Karen R. Lips
@karenrlips.bsky.social
Ecology, global change, wildlife disease, tropical biology, science policy & diplomacy.
Pinned
Karen R. Lips
@karenrlips.bsky.social
Β· Dec 10
The Waiting
Karen Lips is researcher and lives for several years in a tiny little shack in Costa Rica to observe frogs. When she leaves the cloud forest for a short time andβ¦
vimeo.com
π§ͺπ. Our short film "The Waiting" πΈπ₯πΈπ¬ is been awarded as a Vimeo Staff Pick, so since yesterday it's publicly accessable on Vimeo! vimeo.com/1036802517?s...
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
Lizards have evolved their own version of rock-paper-scissors. Here's my story on the genetics behind nature's games. Gift link: nyti.ms/493KGMI
January 6, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Lizards have evolved their own version of rock-paper-scissors. Here's my story on the genetics behind nature's games. Gift link: nyti.ms/493KGMI
ASIH is soliciting nominations for the 2026 Margaret Stewart Achievement Award for Excellence - to be awarded to a mid-career scientist in Herpetology. Deadline 20 April 2026. Info here: www.asih.org/awards/stewa... πΈπ¦πππ’ Please share and repost!
Margaret M. Stewart Achievement Award for Excellence in Ichthyology or Herpetology β American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
www.asih.org
January 7, 2026 at 9:32 AM
ASIH is soliciting nominations for the 2026 Margaret Stewart Achievement Award for Excellence - to be awarded to a mid-career scientist in Herpetology. Deadline 20 April 2026. Info here: www.asih.org/awards/stewa... πΈπ¦πππ’ Please share and repost!
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
Evolution doesnβt always take thousands or millions of years. Sometimes it happens right before our eyes.
Such is the case with the Annaβs hummingbird, a species that has undergone a dramatic transformation in a few generations, thanks to the advent of hummingbird feeders: https://scim.ag/3YMuQQu
Such is the case with the Annaβs hummingbird, a species that has undergone a dramatic transformation in a few generations, thanks to the advent of hummingbird feeders: https://scim.ag/3YMuQQu
January 6, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Evolution doesnβt always take thousands or millions of years. Sometimes it happens right before our eyes.
Such is the case with the Annaβs hummingbird, a species that has undergone a dramatic transformation in a few generations, thanks to the advent of hummingbird feeders: https://scim.ag/3YMuQQu
Such is the case with the Annaβs hummingbird, a species that has undergone a dramatic transformation in a few generations, thanks to the advent of hummingbird feeders: https://scim.ag/3YMuQQu
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
Prending"minibus" would fund NSF, DOE and NASA science programs at roughly 2025 levels www.science.org/content/arti...
Congress set to reject Trumpβs major budget cuts to NSF, NASA, and energy science
Appropriators agree instead to keep this yearβs spending nearly level
www.science.org
January 5, 2026 at 10:26 PM
Prending"minibus" would fund NSF, DOE and NASA science programs at roughly 2025 levels www.science.org/content/arti...
Is βopen scienceβ delivering benefits? Major study finds proof is sparse | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Is βopen scienceβ delivering benefits? Major study finds proof is sparse
Itβs hard to measure social and economic impacts of making papers and data free, researchers say
www.science.org
January 6, 2026 at 11:35 AM
Is βopen scienceβ delivering benefits? Major study finds proof is sparse | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
Explora las complejas relaciones entre los diversos desafΓos para lograr un cambio transformador en este grΓ‘fico del Resumen para Formuladores de PolΓticas de la EvaluaciΓ³n del #CambioTransformador de la IPBES.
π Descubre mΓ‘s: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17343987
π Descubre mΓ‘s: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17343987
January 6, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Explora las complejas relaciones entre los diversos desafΓos para lograr un cambio transformador en este grΓ‘fico del Resumen para Formuladores de PolΓticas de la EvaluaciΓ³n del #CambioTransformador de la IPBES.
π Descubre mΓ‘s: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17343987
π Descubre mΓ‘s: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17343987
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
top risks 2026 is officially out
after 28 years of analyzing geopolitical risks
this year is the tipping point:
after 28 years of analyzing geopolitical risks
this year is the tipping point:
Eurasia Group | The Top Risks of 2026
www.eurasiagroup.net
January 5, 2026 at 1:41 PM
top risks 2026 is officially out
after 28 years of analyzing geopolitical risks
this year is the tipping point:
after 28 years of analyzing geopolitical risks
this year is the tipping point:
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
North American bird populations are shrinking most rapidly in the very areas where they are still most abundant, according to a 2025 study in Science.
The findings reveal both urgent threats and potential opportunities for targeted conservation and recovery. https://scim.ag/4qwOLyM #NationalBirdDay
The findings reveal both urgent threats and potential opportunities for targeted conservation and recovery. https://scim.ag/4qwOLyM #NationalBirdDay
North American bird declines are greatest where species are most abundant
Efforts to address declines of North American birds have been constrained by limited availability of fine-scale information about population change. By using participatory science data from eBird, we ...
scim.ag
January 5, 2026 at 8:39 PM
North American bird populations are shrinking most rapidly in the very areas where they are still most abundant, according to a 2025 study in Science.
