Erin Hotchkiss
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fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Erin Hotchkiss
@fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
2.2K followers 1.3K following 130 posts
I am a scientist who works (& plays) in waterways to understand their health & function.

Associate Professor in Biological Sciences & Global Change Center Faculty Affiliate @ Virginia Tech. UWYO/Emory alum. she/her. Posts=my opinions. www.hotchkisslab.com
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fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Happy to share a recently accepted, co-authored paper led by @shantanubhide.bsky.social in Water Research: 'Transit times link pollution sources to drinking water quality in a “One Water” system' www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 💧🌎
Graphical abstract detailing modeling framework of time varying pollution inputs and their travel time from water reclamation plant, to a drinking water reservoir, and then to a drinking water treatment plant in the 'one water' system used for this study
October 1, 2025 at 1:18 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
In case you're also up for a quick distraction (I was) - we have black swallowtails in the garden!

Pictured: an adult butterfly on purple ironweed flowers & a caterpillar (1 of 3!) crawling down a dill plant stem 🌱
Black adult butterfly with white and yellow body and outer wing markings feeds on purple ironweed flowers A bright green caterpillar with black stripes and yellow dots crawls down a green dill plant stem. The caterpillar's head and upper body are leaning away from the stem to feed on dill leaves
September 20, 2025 at 1:13 AM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
We may not have pets or kids (literally the first two questions everyone asked when we were moving in 😒), but..."FREE #PAWPAWS" helped us (re)connect with several folks in the neighborhood this weekend! 🌱💚
A cardboard sign and white cooler sit on a grassy area in front of a fig and paw paw tree. The sign reads "FREE PAWPAWS! Pawpaws are a native fruit that grows on trees in the Eastern US. They only stay ripe for a few days - enjoy quickly! (Seeds & skin are NOT edible.) - Erin & Richard." Looking down at a pile of 17 ripe pawpaw fruits on the ground to the left with 2 paw paws that wild animals nibbled on the right. A few yellow goldenrod flowers are at the top of the frame. Looking up at a cluster of 3 almost-ripe pawpaw fruits on a tree
September 14, 2025 at 7:34 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Views from Foster Falls, New River Trail State Park (VA, USA) 💧
View from the middle of a forested river transitioning from flat water to rocky ledges under more turbulent water Bank view from the middle of a forested river transitioning from flat water to rocky ledges under more turbulent water View from the middle of a forested river transitioning from flat water to a rocky ledge under turbulent water, churning around and over rocks View looking upstream from the bank of a forested river. The spot is below rocky ledges, where the water is calmer and flows on either side of a rocky bar
July 29, 2025 at 12:15 AM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Mom's been reminiscing about how much time she's spent keeping them out of her lake/nature photos in the family text this AM.

"except one time I got a moonrise exactly on top"

RIP to that "you're almost home" landmark, even if it's long overdue!
The top of one of Bull Run steam plant's stacks, made of concrete with red, white, and red stripes around the top. The stack is positioned in the picture frame so that a brightly colored full moon appears to be sitting on top of it during moonrise.
June 26, 2025 at 12:09 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Definitely feels like summer! I'm enjoying spending more time with the New River this year.

Pembroke -> Bluff City (Hale's Landing), Virginia, USA
Early morning light shining on a cliff above a river with forested banks, plants in the foreground, and forested mountains in the background. A blue raft sits on the riverbank in the shade. The river water is calm enough to reflect the blue sky with a few white clouds. A blue damselfly sits on a faded red strap next to a faded red (upside down) sticker on the metal bar of a raft that reads "Don't Move a Mussel / AIS" - the AIS stands for aquatic invasive species. An out of focus black spare oar is behind the bar. Exposed bedrock of different shapes and angles extends from the edge of the river bank and is now visible as water levels drop. There are pools of disconnected water in the lower parts and weathered holes of the rock. The river and forested mountains are in the background of the photo and forested banks on both sides of the river. It's a sunny day with blue skies and a few white clouds. View from the middle of the river at the edge of a ledge that extends across the bank and creates turbulent waves (a small rapid or "falls"). There are forested white cliffs above the river in the background.
June 21, 2025 at 5:56 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Enjoyed being back on the New River in southwest Virginia. First float of the year after full leaf out & first time floating this section (Whitehorne -> Eggleston) after hurricane Helene.
View from the middle of the New River. The bedrock and sediments are visible through the clear water, and the river is calm enough to reflect the blue sky and clouds on the water surface. There are tree-covered banks and mountains in the background. View from the middle of the New River in the morning. The river is calm enough to reflect the blue sky and sun on the water surface. There are tree-covered banks and mountains in the background with a little bit of fog in the distance. View from the middle of the New River below a small shelf rapid with a few waves. The sky is blue with white puffy clouds. There are tree-covered banks and mountains in the background. View from the middle of the New River looking toward a riverbank with exposed rock cliffs surrounded by green trees. The sky is blue.
June 7, 2025 at 10:34 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Somehow managed to have more than an hour exploring this incredible river without any other humans nearby. Plenty of freshwater shrimp, birds, & anoles to keep me company!

