Alec BM Moore
@alecbmmoore.bsky.social
Lecturer in marine top predator conservation @sosbangor.bsky.social
I research: sharks & rays | marine historical ecology | fisheries | conservation 🏊🤿🎣🐟 PI of @projectfishistory.bsky.social
Pic: Smoothtooth blacktip shark (Carcharhinus leiodon)
I research: sharks & rays | marine historical ecology | fisheries | conservation 🏊🤿🎣🐟 PI of @projectfishistory.bsky.social
Pic: Smoothtooth blacktip shark (Carcharhinus leiodon)
Really interesting study using royal hunting records to document diversity & abundance of mammals & birds in C18th Spain, with insights into historical decline of e.g. lynx @ystadaucymru.bsky.social @leafyhistory.bsky.social @projectfishistory.bsky.social @jangeerthiddink.bsky.social
This is King Ferdinand VI of Spain
Besides ruling one of the largest empires on Earth or attempting a full genocide on Spanish gipsy people, he hunted. A lot. And recorded the killings
OA PAPER Building historical biodiversity databases from royal hunts
Thread below
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Besides ruling one of the largest empires on Earth or attempting a full genocide on Spanish gipsy people, he hunted. A lot. And recorded the killings
OA PAPER Building historical biodiversity databases from royal hunts
Thread below
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
February 13, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Really interesting study using royal hunting records to document diversity & abundance of mammals & birds in C18th Spain, with insights into historical decline of e.g. lynx @ystadaucymru.bsky.social @leafyhistory.bsky.social @projectfishistory.bsky.social @jangeerthiddink.bsky.social
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
The NERC Special Committee on Seals (SCOS) 2025 report is now live on the SMRU website: www.smru.st-andrews.ac.uk/files/2026/0....
Updated population trends analysis and advice to gov relating to management of UK seal populations 🦭📈📉
Updated population trends analysis and advice to gov relating to management of UK seal populations 🦭📈📉
February 12, 2026 at 12:56 PM
The NERC Special Committee on Seals (SCOS) 2025 report is now live on the SMRU website: www.smru.st-andrews.ac.uk/files/2026/0....
Updated population trends analysis and advice to gov relating to management of UK seal populations 🦭📈📉
Updated population trends analysis and advice to gov relating to management of UK seal populations 🦭📈📉
Bycatch in Irish tangle netting for crayfish: "Casualties recorded over a four-year period included 1,161 grey seals, 81 angel sharks, 532 tope, 1,712 flapper skate".
@alecbmmoore.bsky.social
www.irishtimes.com/environment/...
@alecbmmoore.bsky.social
www.irishtimes.com/environment/...
February 11, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Guitarfish (🦈-like rays) are one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates, widely caught as bycatch
Mitigation of fishing gear can help address this
Interesting new study👇 shows simple💡can reduce shark & ray bycatch (inc guitarfish) - with no significant effect on overall catch of bony 🐟
Mitigation of fishing gear can help address this
Interesting new study👇 shows simple💡can reduce shark & ray bycatch (inc guitarfish) - with no significant effect on overall catch of bony 🐟
Artificial light reduces elasmobranch bycatch in gillnets across multiple wavelengths and taxonomic groups | "net illumination can reduce catch rates of a diverse array of elasmobranchs while revealing taxonomic-specific responses between bony and cartilaginous fishes" doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
Artificial light reduces elasmobranch bycatch in gillnets across multiple wavelengths and taxonomic groups
Globally, the incidental capture of non-target species (bycatch) in fisheries has been linked to declines of ecologically, economically, and culturall…
doi.org
February 11, 2026 at 10:35 AM
Guitarfish (🦈-like rays) are one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates, widely caught as bycatch
Mitigation of fishing gear can help address this
Interesting new study👇 shows simple💡can reduce shark & ray bycatch (inc guitarfish) - with no significant effect on overall catch of bony 🐟
Mitigation of fishing gear can help address this
Interesting new study👇 shows simple💡can reduce shark & ray bycatch (inc guitarfish) - with no significant effect on overall catch of bony 🐟
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
#ArabianLeopardDay
Arabian leopards are extinct from most of their historical range
