Lena Vincent, PhD
@lenaunderwater.bsky.social
🪼| Senior Research Technician - @MBARI Haddock lab
🧬| Molecular biology and biochemistry of bioluminescence
🤿| AAUS scientific/blue-water diver
🧬| Molecular biology and biochemistry of bioluminescence
🤿| AAUS scientific/blue-water diver
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
Hydra (Hydra vulgaris) ✨Small but mighty! Hydra can regenerate its entire body, even its head 🧠 A classic model for regeneration, stem cell dynamics, and body axis patterning 📸 Image by Daniel Bressan de Andrade #ModelMonday #DevBio #Regeneration
November 11, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Hydra (Hydra vulgaris) ✨Small but mighty! Hydra can regenerate its entire body, even its head 🧠 A classic model for regeneration, stem cell dynamics, and body axis patterning 📸 Image by Daniel Bressan de Andrade #ModelMonday #DevBio #Regeneration
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
MBARI’s mechanical technicians and engineers collaborated closely to build a titanium frame capable of holding cameras, sensors, and instruments used in the SINKER—SINKing Ecology Robot—imaging system, which collects vital carbon data. 🔧 🌊 🔬
Learn more: youtu.be/6_elP8a1o0M?...
Learn more: youtu.be/6_elP8a1o0M?...
MBARI's team of mechanical technicians make innovative new tech come to life
YouTube video by MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)
youtu.be
November 11, 2025 at 10:54 PM
MBARI’s mechanical technicians and engineers collaborated closely to build a titanium frame capable of holding cameras, sensors, and instruments used in the SINKER—SINKing Ecology Robot—imaging system, which collects vital carbon data. 🔧 🌊 🔬
Learn more: youtu.be/6_elP8a1o0M?...
Learn more: youtu.be/6_elP8a1o0M?...
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
Oh, I love this. A new species of sea anemone was discovered recently that parks itself on top of a hermit crab shell like a hat. It seems to feed partly off the crab's faeces, but it also excretes a hard shell that extends the crab's home. In return, it's carried around the seafloor like a king.
November 10, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Oh, I love this. A new species of sea anemone was discovered recently that parks itself on top of a hermit crab shell like a hat. It seems to feed partly off the crab's faeces, but it also excretes a hard shell that extends the crab's home. In return, it's carried around the seafloor like a king.
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
30 previously unknown deep-sea species, including a carnivorous “death-ball” sponge, have been confirmed from one of the most remote parts of the planet by The Nippon Foundation–Nekton @oceancensus.bsky.social and collaborators. ecomagazine.com/news/researc...
🦑 🌊
🦑 🌊
Recent Expeditions Confirm Discovery of 30 Previously Unknown Deep-Sea Species - environment coastal & offshore
Thirty previously unknown deep-sea species, including a carnivorous “death-ball” sponge, have been confirmed from one of the most remote parts of the planet by The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Censu...
ecomagazine.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:32 PM
30 previously unknown deep-sea species, including a carnivorous “death-ball” sponge, have been confirmed from one of the most remote parts of the planet by The Nippon Foundation–Nekton @oceancensus.bsky.social and collaborators. ecomagazine.com/news/researc...
🦑 🌊
🦑 🌊
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
🧪📍🌊 🦑🍎 @mbarinews.bsky.social is now accepting applications for our 30th summer internship program www.mbari.org/about/career...
Internships • MBARI
Applications for the 2026 MBARI Summer Internship program will open in fall 2025. This 10-week internship allows college students and educators to work on a research or outreach project at MBARI.
www.mbari.org
October 30, 2025 at 11:29 AM
🧪📍🌊 🦑🍎 @mbarinews.bsky.social is now accepting applications for our 30th summer internship program www.mbari.org/about/career...
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
Prometheus - From Gordan Ugarković (ugordan.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/8FBbLN
October 28, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Prometheus - From Gordan Ugarković (ugordan.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/8FBbLN
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
Super pumped to be a guest speaker in the COBRA webinar series in two weeks’ time, along with Olivia Pereira from @mbarinews.bsky.social! We’ll be talking about our Science Communication strategies & experiences. Register for Zoom link here: cobra.bigelow.org/webinars/
October 21, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Super pumped to be a guest speaker in the COBRA webinar series in two weeks’ time, along with Olivia Pereira from @mbarinews.bsky.social! We’ll be talking about our Science Communication strategies & experiences. Register for Zoom link here: cobra.bigelow.org/webinars/
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
Ummm, who was going to tell me that Phronima eat Beroe abyssicola and that when they do they and all their little babies turn pink??