The findings reveal both urgent threats and potential opportunities for targeted conservation and recovery. https://scim.ag/4qwOLyM #NationalBirdDay
The findings reveal both urgent threats and potential opportunities for targeted conservation and recovery. https://scim.ag/4qwOLyM #NationalBirdDay
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
This is one of the wildest deep-sea mining stories to me.
Paleodictyon is a 500-million-year-old trace fossil from an unknown organism. In the last 50 years, we've found their honeycomb traces on the seafloor. There is a living organism that has been doing its thing for half a billion years.
Paleodictyon is a 500-million-year-old trace fossil from an unknown organism. In the last 50 years, we've found their honeycomb traces on the seafloor. There is a living organism that has been doing its thing for half a billion years.
Recovery of Paleodictyon patterns after simulated mining activity on Pacific nodule fields - Marine Biodiversity
Since the late 1980s, various experiments have been conducted in polymetallic nodule fields of the Pacific Ocean to assess the potential environmental impacts of future mining, specifically in two are...
link.springer.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:21 PM
This is one of the wildest deep-sea mining stories to me.
Paleodictyon is a 500-million-year-old trace fossil from an unknown organism. In the last 50 years, we've found their honeycomb traces on the seafloor. There is a living organism that has been doing its thing for half a billion years.
Paleodictyon is a 500-million-year-old trace fossil from an unknown organism. In the last 50 years, we've found their honeycomb traces on the seafloor. There is a living organism that has been doing its thing for half a billion years.
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
π Discover the microbial world!
Our new preprint introduces MicrobeAtlas (www.microbeatlas.org), a tool and web-interface to map and visualize global microbial diversity. Explore millions of microbiomes - open, interactive, and designed for discovery.
π www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Our new preprint introduces MicrobeAtlas (www.microbeatlas.org), a tool and web-interface to map and visualize global microbial diversity. Explore millions of microbiomes - open, interactive, and designed for discovery.
π www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
microbeAtlas
The aggregated analysis of a large set of metagenomic sequenced samples enables the accumulation of information on the typical abundances and environments in which unknown or poorly studied microbial taxa are present. This provides a first line of information on the types of environments unknown microbial taxa are often found in and enables the inference of their abilities.
www.microbeatlas.org
July 21, 2025 at 9:25 AM
π Discover the microbial world!
Our new preprint introduces MicrobeAtlas (www.microbeatlas.org), a tool and web-interface to map and visualize global microbial diversity. Explore millions of microbiomes - open, interactive, and designed for discovery.
π www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Our new preprint introduces MicrobeAtlas (www.microbeatlas.org), a tool and web-interface to map and visualize global microbial diversity. Explore millions of microbiomes - open, interactive, and designed for discovery.
π www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
At the moment it is unlikely to get a license from Nature England due to numerous risks that could jeopardise other extant native species.
BBC News - Three frogs to be reintroduced to West Acre 'pingos' - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
BBC News - Three frogs to be reintroduced to West Acre 'pingos' - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Three frogs to be reintroduced to West Acre 'pingos'
The money will be spent on breeding thousands of frogs and managing their release in 2026.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 4, 2026 at 9:07 PM
At the moment it is unlikely to get a license from Nature England due to numerous risks that could jeopardise other extant native species.
BBC News - Three frogs to be reintroduced to West Acre 'pingos' - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
BBC News - Three frogs to be reintroduced to West Acre 'pingos' - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
Applications are OPEN for the 2026 High Seas Youth Ambassadors Program!
Ambassadors will work with Earth Echo & High Seas Alliance to design and lead campaigns advancing global ocean protection & ratification of the #HighSeasTreaty.
Apply now! www.bit.ly/HighSeas-Apply #60toGlobal #GenSea
Ambassadors will work with Earth Echo & High Seas Alliance to design and lead campaigns advancing global ocean protection & ratification of the #HighSeasTreaty.
Apply now! www.bit.ly/HighSeas-Apply #60toGlobal #GenSea
December 30, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Applications are OPEN for the 2026 High Seas Youth Ambassadors Program!
Ambassadors will work with Earth Echo & High Seas Alliance to design and lead campaigns advancing global ocean protection & ratification of the #HighSeasTreaty.
Apply now! www.bit.ly/HighSeas-Apply #60toGlobal #GenSea
Ambassadors will work with Earth Echo & High Seas Alliance to design and lead campaigns advancing global ocean protection & ratification of the #HighSeasTreaty.
Apply now! www.bit.ly/HighSeas-Apply #60toGlobal #GenSea
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
Over the holidays, every single national wildlife refuge, plus some fish hatcheries and marine monuments were directed to conduct a system-wide review. Outrageous deadline of Jan 5 functionally eliminates public input & tribal consultation.
news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-...
news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-...
