Trevor A. Branch
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trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch
@trevorabranch.bsky.social
11K followers 280 following 1.4K posts

Professor at Univ of Washington @uwsafs.bsky.social I run models and synthesize data, love R graphics, and do research on the status of marine fisheries, fishing quotas, and blue whales @bluewhalenews.bsky.social

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Environmental science 66%
Geography 18%
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trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · Mar 19
Sorting out the history of whaling pressure on five populations of blue whales in the Indian Ocean and SW Pacific. So many years of work went into this monumental collaboration with many many coauthors. So pleased to see this paper finally published.
doi.org/10.1111/mms....
bluewhalenews.bsky.social Blue whale news @bluewhalenews.bsky.social · Mar 19
Published! Our huge effort to obtain catch series for each of five overlapping populations of pygmy blue whales. Big collaboration with 30+ coauthors using spatial patterns of blue whale song (unique to each population) to figure out where each resides 1/n

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 1d
"Externally, [Rice's and Bryde's] whales are so similar that only genetic testing or detailed inspection of skulls can reliably distinguish them, [...]: if two organisms appear and behave similarly, should they be classified as varieties of the same species?"
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 1d
Very subtle skull differences between Rice's and Bryde's whales, given the small sample size (2 Rice's whale skulls) are not sufficient: "species designations should be based on multiple diagnostic characters and more than a few
specimens"
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 1d
The key evidence comes from mtDNA, but this could be fixed by a bottleneck event where a few founders establish an isolated population. Instead, Davis argues that genomic data is needed to determine if Rice's whale should be a new species

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 1d
Doubt raised about whether Rice's whale (close relative of Bryde's and Eden's whale) should be a species given that genetic divergence could be caused by a recent bottleneck from whaling, and not true inability to interbreed with other species onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 4d
Replacing capture fisheries with agriculture production, would increase extinction risk of fish by 2.6 times since agriculture is a main cause of freshwater fish extinctions, and freshwater fish are most at risk of extinction
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Biodiversity Consequences of Replacing Animal Protein From Capture Fisheries With Animal Protein From Agriculture
Replacing animal protein sourced from marine capture fisheries with animal protein from agriculture will likely increase the threats to biodiversity given current human diets. Approximately half th...
www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Mark Lubell, Vincent Raoult

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 4d
Replacing all wild-caught fish with agriculture production would require converting land area bigger than the Amazon rainforest into crops.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Biodiversity Consequences of Replacing Animal Protein From Capture Fisheries With Animal Protein From Agriculture
Replacing animal protein sourced from marine capture fisheries with animal protein from agriculture will likely increase the threats to biodiversity given current human diets. Approximately half th...
www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Trevor A. Branch

hugoflavio.com
Hugo Flávio @hugoflavio.com · 4d
I think of keywords as search engine flags, so I try to use words that are not already in the title, to maximise hits. I believe that is what we were thought to do back in the scicomm courses that were part of my PhD. I don't pay much attention to repetition between the abstract and the other two.

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 4d
Keywords in scientific articles! We're asked to list 5-10 keywords for our articles. But should these be words not already in the abstract and title? How do you decide what to put down?

Reposted by Jason Stajich

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 6d
Deep deep organisms that might live for thousands of years
aeon.co/essays/the-d...
The discovery of aeonophiles expands our definition of life | Aeon Essays
The discovery of organisms that have been alive for many thousands of years requires a revolution in how we understand life
aeon.co

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 7d
Mostly they are canned and sold cheaply. They taste fine, but definitely not as good as Chinook or Atlantic or sockeye or coho.

Reposted by Reece Jones, Guntram B. Wolff, Richard S.J. Tol , and 58 more

benpatrickwill.bsky.social
Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 7d
Closing out my year with a journal editor shocker 🧵

Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 7d
Humans know that pinks taste the worst and Chinook salmon the best!

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 7d
Fish-eating killer whales really really dislike eating pink salmon, even thought they are by far the most abundant species in the Gulf of Alaska. No instances of consumption there, mostly Chinook salmon.
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1...

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 8d
Boring evaluations
Stark evaluations

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 8d
NSF grants must have expert reviews from industry and venture capitalists?
dangaristo.bsky.social Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 9d
The National Science Board, which oversees NSF, has published recommendations to update the foundation's merit review (which was just updated).