Photo from today when I learned that from putting them in a kreisel together.
🦑🐙
Photo from today when I learned that from putting them in a kreisel together.
🦑🐙
June 25, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Ummm, who was going to tell me that Phronima eat Beroe abyssicola and that when they do they and all their little babies turn pink??
Photo from today when I learned that from putting them in a kreisel together.
🦑🐙
Photo from today when I learned that from putting them in a kreisel together.
🦑🐙
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
For CTENOPHORE DAY, a little survey:
Which end of this fishing Pleurobrachia is the mouth on? Please just "vote" in the comments — no definitive answers. 🦑🧪🌊
P.S. this is one of my earliest #ctenophore photos, shot on film in a home-built kreisel.
P.P.S. Legit data-gathering for a future paper.
Which end of this fishing Pleurobrachia is the mouth on? Please just "vote" in the comments — no definitive answers. 🦑🧪🌊
P.S. this is one of my earliest #ctenophore photos, shot on film in a home-built kreisel.
P.P.S. Legit data-gathering for a future paper.
October 4, 2025 at 2:38 PM
For CTENOPHORE DAY, a little survey:
Which end of this fishing Pleurobrachia is the mouth on? Please just "vote" in the comments — no definitive answers. 🦑🧪🌊
P.S. this is one of my earliest #ctenophore photos, shot on film in a home-built kreisel.
P.P.S. Legit data-gathering for a future paper.
Which end of this fishing Pleurobrachia is the mouth on? Please just "vote" in the comments — no definitive answers. 🦑🧪🌊
P.S. this is one of my earliest #ctenophore photos, shot on film in a home-built kreisel.
P.P.S. Legit data-gathering for a future paper.
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
Happy Ctenophore Day!
🐙🦑🧪
🐙🦑🧪
October 4, 2025 at 7:36 AM
Happy Ctenophore Day!
🐙🦑🧪
🐙🦑🧪
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
Wow. Japan's JAMSTEC has a probe that goes to over 8K in depth! #deepsea japan-forward.com/japans-deep-...
Japan's Deep-Sea Probe Reaches 8,015 Meters, Opening New Frontiers in Research | JAPAN Forward
Urashima 8000 can survey 98% of Japan's EEZ, demonstrating huge potential to advance research on deep-sea resources, disaster prevention, and life sciences.
japan-forward.com
September 22, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Wow. Japan's JAMSTEC has a probe that goes to over 8K in depth! #deepsea japan-forward.com/japans-deep-...
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
Our science photo book The Radiant Sea is out Sept 2nd!!
30 years of research, 10 years of "we should", and a year of collating pix and writing.
Sönke and I show (mostly for the first time) images of how organisms produce, use, and interact with light in the sea. #bioluminescence #fluorescence 🦑🧪🌊
30 years of research, 10 years of "we should", and a year of collating pix and writing.
Sönke and I show (mostly for the first time) images of how organisms produce, use, and interact with light in the sea. #bioluminescence #fluorescence 🦑🧪🌊
August 28, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Our science photo book The Radiant Sea is out Sept 2nd!!
30 years of research, 10 years of "we should", and a year of collating pix and writing.
Sönke and I show (mostly for the first time) images of how organisms produce, use, and interact with light in the sea. #bioluminescence #fluorescence 🦑🧪🌊
30 years of research, 10 years of "we should", and a year of collating pix and writing.