Interior to Spend Holidays Studying Refuges for Possible Closure
Congress will have to approve any Interior Department plans to abolish national wildlife refuges as staff members spend the next few weeks completing a review the US Fish and Wildlife Service has orde...
news.bloomberglaw.com
January 3, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Over the holidays, every single national wildlife refuge, plus some fish hatcheries and marine monuments were directed to conduct a system-wide review. Outrageous deadline of Jan 5 functionally eliminates public input & tribal consultation.
news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-...
news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-...
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
A 2024 study found that ants best humans at tests of collective intelligence.
Learn more: https://scim.ag/42nMvQJ #ScienceMagArchives
Learn more: https://scim.ag/42nMvQJ #ScienceMagArchives
December 26, 2025 at 10:10 PM
A 2024 study found that ants best humans at tests of collective intelligence.
Learn more: https://scim.ag/42nMvQJ #ScienceMagArchives
Learn more: https://scim.ag/42nMvQJ #ScienceMagArchives
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
An analysis of U.S. water quality data reveals that most toxic chemicals remain poorly characterized or undetected in routine monitoring.
The findings in Science suggest that the true scale of chemical risk to biodiversity and ecosystems may be significantly underestimated. https://scim.ag/4alqHdl
The findings in Science suggest that the true scale of chemical risk to biodiversity and ecosystems may be significantly underestimated. https://scim.ag/4alqHdl
Limitations of chemical monitoring hinder aquatic risk evaluations on the macroscale
Macroscale evaluations of chemical monitoring data require the integration of chemical, spatial, and temporal dimensions. Here, we linked 64 million US surface water monitoring records (1900 chemicals...
scim.ag
December 28, 2025 at 6:43 PM
An analysis of U.S. water quality data reveals that most toxic chemicals remain poorly characterized or undetected in routine monitoring.
The findings in Science suggest that the true scale of chemical risk to biodiversity and ecosystems may be significantly underestimated. https://scim.ag/4alqHdl
The findings in Science suggest that the true scale of chemical risk to biodiversity and ecosystems may be significantly underestimated. https://scim.ag/4alqHdl
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
The National Science Foundation just had a big reorganization.
Here are five things to know. β¬οΈ https://scim.ag/4baWBcS
Here are five things to know. β¬οΈ https://scim.ag/4baWBcS
The National Science Foundation just had a big reorganization. Here are five things to know
Divisions and rotators disappear as more career staff become supervisors
www.science.org
December 30, 2025 at 2:30 PM
The National Science Foundation just had a big reorganization.
Here are five things to know. β¬οΈ https://scim.ag/4baWBcS
Here are five things to know. β¬οΈ https://scim.ag/4baWBcS
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
Humans should expand into the cosmos in the same way that, were the situation reversed, we would wish alien life to expand towards us: carefully, respectfully and in happy anticipation
The future of space exploration depends on better biology
Rockets are great, but sewage treatment is what you need for the long haul
econ.st
December 30, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Humans should expand into the cosmos in the same way that, were the situation reversed, we would wish alien life to expand towards us: carefully, respectfully and in happy anticipation
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
The National Science Foundation starts 2026 with a new management structure that affects every scientist with--or applying for--NSF funding. Here's what you need to know. www.science.org/content/arti...
The National Science Foundation just had a big reorganization. Here are five things to know
Divisions and rotators disappear as more career staff become supervisors
www.science.org
December 29, 2025 at 2:54 PM
The National Science Foundation starts 2026 with a new management structure that affects every scientist with--or applying for--NSF funding. Here's what you need to know. www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
Global seafood trade shapes PFAS exposure risk worldwide through fish consumption, a new Science study finds. The results show a need for stronger international cooperation and stricter policies to reduce human exposure to βforever chemicalsβ through the marine food system. https://scim.ag/4aznlDP
Risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure through marine fish consumption
Global food trade expansion has enriched diets worldwide but also heightened concerns about contaminant spread. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can persist in the environment for decades, y...
scim.ag
December 23, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Global seafood trade shapes PFAS exposure risk worldwide through fish consumption, a new Science study finds. The results show a need for stronger international cooperation and stricter policies to reduce human exposure to βforever chemicalsβ through the marine food system. https://scim.ag/4aznlDP
Reposted by Karen R. Lips
A new device inspired by the frogβs vocal sac can amplify and sense soundβshowcasing its potential for acoustic heart monitoring.
Learn more in #ScienceAdvances: https://scim.ag/4aRVY7R
Learn more in #ScienceAdvances: https://scim.ag/4aRVY7R
Frog vocal sacs-inspired soft acoustic system with continuously tunable resonance for sound emission and stethoscopic sensing
Frog-inspired, soft, continuously tunable acoustics are designed for personalized voice and wearable auscultation.
scim.ag
December 23, 2025 at 7:14 PM
A new device inspired by the frogβs vocal sac can amplify and sense soundβshowcasing its potential for acoustic heart monitoring.
Learn more in #ScienceAdvances: https://scim.ag/4aRVY7R
Learn more in #ScienceAdvances: https://scim.ag/4aRVY7R