Below are the main points. www.nsf.gov/nsb/updates/...
The Board recommends that NSF: Boost participation and invite expert reviews from a wider range of industry, research institutions, venture capital, and regions of the country. Emphasize that NSF-funded research must deliver societal benefits, including research that advances the nation's economic competitiveness and national security. Build NSF's award portfolio at the agency level for greater nimbleness and strategic alignment with national priorities, both current and emerging. NSF previously announced operational changes to its Merit Review to streamline, clarify, and harmonize agency funding strategies to achieve top scientific and national priorities, similar to those made by the National Institutes of Health. In the coming year, the Board will continue working with NSF leaders to implement NSB recommendations for Merit Review policy changes, such as encouraging verification of previously reported results and pursuing more bold research with high reward potential. "We can't succeed in a new era with yesterday's playbook," says McCrary. "For our nation to win the race for the future, NSF must develop transformative partnerships with the private sector, states and communities. Together, we can blaze a trail to the next frontiers of science, usher in a Golden Age of American Innovation, and deliver on the promise of science and technology for the benefit of all Americans."

Reposted by Trevor A. Branch, Samuel Gerald Collins, Clark Gray

hormiga.bsky.social
Terry McGlynn @hormiga.bsky.social · 8d
Y'all, I just got out of the NSF-BIO webinar where they explained changes to peer review. It's not good. 🧪 scienceforeveryone.science/changes-to-n...
Changes to NSF peer review
They're not good. At all.
scienceforeveryone.science

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 9d
a fire starter pack ;) ha ha ha!!!

Reposted by Trevor A. Branch

gscumming.bsky.social
Graeme Cumming @gscumming.bsky.social · 9d
Seems like unlucky timing for Rudolph…
science.org Science Magazine @science.org · 9d
It's the first video evidence of polar bears hunting and eating reindeer—something that had long been assumed, but never clearly seen.

Learn more: https://scim.ag/4s0hU6P #ScienceMagArchives

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming, Trevor A. Branch

science.org
Science Magazine @science.org · 9d
It's the first video evidence of polar bears hunting and eating reindeer—something that had long been assumed, but never clearly seen.

Learn more: https://scim.ag/4s0hU6P #ScienceMagArchives

Reposted by Trevor A. Branch

uofwa.bsky.social
uofwa.bsky.social @uofwa.bsky.social · 9d
What does a 15th-century palazzo in the heart of Rome, a marine science outpost in the San Juan Islands, and a 4,300-acre forest have in common?

They’re all classrooms for UW students.

magazine.washington.edu/feature/expl...?
View from a boat deck with 5 people on it; 3 are wearing orange overalls. An orange inflatable boat with a Yamaha engine is on deck. Beyond the boat is a large blue lake and a green mountain range under a clear, sunny sky. A blond woman in a purple shirt and black beanie, smiling and looking up at a waterfall. She's wearing a backpack with a small brown and white dog in an orange vest peeking out. The background is a mossy rock face. Inside an ornate church, a diverse crowd of tourists walks on patterned marble floors. A woman in a striped shirt gazes upwards, while a man in a purple shirt smiles at the camera, partially obscured by another woman. Overlooking a pier with boats docked beside a small building. The ocean water surrounds the pier, with land visible in the distance beneath a cloudy sky.

Reposted by Trevor A. Branch

dangaristo.bsky.social
Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 9d
The National Science Board, which oversees NSF, has published recommendations to update the foundation's merit review (which was just updated).

Below are the main points. www.nsf.gov/nsb/updates/...
The Board recommends that NSF: Boost participation and invite expert reviews from a wider range of industry, research institutions, venture capital, and regions of the country. Emphasize that NSF-funded research must deliver societal benefits, including research that advances the nation's economic competitiveness and national security. Build NSF's award portfolio at the agency level for greater nimbleness and strategic alignment with national priorities, both current and emerging. NSF previously announced operational changes to its Merit Review to streamline, clarify, and harmonize agency funding strategies to achieve top scientific and national priorities, similar to those made by the National Institutes of Health. In the coming year, the Board will continue working with NSF leaders to implement NSB recommendations for Merit Review policy changes, such as encouraging verification of previously reported results and pursuing more bold research with high reward potential. "We can't succeed in a new era with yesterday's playbook," says McCrary. "For our nation to win the race for the future, NSF must develop transformative partnerships with the private sector, states and communities. Together, we can blaze a trail to the next frontiers of science, usher in a Golden Age of American Innovation, and deliver on the promise of science and technology for the benefit of all Americans."

