyclone: “The results were striking. Risks of dying from various causes consistently increased after a tropical cyclone. Generally, the risk peaked within the first two weeks of the cyclone, followed by a rapid decline”

theconversation.com/we-studied-2...
We studied 217 tropical cyclones globally to see how people died. Our findings might surprise you
Tropical cyclones can be even more deadly – and for a wider range of reasons – than we ever thought.
theconversation.com
Today the 2025 State of the Cryosphere report was published by over 50 leading cryosphere scientists.
An urgent warning about the global consequences of the meltdown of ice, including the risk of shutdown of the Atlantic Ocean current system #AMOC. 🌊
iccinet.org/statecryo25/

More on the incredible complex behaviour of orcas and how top predator inter-species interactions can complicate conservation efforts #orca #shark

www.cnn.com/2025/11/04/s...
Orcas seen hunting great white sharks to eat their livers in drone footage recorded in Mexico | CNN
Scientists working in Mexico have recorded multiple incidents in which a group of orcas hunt young great white sharks and eat their energy-rich livers.
www.cnn.com

Reposted by Éva E. Plagányi

Off Target: Peak Warming ‘Likely’ to Hit 2.8°C Under Current Policies
(Most Optimistic Pledges Still Fall Short at 1.9°C)

bit.ly/EGR-2025

UNEP. (2025). Emissions Gap Report 2025. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Reposted by Éva E. Plagányi

Out now! 📢

Ecology Matters: Conversations with Australian Ecologists

Australia’s ecologists share why nature matters across 30 essays with stunning photos – from ants & Antarctic mosses, to wallabies & waterways, to frogs & fungi. www.publishing.csiro.au/book/8205

@ecolsocaus.bsky.social
Ecology Matters
Australia is known for its spectacular and diverse natural environment, from sweeping landscapes to unique flora and fauna. It is a place that invokes wonder and demands protection in equal measure. Its ecology matters, as do the people who have dedicated their careers to understanding it – ecologists. But what do ecologists do? How do they end up studying strange and obscure species? What is it like to work in remote and unusual environments? What happens when disaster strikes? And what are their hopes and concerns for the future? In Ecology Matters, Australia’s preeminent ecologists explain why nature truly matters across 30 enlightening essays. Learn about crayfish and climate change, seed banks and seagrass restoration, floods and fire ecology, ants and Antarctic mosses, whales, waterways and wallabies, and frogs, feral cats and fungi. Featuring interviews with students, Indigenous rangers, restoration ecologists and leaders in the field, this collection of conversations spans the breadth and diversity of Australian ecology. Accompanied by spectacular images from around Australia, many captured by ecologists in the course of their work, Ecology Matters showcases a unique perspective of Australian nature.
www.publishing.csiro.au

Can you spot the lifer (new bird seen in one’s life) I saw in my neighbourhood this morning tiptoeing through the reeds? It’s a pale-vented bush-hen enjoying the post-storm puddles everywhere .. fortunately my partner recognised its loud call #BirdWatching #wildoz #qld

Important research highlighting the additional ecological role of polar bears in providing leftovers for scavengers in the Arctic - as #PolarBears are threatened by #ClimateChange this points once again to flow-on impacts on food webs

www.sciencenews.org/article/pola...
Polar bears provide millions of kilograms of food for other Arctic species
A new study shows how much food polar bears leave behind — and how their decline threatens scavengers across the Arctic.
www.sciencenews.org

Reposted by Éva E. Plagányi

Did you know that submarine cables on the deep ocean floor literally connect our world?

This map reveals the fragile & mostly unseen infrastructure carrying 99% of Earth's data traffic & providing internet access everywhere.
www.maps.com/submarine-ca...
🧪 🌊 ⚒️ 🌍 🌎 🌏 #gischat @seabed2030.bsky.social
The Underwater Cables That Connect the World
Explore the fragile and mostly unseen infrastructure that carries 99% of international data traffic and provides internet access around the world.
www.maps.com

Reposted by Éva E. Plagányi

Up to 59% of Antarctic ice shelves may be at risk of disappearing under high-emission scenarios by 2300, according to an analysis of the effect of ocean warming in Nature. This could result in up to 10 m of global sea-level rise. go.nature.com/47Ag4k1 🌊 🧪

This is so worrying and highlights global need for action to avoid further tipping points that will accelerate #ClimateChange

“Tree mortality has soared due to human-caused climate change, including rising temperatures, droughts and damaging tropical cyclones..”
Australia’s tropical forests are the first known to have switched from a sink to a source for atmospheric carbon.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/australia-tropical-forests-co2-cop30
Australia’s tropical forests now emit CO₂, clouding the COP30 talks
These tropical forest CO₂ emissions may warn of similar shifts in other regions, a key topic for COP30 climate talks in Brazil.
www.sciencenews.org
NOAA hurricane hunters flying aboard a P-3 Orion aircraft ("Kermit") are monitoring Hurricane Melissa as most aircraft steer clear. The storm poses a catastrophic threat to Jamaica and Haiti.

The crew are among the many federal workers working without pay during the US government shutdown.

A sky full of #termites this morning post-storm.. alates (flying termites looking to mate and settle) emerging in their thousands from just one underground nest. A protein-rich feast for birds but termite guards essential for #qld homes.

