Derek D. Houston
@derekdhouston.bsky.social
Evolutionary Biology, Phylogeography, Ichthyology, Conservation Genetics, Community Ecology, Friend of Rough Fish
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
Scientists being purged has never been a good thing for a society.
January 27, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Scientists being purged has never been a good thing for a society.
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
Healthy and sustainable fisheries have lower carbon emissions and fuel use, because fish are more abundant and easier to catch with less effort. Rebuilding fisheries and ensuring that fleet sizes are appropriate for catch level, are keys for CO2 reduction
By Hilborn et al.
doi.org/10.1111/faf....
By Hilborn et al.
doi.org/10.1111/faf....
doi.org
January 20, 2026 at 11:07 PM
Healthy and sustainable fisheries have lower carbon emissions and fuel use, because fish are more abundant and easier to catch with less effort. Rebuilding fisheries and ensuring that fleet sizes are appropriate for catch level, are keys for CO2 reduction
By Hilborn et al.
doi.org/10.1111/faf....
By Hilborn et al.
doi.org/10.1111/faf....
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
Five freshwater fishes that went extinct.
How it happened. Why it matters.
tnature.substack.com/p/five-cool-...
#Extinction #Freshwater #Biodiversity #Conservation #EdgeEffects #NatureWriting
How it happened. Why it matters.
tnature.substack.com/p/five-cool-...
#Extinction #Freshwater #Biodiversity #Conservation #EdgeEffects #NatureWriting
Five cool fishes that went extinct
An essay on extinctions you’ve probably never heard of.
tnature.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 11:52 PM
Five freshwater fishes that went extinct.
How it happened. Why it matters.
tnature.substack.com/p/five-cool-...
#Extinction #Freshwater #Biodiversity #Conservation #EdgeEffects #NatureWriting
How it happened. Why it matters.
tnature.substack.com/p/five-cool-...
#Extinction #Freshwater #Biodiversity #Conservation #EdgeEffects #NatureWriting
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
Gdmmt baby right whale we have a lot of things on our plates right now I need you to live
The red dot is a baby North Atlantic right whale trying to migrate up the east coast of the United states.
The blue streaks are fast moving shipping vessels entering and leaving New York City harbor.
One collision and the whale is dead.
We need *mandatory* speed limits for these vessels! 🧪🦑🌍
The blue streaks are fast moving shipping vessels entering and leaving New York City harbor.
One collision and the whale is dead.
We need *mandatory* speed limits for these vessels! 🧪🦑🌍
January 15, 2026 at 12:19 AM
Gdmmt baby right whale we have a lot of things on our plates right now I need you to live
I am very excited to be attending this conference - I hope to see some of you there #ssb2026
Check out the schedule for the upcoming #ssb2026 meetings for later this week
Thanks to @jembrown.bsky.social for organizing all this for @systbiol.bsky.social
ssb2026.github.io
Thanks to @jembrown.bsky.social for organizing all this for @systbiol.bsky.social
ssb2026.github.io
2026 SSB Breakout Meeting
ssb2026.github.io
January 7, 2026 at 5:37 PM
I am very excited to be attending this conference - I hope to see some of you there #ssb2026
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
Modeling the joint effects of genetic drift, mutation, and selection on loci that contribute to disease risk suggests that variation at many such loci is shaped more by their pleiotropic effects on non-disease traits than by their contribution to disease risk
Mutation–selection–drift balance models of complex diseases
Genetic variation is maintained through a balance of mutation, natural selection, and genetic drift. Although this general picture is well understood, it i
buff.ly
January 7, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Modeling the joint effects of genetic drift, mutation, and selection on loci that contribute to disease risk suggests that variation at many such loci is shaped more by their pleiotropic effects on non-disease traits than by their contribution to disease risk
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
Immigration is good, and we should say it’s good
"Go to any small town, in the US, UK, or EU, listen to young people there and you’ll hear talk of 'getting out.' If that is what they want, they should be free to make a go of it. Free movement with other countries increases their choices in doing so." www.liberalcurrents.com/we-need-to-g...
We Need to Get Off the Defensive About Immigration
Free movement is a fantastic thing, and we should say it.
www.liberalcurrents.com
January 7, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Immigration is good, and we should say it’s good
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
I'm hiring a postdoc to work with myself, Dr Jim Lyons and the entire NOAA Firebird team on the adaptive management part of our larger project focused on the impacts of prescribed fire on Gulf Coast wetlands
Accepting applications until Feb 15th
blogs.illinois.edu/view/7426/19...