Reposted by Katharine Hayhoe, Scott C. Doney, Garry Peterson , and 9 more

alexwitze.bsky.social
Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 9d
Here's our reporting on the proposed dismantling of the jewel of US atmospheric science, @ncar-ucar.bsky.social.

The plan is to break NCAR apart and disburse some parts to other locations (like the research aircraft fleet) and eliminate others.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

🧪 #AGU25 #climate
Trump team plans to break up ‘global mothership’ of climate science
Much of the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s non-climate portfolio will be dispersed, the White House says.
www.nature.com

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 9d
South Africa arrests seven Kenyans working illegally in South Africa for the US embassy to help the US process white Afrikaner forms to emigrate as refugees to the USA.
www.cnn.com/2025/12/16/p...
South Africa briefly held US government personnel on refugee assignment amid fraught relationship | CNN Politics
The South African government briefly held, then released, two US government employees on assignment in South Africa as part of the Trump administration’s bid to admit Afrikaners to the United States, ...
www.cnn.com

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 9d
Detecting whales from space: new results
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Reposted by Timnit Gebru, Shannon Vallor, Margaret Mitchell , and 14 more

cfiesler.bsky.social
Dr. Casey Fiesler @cfiesler.bsky.social · 10d
The ACM Digital Library, where a LOT of computing-related research is published (I'd say at least 75% of my own publications), is now not only providing (without consent of the authors and without opt-in by readers) AI-generated summaries of papers, but they appear as the *default* over abstracts.
Screenshot of a paper entry: Fictional Failures and Real-World Lessons: Ethical Speculation Through Design Fiction on Emotional Support Conversational AI Authors: Faye Kollig, Jessica Pater, Fayika Farhat Nova, Casey Fiesler (There are tabs with "abstract" and "summary" and "summary" is selected.)

Reposted by Scott C. Doney, Mónica Medina, Halley E. Froehlich

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 10d
This could be your dream job: working full time at the Friday Harbor Labs on marine invertebrate organismal biology. Nine month salary from an endowment, teaching and research faculty position.

apply.interfolio.com/178804
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com

Reposted by Trevor A. Branch

carlbergstrom.com
Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 10d
Looking for a faculty job at one of the world's great research stations?

We're looking for a marine invertebrate biologist at UW's Friday Harbor Labs.

apply.interfolio.com/178804
Assistant Professor without Tenure (WOT), Marine Invertebrate Organismal Biology University of Washington: Academic Personnel & Faculty: College of the Environment: Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Location Friday Harbor Labs, WA Open Date Dec 12, 2025 Description The School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS) and Friday Harbor Labs (FHL) at the University of Washington (UW) invite applications for the Riddiford – Truman Endowed faculty Chair, a position in the Without Tenure (WOT) track at the Assistant rank with specialization in marine invertebrate organismal biology. The successful candidate is expected to develop a collaborative, extramurally-funded and nationally recognized research program based at FHL that leverages FHL’s unique marine research infrastructure and natural setting. We especially welcome candidates whose scholarship in natural systems advances fundamental knowledge and contributes to environmental stewardship. All University of Washington faculty engage in teaching, research, and service.

Reposted by Trevor A. Branch

oceana.bsky.social
Oceana @oceana.bsky.social · 10d
Critically endangered whale mother “Bocce”, 18, welcomes her 3rd documented calf.

Fun fact: In 2016, Bocce famously raised and fed another mother’s calf after being thought to have lost her own shortly after birth. Why the swap happened is unclear.

https://oceana.ly/4qh1uWm

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 10d
"reversion to mean" <-- I see what you did there and I applaud it.

trevorabranch.bsky.social
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 10d
First good funding news this year this dropped! Existing grant looks likely to be extended back to its original duration instead of being cut short!