Extensive survey concluded "probably no surviving, sustainable populations of Arabian leopards in Saudi Arabia"
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Map: IUCN Cat Specialist Group www.catsg.org/arabianleopard
Arabian leopards are extinct from most of their historical range
Extensive survey concluded "probably no surviving, sustainable populations of Arabian leopards in Saudi Arabia"
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Map: IUCN Cat Specialist Group www.catsg.org/arabianleopard
February 10, 2026 at 12:57 PM
#ArabianLeopardDay
Arabian leopards are extinct from most of their historical range
Extensive survey concluded "probably no surviving, sustainable populations of Arabian leopards in Saudi Arabia"
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Map: IUCN Cat Specialist Group www.catsg.org/arabianleopard
Arabian leopards are extinct from most of their historical range
Extensive survey concluded "probably no surviving, sustainable populations of Arabian leopards in Saudi Arabia"
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Map: IUCN Cat Specialist Group www.catsg.org/arabianleopard
Not cryptic in the sense of this interesting paper, but many sharks are really difficult to tell apart from closely related species, with implications for conservation
Top: Graceful shark, found across Indo-W Pacific
Bottom: Smoothtooth blacktip shark, known only from 2 locations in Arabian waters
Top: Graceful shark, found across Indo-W Pacific
Bottom: Smoothtooth blacktip shark, known only from 2 locations in Arabian waters
February 9, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Not cryptic in the sense of this interesting paper, but many sharks are really difficult to tell apart from closely related species, with implications for conservation
Top: Graceful shark, found across Indo-W Pacific
Bottom: Smoothtooth blacktip shark, known only from 2 locations in Arabian waters
Top: Graceful shark, found across Indo-W Pacific
Bottom: Smoothtooth blacktip shark, known only from 2 locations in Arabian waters
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
📖Published !
These findings highlight an emerging health threat for mountain gorillas, with implications for other isolated wildlife populations facing similar ecological and evolutionary pressures 🐒 🌍
🔎 buff.ly/ZYPCqX8
These findings highlight an emerging health threat for mountain gorillas, with implications for other isolated wildlife populations facing similar ecological and evolutionary pressures 🐒 🌍
🔎 buff.ly/ZYPCqX8
February 9, 2026 at 12:02 PM
📖Published !
These findings highlight an emerging health threat for mountain gorillas, with implications for other isolated wildlife populations facing similar ecological and evolutionary pressures 🐒 🌍
🔎 buff.ly/ZYPCqX8
These findings highlight an emerging health threat for mountain gorillas, with implications for other isolated wildlife populations facing similar ecological and evolutionary pressures 🐒 🌍
🔎 buff.ly/ZYPCqX8
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
Mysterious "spot" calls are widespread in the Indian Ocean... New research ties enigmatic pygmy right whales and their little known doublet calls to the spot calls, suggesting they make both calls! Frequency declining rapidly and synchronously for both calls
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
February 8, 2026 at 6:56 AM
Mysterious "spot" calls are widespread in the Indian Ocean... New research ties enigmatic pygmy right whales and their little known doublet calls to the spot calls, suggesting they make both calls! Frequency declining rapidly and synchronously for both calls
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
Another new paper led by SMRU's @izzylangley.bsky.social: First observations of grey seal cannibalism at Sable Island, inc. a comparison of carcass pathology to cases in Scotland. Collab between SMRU, DFO and @dalhousie.bsky.social with support from @oceanfrontier.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1111/mms....
doi.org/10.1111/mms....
Gray Seal Cannibalism at the Largest Colony in the World, Sable Island
Click on the article title to read more.
doi.org
February 6, 2026 at 10:43 AM
Another new paper led by SMRU's @izzylangley.bsky.social: First observations of grey seal cannibalism at Sable Island, inc. a comparison of carcass pathology to cases in Scotland. Collab between SMRU, DFO and @dalhousie.bsky.social with support from @oceanfrontier.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1111/mms....
doi.org/10.1111/mms....