It’s Aussie Bird Count week and this juvenile eastern yellow robin has definitely been counted! She’s part of a long term study and just been banded to help with monitoring and understanding the complex life history of these beautiful birds. #MistNetting #Science #BirdCount #SunshineCoastHinterland

Reposted by Éva E. Plagányi

To preserve #biodiversity on a global scale, conservationists must more routinely use #PredictiveModels to assess which strategies succeed. Read the PNAS opinion: https://ow.ly/tkcj50XhElh

#ConservationBiology #GBF #ConventionOnBiologicalDiversity
The Blue Food Futures Fellowship application is now open!

Fellows receive 6 mo support at their home institution to address pressing issues in blue food + mentorship from a global blue research network + opportunities to present research at international fora

⬇️ More
bluefood.earth/fellowships/
Fellowships | BFFP
Blue Food Futures Fellows research critical questions about blue foods, filling knowledge gaps and providing actionable insights for global food and climate initiatives.
bluefood.earth

To be confirmed but very concerning: Australian scientists have observed signs consistent with H5 avian influenza in wildlife during a management voyage to sub-Antarctic Heard Island

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
Breaking: Deadly strain of bird flu suspected on remote Australian island
Suspected bird flu has reached Australia's sub-Antarctic Heard Island, with signs of the deadly H5 avian disease observed in elephant seals.
www.abc.net.au

Snakes enjoying the hot weather in Brisbane too.. this yellow-faced whipsnake was out exploring this morning, and showing off some striking eye liner! Venomous but mainly if you’re the size of a mouse or smaller

Good explainer and discussion of potential role of climate change re the unusual storm - Typhoon Halong likely fueled by the Pacific’s near-record warm surface temperatures - feel for these hard-hit communities

theconversation.com/typhoon-leav...
Typhoon leaves flooded Alaska villages facing a storm recovery far tougher than most Americans will ever experience
‘As the storm approached Alaska, everything went sideways,’ leaving people no time to evacuate and little time to prepare. An Alaska meteorologist explains what happened and the challenges ahead.
theconversation.com
Interesting. This says in words some stuff that has bothered me for a long time - like why European and American scientists get to parachute in to research the African fauna that I literally grew up with, but it would seem really odd if I started a project on moose or reindeer.
🦒Biologists are often drawn to charismatic species but they do not always have the opportunity to study them. This study reveals some fierce competition in certain academic fields, and illustrates unequal social distribution of research opportunities➡️https://buff.ly/kjYUIBg

Agreed.. here’s a follow up pic from my garden where the tawny frogmouth chick managed to mimic the parents cool pose, apart from fluffy belly feathers and only for a short while before relaxing again into a round puffball!

Tawny #frogmouth voted Australian 2025 bird of the year - and it’s about time! Here’s one of my favourite photos of a curious chick and parent (male) desperately trying to get the fluffball to imitate how to look like a branch 😊 #Camoflauge #AwesomeBirds #wildoz

Such a heartwarming galah rescue story using the old fashioned MacGyer approach 😊
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
Mates take matters into their own hands to rescue trapped galah
A lifetime sailor says his experience problem-solving with limited resources helped figure out how to rescue a galah trapped in an 8-metre-tall power pole.
www.abc.net.au

Reposted by Éva E. Plagányi

📚 EXCERPT: In 2002, an online database was set up allowing birdwatchers to record their species observations. It is now a vast resource, shaping scientific research.

👉 theconversation.com/the-rem...

Another idyllic day on Brisbane/Meanjin’s north Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) watching dolphin pods and humpback whales as they start their long journey towards Antarctic feeding grounds #WhaleWatching #BottlenoseDolphin
A 2024 study found that ants best humans at tests of collective intelligence.

Learn more on #WorldAnimalDay: https://scim.ag/42nMvQJ

Reposted by Éva E. Plagányi

Florida's 1,100 natural springs face threats from reduced flow, habitat loss, and excessive algae. Many popular springs are impaired by pollution, despite $357 million spent on restoration since 2011. A geographer explains how to restore them:
Florida’s 1,100 natural springs are under threat – a geographer explains how to restore them
Florida’s springs are a window into the state’s groundwater system. Revitalizing them will require multiple solutions tailored to each spring.
buff.ly

I agree as there’s been ongoing uncertainty whether oysters are carbon positive or negative but if I understand this study it indicates an overall net benefit. My colleagues note they measured marine CO2 removal, which isn’t 1-1 with atmospheric CO2 removal, so there’s hope but still uncertainty

An excellent thought-provoking read about what we as humans should be contemplating before we resist or resign ourselves to the GenAI revolution. Just one of several great quotes:

“Promote and produce original work of value, work that’s cliché-resistant and unreplicable, work that tries”
YES! THIS on GenAI!

Please read this absolutely splendid piece of writing that had me cheering, a little bit weepy, and writing in the margins:

"An extraordinary amount of money is spent by the AI industry to ensure that acquiescence is the only plausible response. But marketing is not destiny."
Large Language Muddle | The Editors
The AI upheaval is unique in its ability to metabolize any number of dread-inducing transformations. The university is becoming more corporate, more politically oppressive, and all but hostile to the ...
www.nplusonemag.com