Accepting applications until Feb 15th
blogs.illinois.edu/view/7426/19...
Postdoctoral Research Associate - NOAA Firebird - Illinois Natural History Survey/PRI - Application Deadline: February 15, 2026
blogs.illinois.edu
January 7, 2026 at 4:28 PM
I'm hiring a postdoc to work with myself, Dr Jim Lyons and the entire NOAA Firebird team on the adaptive management part of our larger project focused on the impacts of prescribed fire on Gulf Coast wetlands
Accepting applications until Feb 15th
blogs.illinois.edu/view/7426/19...
Accepting applications until Feb 15th
blogs.illinois.edu/view/7426/19...
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
Looking for a postdoc? Work on vertebrates and have lab experience? Come be the lab manager/museum postdoc for the LSU Museum of Natural Science!
(It's a great stepping stone to being a curator!)
(It's a great stepping stone to being a curator!)
LSU Museum of Natural Sciences is hiring a postdoc! Come join our very active and supportive museum community. Applicants can work with any of the major divisions: 🐀🦜🦎🐸🐠
Review begins February 15th, please share!
lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/0119...
Review begins February 15th, please share!
lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/0119...
Postdoctoral Researcher
All Job Postings will close at 12:01a.m. CST (1:01a.m. EST) on the specified Closing Date (if designated). If you close the browser or exit your application prior to submitting, the application progre...
lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
January 7, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Looking for a postdoc? Work on vertebrates and have lab experience? Come be the lab manager/museum postdoc for the LSU Museum of Natural Science!
(It's a great stepping stone to being a curator!)
(It's a great stepping stone to being a curator!)
Know of any desert fish/conservation enthusiasts looking for some good field experience? Utah DNR is looking to fill seasonal positions based out of Moab, UT. See attached screenshots for more info.
January 7, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Know of any desert fish/conservation enthusiasts looking for some good field experience? Utah DNR is looking to fill seasonal positions based out of Moab, UT. See attached screenshots for more info.
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
Brazil has now signed agreements with Springer-Nature and Elsevier for Brazilian researchers to read AND PUBLISH for free for 3y. Rest of the world, take note: THIS is how you support and promote open science.
www.google.com/url?q=https:...
www.google.com/url?q=https:...
Capes: acordos permitem publicação científica sem custos - 14/12/2025 - Ciência - Folha
www.google.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Brazil has now signed agreements with Springer-Nature and Elsevier for Brazilian researchers to read AND PUBLISH for free for 3y. Rest of the world, take note: THIS is how you support and promote open science.
www.google.com/url?q=https:...
www.google.com/url?q=https:...
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
Research Scientist position at the Cornell Biological Field Station: exciting opportunity for an aquatic ecologist/fisheries scientist to work with a 50+ year time series of fish and limnology data on Oneida Lake $90-95K/yr
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/31352
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/31352
Cornell University, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment
Job #AJO31352, WDR-00056101 Senior Research Associate, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Bridgeport, New York, US
academicjobsonline.org
January 6, 2026 at 4:26 AM
Research Scientist position at the Cornell Biological Field Station: exciting opportunity for an aquatic ecologist/fisheries scientist to work with a 50+ year time series of fish and limnology data on Oneida Lake $90-95K/yr
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/31352
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/31352
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
Bit of good news - the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreement, which protects marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, comes into force on 17 January. It has 145 signatories (although the US has not signed up)
economist.com/internationa...
economist.com/internationa...
A half-planet-size gap in global governance is about to get plugged
A new treaty offers hope of curbing the destruction of the oceans
economist.com
January 4, 2026 at 9:07 PM
Bit of good news - the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreement, which protects marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, comes into force on 17 January. It has 145 signatories (although the US has not signed up)
economist.com/internationa...
economist.com/internationa...
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
The Canada Government will offer 400 postdoctoral fellowships to international researchers in early 2026. If you have a background in wildlife microbiome or quantitative genetics and are interested to apply to work on microbiome variation in Sable Island horses or caribou, feel free to get in touch
January 2, 2026 at 3:58 PM
The Canada Government will offer 400 postdoctoral fellowships to international researchers in early 2026. If you have a background in wildlife microbiome or quantitative genetics and are interested to apply to work on microbiome variation in Sable Island horses or caribou, feel free to get in touch
"You should write a monograph"
[Serves as both compliment and insult, I think]
[Serves as both compliment and insult, I think]
Forget insults, what’s the most unhinged *compliment* you’ve ever received?