Sönke and I show (mostly for the first time) images of how organisms produce, use, and interact with light in the sea. #bioluminescence #fluorescence 🦑🧪🌊
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
In the deep ocean & Antarctic waters, sponges grow at a rate of fewer than 2cm/yr. While life on land seems to move at an oft dizzying pace, the size of this sponge suggests this animal may have been alive for hundreds of years. #AntarcticClimateConnections
July 21, 2025 at 10:02 PM
In the deep ocean & Antarctic waters, sponges grow at a rate of fewer than 2cm/yr. While life on land seems to move at an oft dizzying pace, the size of this sponge suggests this animal may have been alive for hundreds of years. #AntarcticClimateConnections
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
As currently configured, NASA newest grant opportunity release represents an ****82%**** cut to planetary science research funding.
research.ssl.berkeley.edu/~mikewong/bl...
research.ssl.berkeley.edu/~mikewong/bl...
mikewong's astroblog
research.ssl.berkeley.edu
July 11, 2025 at 10:43 PM
As currently configured, NASA newest grant opportunity release represents an ****82%**** cut to planetary science research funding.
research.ssl.berkeley.edu/~mikewong/bl...
research.ssl.berkeley.edu/~mikewong/bl...
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
BEHOLD! One of Earth's greatest lineages of life: the lil wiggle arm guys, Meteora.
These single-celled critters, originally found in deep-sea sediments, are SO DIFFERENT from other lifeforms on Earth that they're likely in their own kingdom (as in, the Animal Kingdom, the Plant Kingdom etc). 🧪🌿
These single-celled critters, originally found in deep-sea sediments, are SO DIFFERENT from other lifeforms on Earth that they're likely in their own kingdom (as in, the Animal Kingdom, the Plant Kingdom etc). 🧪🌿
July 10, 2025 at 8:06 PM
BEHOLD! One of Earth's greatest lineages of life: the lil wiggle arm guys, Meteora.
These single-celled critters, originally found in deep-sea sediments, are SO DIFFERENT from other lifeforms on Earth that they're likely in their own kingdom (as in, the Animal Kingdom, the Plant Kingdom etc). 🧪🌿
These single-celled critters, originally found in deep-sea sediments, are SO DIFFERENT from other lifeforms on Earth that they're likely in their own kingdom (as in, the Animal Kingdom, the Plant Kingdom etc). 🧪🌿
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
Death net
Not much escapes from the sticky, stinging tentacles of a #siphonophore. Body of ~7”, and a net of tentacles extending >6’.
Yes, this creature is on the Do Not Lick list.
#forsakaliaedwardsi #nematocysts #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #chrisgug #gugunderwater #gug
Not much escapes from the sticky, stinging tentacles of a #siphonophore. Body of ~7”, and a net of tentacles extending >6’.
Yes, this creature is on the Do Not Lick list.
#forsakaliaedwardsi #nematocysts #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #chrisgug #gugunderwater #gug
July 7, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Death net
Not much escapes from the sticky, stinging tentacles of a #siphonophore. Body of ~7”, and a net of tentacles extending >6’.
Yes, this creature is on the Do Not Lick list.
#forsakaliaedwardsi #nematocysts #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #chrisgug #gugunderwater #gug
Not much escapes from the sticky, stinging tentacles of a #siphonophore. Body of ~7”, and a net of tentacles extending >6’.
Yes, this creature is on the Do Not Lick list.
#forsakaliaedwardsi #nematocysts #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #chrisgug #gugunderwater #gug
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
Enough of you asked me about this that I wrote some brief thoughts on Ocean Ramsey's particular brand of pseudoscientific nonsense. I believe this addresses almost all of the frequently asked questions I receive, but as always I am happy to answer serious questions asked in good faith.
🧪🦑🌎🦈
🧪🦑🌎🦈
What Ocean Ramsey does is not shark science or conservation: some brief thoughts on “the Shark Whisperer” documentary
Netflix has a new (sarcastic air quotes) “documentary” out about Ocean Ramsey, who longtime readers and followers know is a serial wildlife harasser who also coordinates massive online …
www.southernfriedscience.com
July 2, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Enough of you asked me about this that I wrote some brief thoughts on Ocean Ramsey's particular brand of pseudoscientific nonsense. I believe this addresses almost all of the frequently asked questions I receive, but as always I am happy to answer serious questions asked in good faith.
🧪🦑🌎🦈
🧪🦑🌎🦈
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
It's #InternationalPolychaeteDay, and we've got something for you to celebrate. ❤️
Flame on: The vibrant red gossamer worm is the race car of the deep sea: youtu.be/PII8AvmEvnE?...