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
Last day to submit abstracts for #FSBI2026 at the University of Southampton 27-31 July (due by 17:00)! We have lots of fun social events planned in addition to the scientific programme, including excursions, fish quiz, spawning run, etc. Full details fsbi.org.uk/symposium-2026/
February 6, 2026 at 8:18 AM
Last day to submit abstracts for #FSBI2026 at the University of Southampton 27-31 July (due by 17:00)! We have lots of fun social events planned in addition to the scientific programme, including excursions, fish quiz, spawning run, etc. Full details fsbi.org.uk/symposium-2026/
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
New publication led by SMRU's @izzylangley.bsky.social on competition between grey & harbour seals in Scotland using 20+ yrs of diet data. Many thanks to all who collected samples, and collaborators from the Lighthouse Field Station and Institute of Marine Research
#OA Paper: doi.org/10.1002/oik....
#OA Paper: doi.org/10.1002/oik....
Temporal changes in the dietary niche of sympatric seals provides insight into the role of competition in population declines
Competition theory suggests that interspecific prey competition can result in changes to the dietary niche, but obtaining timeseries of data from sympatric species experiencing temporal variation in ...
doi.org
February 5, 2026 at 12:09 PM
New publication led by SMRU's @izzylangley.bsky.social on competition between grey & harbour seals in Scotland using 20+ yrs of diet data. Many thanks to all who collected samples, and collaborators from the Lighthouse Field Station and Institute of Marine Research
#OA Paper: doi.org/10.1002/oik....
#OA Paper: doi.org/10.1002/oik....
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
Forecasting extinction risk for future-proof conservation decisions: Trends Ecol & Evolution www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...
Should conservation focus on threatened species? Or should we be proactive and protect species before they become threatened? This paper explores how to get the balance right.
Should conservation focus on threatened species? Or should we be proactive and protect species before they become threatened? This paper explores how to get the balance right.
Forecasting extinction risk for future-proof conservation decisions
Conservation prioritisation emphasises currently threatened species, but there are
strong arguments for complementary, more proactive approaches based on forecasting
future extinction risk for unthrea...
www.cell.com
February 4, 2026 at 7:49 AM
Forecasting extinction risk for future-proof conservation decisions: Trends Ecol & Evolution www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...
Should conservation focus on threatened species? Or should we be proactive and protect species before they become threatened? This paper explores how to get the balance right.
Should conservation focus on threatened species? Or should we be proactive and protect species before they become threatened? This paper explores how to get the balance right.
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
Our new study is out!
We analysed DNA preserved in buried river sediments and Neolithic sites (Serbia), uncovering past landscapes and traces of sturgeon populations. Read more about our findings and the challenges in such complex and dynamic contexts: doi.org/10.1038/s415... @mikkelwp.bsky.social
We analysed DNA preserved in buried river sediments and Neolithic sites (Serbia), uncovering past landscapes and traces of sturgeon populations. Read more about our findings and the challenges in such complex and dynamic contexts: doi.org/10.1038/s415... @mikkelwp.bsky.social
Ancient DNA reconstruction of late holocene ecosystems within the Carpathian basin from paleo-meanders and archaeological deposits - Scientific Reports
The diverse ecology in the Carpathian Basin supported a variety of subsistence strategies throughout the Holocene, ranging from animal husbandry to the management of woodlands, grasslands, and wetland...
doi.org
February 4, 2026 at 9:41 AM
Our new study is out!
We analysed DNA preserved in buried river sediments and Neolithic sites (Serbia), uncovering past landscapes and traces of sturgeon populations. Read more about our findings and the challenges in such complex and dynamic contexts: doi.org/10.1038/s415... @mikkelwp.bsky.social
We analysed DNA preserved in buried river sediments and Neolithic sites (Serbia), uncovering past landscapes and traces of sturgeon populations. Read more about our findings and the challenges in such complex and dynamic contexts: doi.org/10.1038/s415... @mikkelwp.bsky.social
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
A top predator on the run! New paper on aversive responses of killer whales to the sounds of long-finned pilot whales – out now in Scientific reports – open access: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Below a short summary of the main results.
