Kelsi Rutledge, PhD
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fishandfreckles.bsky.social
Kelsi Rutledge, PhD
@fishandfreckles.bsky.social
Research Scientist with the Navy. Prior: Post-doc @caltech. PhD @UCLA. @NDSEG fellow. Bioinspired design, sensory biology, fluid dynamics, biohybrid robotics. she/her
Sokka and I are loving RI ☀️🧢🌳🌊
June 28, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Reposted by Kelsi Rutledge, PhD
Just digging up some old articles and found that time that @fishandfreckles.bsky.social described a new species of guitarfish and staged maternity photoshoots with it.

www.americanscientist.org/blog/macrosc...
June 17, 2025 at 1:05 PM
This is me ~6 months ago, excited for my first day of work as a Scientist for the US Navy. After getting my PhD at UCLA and a postdoc at Caltech, I made the big move across the country to help our fleet. Now I may be fired due to the indiscriminate firings of new, “probationary” federal workers.
February 23, 2025 at 2:04 PM
I had such an amazing time at SICB this year! Cool science, even cooler people, and a really amazing community. Thank you to all the organizers!! (Also got this amazing sea slug plushie at the Seattle aquarium) 🧪
January 8, 2024 at 7:47 PM
Dabiri lab does Big Hero 6 for Halloween! 🧪
November 1, 2023 at 5:42 PM
I’m cleaning this tall tank for experiments and yes I did spray myself in the face with the hose.
October 5, 2023 at 8:24 PM
So proud of my @Caltech SURF student, Giannka, who has worked so hard these past 10 weeks and delivered an excellent presentation on drag reducing designs for biohybrid robotic jellyfish! 🧪
August 25, 2023 at 12:07 AM
Visited NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory! Got to see the Mars rover’s twin! I had to rep my barbie shirt of course. 🧪
August 14, 2023 at 7:43 PM
🚨I’m on the academic job market this year! Please send me all your tips and advice. And if anyone is looking to hire an interdisciplinary marine biologist interested in how animals sense and interact with their fluid environment please let me know!
August 11, 2023 at 12:45 AM
Please admire Sokka’s new dog tag #LOTR
August 8, 2023 at 6:29 PM
🧪Did you know that male pipefish carry their babies? But don’t crown these fish dad-of-the-year just yet! 👑Male pipefish have been known to cut off the nutrient supply to their young if their food supply is low- or even absorb their own young- called filial (or vampiric) cannibalism 😮🧛‍♂️
June 27, 2023 at 12:27 AM
Getting a sword for finishing my PhD makes all the trials and tribulations worth it. Who cares about getting a job, I have a SWORD 🤣 🤣
June 17, 2023 at 2:04 AM
DOCTOR!
June 16, 2023 at 1:59 AM
Reposted by Kelsi Rutledge, PhD
You should follow Kelsi, who, among other things, was the science 🧪 consultant for Jordan Peele’s “nope”
Hi! I’m Kelsi and I love the ocean! I just finished my PhD at UCLA studying the “sniffers” of stingrays and the fluid dynamics of their sense of smell. Now I’m starting my postdoc at Caltech where I’ll be working with biohybrid robotic jellyfish!
June 14, 2023 at 3:05 AM
If you think this is cool, listen to my 3 min “ted-talk style” presentation on this: https://youtu.be/PRsjlgaqe_U 🧪
Stingray noses are not connected to their throats/mouth like us! Their noses have evolved just for smelling and not for breathing. Imagine trying to smell without inhaling!! Turns out their unusual nose shapes help to funnel in water without the power of a pump.
June 13, 2023 at 9:31 PM
Hi! I’m Kelsi and I love the ocean! I just finished my PhD at UCLA studying the “sniffers” of stingrays and the fluid dynamics of their sense of smell. Now I’m starting my postdoc at Caltech where I’ll be working with biohybrid robotic jellyfish!
June 13, 2023 at 5:55 PM