Flame on: The vibrant red gossamer worm is the race car of the deep sea: youtu.be/PII8AvmEvnE?...
July 1, 2025 at 5:23 PM
It's #InternationalPolychaeteDay, and we've got something for you to celebrate. ❤️
Flame on: The vibrant red gossamer worm is the race car of the deep sea: youtu.be/PII8AvmEvnE?...
Flame on: The vibrant red gossamer worm is the race car of the deep sea: youtu.be/PII8AvmEvnE?...
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
MORE of Alexander Semenov's gorgeous worm photography! #worldpolychaeteday
July 1, 2025 at 1:59 PM
MORE of Alexander Semenov's gorgeous worm photography! #worldpolychaeteday
Today’s low tide finds!
June 28, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Today’s low tide finds!
So many cool nudis (and other little weirdos) at low tide this morning!
June 27, 2025 at 11:23 PM
So many cool nudis (and other little weirdos) at low tide this morning!
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
Big news!
Our latest paper, “Manufacture and use of allogrooming tools by wild killer whales” has been published in “Current Biology”.
This is the first known evidence of a marine mammal making tools out of objects in their environment.
Explore more here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Our latest paper, “Manufacture and use of allogrooming tools by wild killer whales” has been published in “Current Biology”.
This is the first known evidence of a marine mammal making tools out of objects in their environment.
Explore more here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
June 23, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Big news!
Our latest paper, “Manufacture and use of allogrooming tools by wild killer whales” has been published in “Current Biology”.
This is the first known evidence of a marine mammal making tools out of objects in their environment.
Explore more here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Our latest paper, “Manufacture and use of allogrooming tools by wild killer whales” has been published in “Current Biology”.
This is the first known evidence of a marine mammal making tools out of objects in their environment.
Explore more here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
Microscopic particles, global impact 🌊🔬
MBARI scientist @cadurkin.bsky.social and her team are using microscopic particles to reveal the mechanisms of carbon transport into the deep sea that can help improve satellite-based models of carbon export.
Learn more: bit.ly/carbonexport...
MBARI scientist @cadurkin.bsky.social and her team are using microscopic particles to reveal the mechanisms of carbon transport into the deep sea that can help improve satellite-based models of carbon export.
Learn more: bit.ly/carbonexport...
Marine snow provides new clues about the export of carbon to the deep sea • MBARI
Genetic sequences in microscopic particles of sinking organic material reveal the mechanisms of carbon transport into the deep sea that can help improve satellite-based models of carbon export.
bit.ly
June 20, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Microscopic particles, global impact 🌊🔬
MBARI scientist @cadurkin.bsky.social and her team are using microscopic particles to reveal the mechanisms of carbon transport into the deep sea that can help improve satellite-based models of carbon export.
Learn more: bit.ly/carbonexport...
MBARI scientist @cadurkin.bsky.social and her team are using microscopic particles to reveal the mechanisms of carbon transport into the deep sea that can help improve satellite-based models of carbon export.
Learn more: bit.ly/carbonexport...
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
I am used to photographing #ctenophores in darkfield, but under those conditions it is hard to see the pigment spots on this little (5mm) specimen.
Fun to see the patterns that show up when viewed against a white background. 🧪🦑🌊
Fun to see the patterns that show up when viewed against a white background. 🧪🦑🌊
June 11, 2025 at 10:02 PM
I am used to photographing #ctenophores in darkfield, but under those conditions it is hard to see the pigment spots on this little (5mm) specimen.
Fun to see the patterns that show up when viewed against a white background. 🧪🦑🌊
Fun to see the patterns that show up when viewed against a white background. 🧪🦑🌊
Reposted by Lena Vincent, PhD
For the first time, scientists have filmed microscopic worms called nematodes in the wild as they glom together and form large wriggling masses.
Learn more: scim.ag/3FBwSx3
Learn more: scim.ag/3FBwSx3
June 11, 2025 at 6:21 PM
For the first time, scientists have filmed microscopic worms called nematodes in the wild as they glom together and form large wriggling masses.
Learn more: scim.ag/3FBwSx3
Learn more: scim.ag/3FBwSx3