December 30, 2025 at 11:17 PM
"You should write a monograph"
[Serves as both compliment and insult, I think]
[Serves as both compliment and insult, I think]
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
New Job opportunity at the University of Georgia Department of Entomology! Come work a dream job in beautiful Athens!
www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/463...
www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/463...
Assistant Professor: Insect Ecologist
The Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia invites applications for a tenure-track position (9-months) in insect ecology, to be based on the Athens campus at the Assistant Professor ran...
www.ugajobsearch.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:38 PM
New Job opportunity at the University of Georgia Department of Entomology! Come work a dream job in beautiful Athens!
www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/463...
www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/463...
A student left some embroidery work she'd done for me along with a sweet note thanking me for last semester. She enjoyed the fig/fig wasp community ecology materials, so embroidered the species I've worked on in Baja. Got to find a frame for this.
December 30, 2025 at 5:26 PM
A student left some embroidery work she'd done for me along with a sweet note thanking me for last semester. She enjoyed the fig/fig wasp community ecology materials, so embroidered the species I've worked on in Baja. Got to find a frame for this.
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
I've slowly been reformatting notes from my population and conservation genetics course at Montana State University into a web book—a rough draft is now live here: elinck.org/popgen_conge...
December 22, 2025 at 9:32 PM
I've slowly been reformatting notes from my population and conservation genetics course at Montana State University into a web book—a rough draft is now live here: elinck.org/popgen_conge...
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
Yes please, have more people do that. Also, spoof vandalism and amend outdated pages. A repository like Wikipedia needs these contributions to get the niche stuff getting added to the pool, rather than another random five-minute celebrity.
The past few years I've given my students assignments to create Wikipedia pages on various topics. This semester's Fisheries Management students were assigned to write about an ichthyologist/fisheries manager that didn't have a page, with emphasis on women or POC encouraged. I'm sharing them here:
December 19, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Yes please, have more people do that. Also, spoof vandalism and amend outdated pages. A repository like Wikipedia needs these contributions to get the niche stuff getting added to the pool, rather than another random five-minute celebrity.
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
I've done this, and it's really fun and rewarding for the students, too!
The past few years I've given my students assignments to create Wikipedia pages on various topics. This semester's Fisheries Management students were assigned to write about an ichthyologist/fisheries manager that didn't have a page, with emphasis on women or POC encouraged. I'm sharing them here:
December 19, 2025 at 6:27 PM
I've done this, and it's really fun and rewarding for the students, too!
The past few years I've given my students assignments to create Wikipedia pages on various topics. This semester's Fisheries Management students were assigned to write about an ichthyologist/fisheries manager that didn't have a page, with emphasis on women or POC encouraged. I'm sharing them here:
December 19, 2025 at 4:19 PM
The past few years I've given my students assignments to create Wikipedia pages on various topics. This semester's Fisheries Management students were assigned to write about an ichthyologist/fisheries manager that didn't have a page, with emphasis on women or POC encouraged. I'm sharing them here:
Not to naysay, but I'd be willing to bet that crunchy cheetos perform much better than wonder bread
The most recent population abundance estimate for Borax Lake Chub in 2019 found that the population was ~80,267 individuals, a record high since 1986. The preferred bait for the traps used to sample Borax Lake chub? Wonder Bread #25DaysofFishmas odfwnfi.forestry.oregonstate.edu/borax-lake-c...
December 18, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Not to naysay, but I'd be willing to bet that crunchy cheetos perform much better than wonder bread
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
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
December 18, 2025 at 7:52 PM
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...
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
Dunno if I’ve said it recently so…
Protect trans kids. 🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵
Protect trans kids. 🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵
December 18, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Dunno if I’ve said it recently so…
Protect trans kids. 🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵
Protect trans kids. 🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵
Reposted by Derek D. Houston
Borax Lake chub was removed from the Endangered Species List in 2020 after 30 years of actions to protect Borax Lake including the purchase of private land containing the lake by the Nature Conservancy + controlling off-road vehicle/livestock access to the shoreline/surrounding area #25DaysofFishmas
December 18, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Borax Lake chub was removed from the Endangered Species List in 2020 after 30 years of actions to protect Borax Lake including the purchase of private land containing the lake by the Nature Conservancy + controlling off-road vehicle/livestock access to the shoreline/surrounding area #25DaysofFishmas