🔈🐳🤓
#bioacoustics #MarineMammals #whales
Below a short summary of the main results.
🔈🐳🤓
#bioacoustics #MarineMammals #whales
Aversive behavioural responses of killer whales to sounds of long-finned pilot whales - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Aversive behavioural responses of killer whales to sounds of long-finned pilot whales
www.nature.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:02 PM
A top predator on the run! New paper on aversive responses of killer whales to the sounds of long-finned pilot whales – out now in Scientific reports – open access: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Below a short summary of the main results.
🔈🐳🤓
#bioacoustics #MarineMammals #whales
Below a short summary of the main results.
🔈🐳🤓
#bioacoustics #MarineMammals #whales
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
Our recent study in Ecological Modelling shows that southern right whale mother-calf pairs leave calving grounds once calves reach ~8 m in length, not after a fixed time. Larger, fatter mothers help calves reach departure size faster! 🐋⚡
Read it here:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 🌐🌏🌱🧪
Read it here:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 🌐🌏🌱🧪
February 2, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Our recent study in Ecological Modelling shows that southern right whale mother-calf pairs leave calving grounds once calves reach ~8 m in length, not after a fixed time. Larger, fatter mothers help calves reach departure size faster! 🐋⚡
Read it here:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 🌐🌏🌱🧪
Read it here:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 🌐🌏🌱🧪
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
New paper published in Marine Mammal Science. We investigated prey preferences and individual dietary specialization of false killer whales in the Caribbean Sea using stable isotope analysis: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
February 2, 2026 at 11:41 AM
New paper published in Marine Mammal Science. We investigated prey preferences and individual dietary specialization of false killer whales in the Caribbean Sea using stable isotope analysis: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
A dolphin hunting fish by a group of manatees on a sandbar in Tampa Bay a couple days ago. This is one of 5 groups of manatees that were hanging out in the shallow waters of Tampa Bay. The groups ranged from about 40-300 manatees.
#nature #amazing #animals #wildlife #awesome #naturephotography
#nature #amazing #animals #wildlife #awesome #naturephotography
February 1, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
Very fond of this remarkable bridge that just celebrated 200 years.
Such a key feature of the 24 years we lived and/or worked on Anglesey
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Such a key feature of the 24 years we lived and/or worked on Anglesey
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
‘It’s astonishing how well it has lasted’: Anglesey marks 200th anniversary of beloved bridge
Despite repair problems, its admirers say Thomas Telford’s Menai Bridge is good for another two centuries
www.theguardian.com
February 1, 2026 at 6:53 PM
Very fond of this remarkable bridge that just celebrated 200 years.
Such a key feature of the 24 years we lived and/or worked on Anglesey
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Such a key feature of the 24 years we lived and/or worked on Anglesey
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
New paper out:
The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation
with @fossildetective.bsky.social, @bigfacecats.bsky.social, Curtis Congreve & @jonhendricks.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s44... 🦑⚒️
The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation
with @fossildetective.bsky.social, @bigfacecats.bsky.social, Curtis Congreve & @jonhendricks.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s44... 🦑⚒️
The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation - npj Biodiversity
npj Biodiversity - The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation
www.nature.com
February 1, 2026 at 4:22 PM
New paper out:
The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation
with @fossildetective.bsky.social, @bigfacecats.bsky.social, Curtis Congreve & @jonhendricks.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s44... 🦑⚒️
The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation
with @fossildetective.bsky.social, @bigfacecats.bsky.social, Curtis Congreve & @jonhendricks.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s44... 🦑⚒️
Reposted by Alec BM Moore
One of the coolest sharks @schmidtocean.bsky.social filmed! They saw this Rough shark (Oxynotus?) in Galapagos during dive 582 part 2. I think it ended up being a range extension iirc. #CliffReefs #MarineLife
February 1, 2026 at 10:10 PM
One of the coolest sharks @schmidtocean.bsky.social filmed! They saw this Rough shark (Oxynotus?) in Galapagos during dive 582 part 2. I think it ended up being a range extension iirc. #CliffReefs #MarineLife