Darrin Hunt
banner
benthicbuddy.bsky.social
Darrin Hunt
@benthicbuddy.bsky.social
Educator, scientist, runner. Supporter of labor and human rights. Assistant professor of Environment and Sustainability at Shenandoah University.
Pinned
I'm so happy to see everyone over here!

If we haven't met, my name is Darrin and I'm an aquatic ecologist. I work in streams mainly, but also do some stuff in wetlands and with green stormwater infrastructure.

Here are some fun pictures!
#unloading #shocking #rock #sasquatch
Got out to Shenandoah Universoty’s Cool Spring Campus. It’s a 200 acre forest that has been recovering since the 00s next to Rolling Ridge Conservancy, a forest recovering since the 50s.

Really pretty streams and cool bugs.
November 11, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Off my lawn!
November 9, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Bugs. On a rock.
November 7, 2025 at 1:45 AM
We’ve been getting out and into some streams before the winter chill. I promise I have a tarp. We were just too focused/lazy to move it over.

Also, Fred.
November 6, 2025 at 3:20 AM
Reposted by Darrin Hunt
Please join us on Oct 31, 3:00 pm EST for our monthly virtual ASPB PUI Section networking session. Our topic is: Boosting Your Research Success at a PUI.

Join the meeting at merrimack.zoom.us/my/nooria?pw....

Contact Dr. Azam Noori at nooria@merrimack.edu, if link issues
October 24, 2025 at 8:19 PM
New paper alert! Hot off the press! Check out "Designing community facing tools for green stormwater infrastructure and groundwater monitoring: a model of interdisciplinary action research." GSI = green jobs. Let's go!
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...
Radware Bot Manager Captcha
To ensure we keep this website safe, please can you confirm you are a human by ticking the box below.
iopscience.iop.org
October 16, 2025 at 2:27 AM
My student and I hosted the math department at Shenandoah University to talk about how machine learning can help identify populations of macroinvertebrates.

A great experience with a super curious group of students (and instructors)!
October 13, 2025 at 11:13 PM
I am super stoked to announce that I have taken a position as an Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia.
July 4, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Reposted by Darrin Hunt
NOAA's National Mussel Watch Program - which has used invasive zebra + quagga mussels to track contaminants in the #GreatLakes since 1992 - finds that PFAS are ubiquitous in the lakes, with mussels in Lake Michigan having the highest average PFAS concentrations www.bridgemi.com/michigan-env...
Study of invasive mussels finds PFAS is nearly everywhere in the Great Lakes | Bridge Michigan
A recent report that PFAS contamination is widespread in Great Lakes mussels give a clearer picture of where the chemicals are concentrated.
www.bridgemi.com
June 6, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Reposted by Darrin Hunt
I updated my funding curves last night.

Here are the results for new and competitive renewal grants.

The rate of investment has dropped substantially. This is apparently due to a requirement for DOGE review.

I am calling this effect the "Downward DOGE"

1/2
June 9, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Reposted by Darrin Hunt
As we approach #IAGLR25, it means awards season is upon us! First up, the Chandler-Misener Award which is presented annually to the author(s) of the peer-reviewed paper in the current volume of the Journal of Great Lakes Research judged to be "most notable."
May 22, 2025 at 3:13 PM
#SFS2025! This was so cool! Amazing talents!
May 22, 2025 at 1:29 PM
#SFS2025! Let’s talk about urban groundwater! Come see me at 2:45 at the Intermittent, Ephemeral Systems and Surfacewater/Groundwater Interactions 2.0 superhub.

Let’s mellow out with a little interdisciplinary science as we discuss Green Stormwater-Informed Urban Groundwater monitoring Networks!
May 20, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Reposted by Darrin Hunt
📣Join the Early Career Committee for their workshop on navigating mentorship in freshwater science!

📆Thursday, May 9, 12:00 PM EST

🌐Registration: ua-edu.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
April 23, 2025 at 11:05 AM
We’re rounding the corner on capstone research for Spring ‘25. There is something especially team build-y about seining for fish.

Also, I love stonerollers this time of year.
April 14, 2025 at 2:39 PM
May the end of the school year bring me cool new things to do!
April 11, 2025 at 4:19 PM
I’m finally working on publishing the last chapter of my dissertation.

My favorite chapter…

Why am I sad to let this one out there? It feels too final.

Anyone else go through this publishing the final chapter of their dissertation? Oof…
April 9, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Sneaking them out to the river. Today, my Plant and Animal diversity class got into some water to check out some arthropods. Good times were had by most?
April 7, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Trying a new thang! A class, group project where students are arranged by their performance in the course. Not sure if this is good idea or not. We will see.

Group names are: the pixies, dinosaur jr., sonic youth, the screaming trees, the meat puppets, and a tribe called quest.

#itwasthe90s
April 5, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Both of these guys are off to grad school in fall 2025.

One is currently looking at reassembly of macroinvert communities after weather events in urban, ag and mountain streams. He just tightened up his sampling strategy in response to the crazy weather in the south.

Good idea! I’m a proud momma.
April 4, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Not cool.
F mechanisms are student and postdoc fellowships.

This is the US choking off funding for training the next generation of talent.

Where is the university leadership response?
F mechanisms (New and Competitive renewals)

Oof!

3/n
March 30, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Back at it with the next generation of aquatic scientists! I must rescue them from med school and give them something important to do (just kidding-ish).
March 16, 2025 at 10:23 PM
New toy at U of O!
#streamecology #hesswarrior
February 28, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Trying to find new ways to communicate science is important, right? This was an attempt to use claymation to communicate about phragmites management to a pre-k crowd. It’s okay to laugh on #worldwetlandsday.
youtu.be/XlEfymnulSY?...
Life in the Wetland isn't Easy
YouTube video by Donna Kashian
youtu.be
February 3, 2025 at 12:09 AM