💧Río Espíritu Santo, Bosque Nacional El Yunque, Puerto Rico
A clear river with large rocks and small cascades, surrounded by tropical green plants and trees on a sunny day with only a few clouds.
May 26, 2025 at 8:38 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Congrats to this year's @freshwaterscience.bsky.social Hynes Awardee, Dr. Laurel Genzoli! Laurel received this award for her recent paper, "Benthic cyanobacterial proliferations drive anatoxin production throughout the Klamath River watershed": www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.... 👩‍🔬🌎🧪💧
Dr. Laurel Genzoli posing with SFS president Dr. Dave Arscott after receiving her Hynes Award.
May 20, 2025 at 3:25 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Got to nerd out about beautiful coastal Puerto Rican #wetlands yesterday with @carlalopezpr.bsky.social ! Carla is studying #freshwater wetland #carbon emissions & testing how those emissions may change with sea level rise. 💧🧪🌎👩‍🔬 #2025SFS @globalchangevt.bsky.social
Buttressed tree trunk in a tropical wetland Brown anole lizard with an extended orange dewlap perched on a small tree trunk Woman standing ankle deep in a wetland holding soil scooped up from under water and smiling View looking down at a wetland with saplings, seeds, and underwater leaves. The water is still enough that there are also reflections of trees on the water surface
May 18, 2025 at 12:18 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Had a great time meeting with ~80 scientists, managers, & community organizers during the 7th Symposium on Urban Stream Ecology in San Juan, PR this week. Excited about next steps from our urban metabolism workshop w/@jonnybehrens.bsky.social + future collabs! 💧🌎🧪 www.urbanstreamecology.org #SUSE7
Lookout post from the Old San Juan wall at the edge of the island A woman presents a slide about future community, scientific, and policymaker engagement to build an improved plan for the watershed of San Juan A group of people poses for a photo after a workshop rainy view walking along the edge of old San Juan on the way to La Perla. Multicolored buildings and palm trees line the left of the road and a building painted as the Puerto Rican flag is below the wall on the right
May 17, 2025 at 2:55 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Virginia -> Puerto Rico for the 7th Symposium on Urban Stream Ecology & 2025 annual meeting of @freshwaterscience.bsky.social! Looking forward to nerding out & catching up with new & old freshwater friends. Please reach out if you'd like to connect at #SUSE7 or #2025SFS!
View from an airplane flying over a meandering Virginia river in a valley next to a forested mountain ridge with fog still hovering above part of the river. View from an airplane flying over part of Virginia with forested mountain ridges on the edge of a valley with small farms, houses, and a river that passed through the mountains View from an airplane approaching the island of Puerto Rico surrounded by deep blue and turquoise water. View from an airplane flying over a more industrialized part of Puerto Rico with patches of forest, two channelized rivers of different colors due to different levels of sediment in the water, and mountains in the background
May 13, 2025 at 1:00 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
I managed to not fly at all in 2024 (attended 2 conferences by train!), so it was strange & wonderful to be back in a window seat for a cross-country flight (IAD-SFO). Mostly cloudy, a few good views. Looking forward to catching up with an old friend & finding sabbatical inspiration in a new place.
View from above the cloud line looking down at a mountain range with snow-covered high elevations. Clouds cover part of the view, and the sky above the clouds is a clear blue. View from above the cloud line looking down at a snow-covered mountain range. Clouds cover part of the landscape in the distance, and the sky above the clouds is a clear blue. View looking down on different salt pond and marsh habitats on the California coast that are different shades of pink and green depending on their biological community. View from a plane pulling into the gate of an airport with a rainbow and mostly cloudy sky in the background. There are raindrops on the window.
April 2, 2025 at 10:00 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Nice float on the James River near Buchanan, VA today. Bluebells are looking great & trees are starting to leaf out.
Clusters of bluebell flowers in front of a river Two people in a blue raft float on the bank of a calm river just past parts of an old bridge that no longer crosses over the river. It's a partly cloudy day in early spring. Two people in a blue raft float over a small riffle on a river - enough turbulence to see bubbles in the water but not enough to splash anyone going through it. The riverbank is forested with rocky edges, and leaves are just starting to open up on some trees. Six people in two blue rafts float next to each other on a wide river. The riverbank is forested and there are mountains in the blackground. Leaves are just starting to open up on some trees.
March 30, 2025 at 9:47 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Today, Virginia Tech's board of visitors voted to end all DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) programs, dissolving the Office for Inclusive Strategy & Excellence, InclusiveVT, student centers (e.g., Black, LGBTQ+, Indigenous), DEI committees, etc...🤬 Was glad to stand w/ friends & see a big turnout.
A large group of protestors fills the stairs and patio in front of Burruss Hall on Virginia Tech's campus on an early spring day. A person stands at the edge of a group of protestors in front of Burruss Hall on Virginia Tech's campus on an early spring day. They are holding a black and white sign that overlaps the VT logo with the word "diversity". A US flag flies between the people and the large stone campus building. A large group of protestors with signs stands around the edge of the pylons on Virginia Tech's campus on a cloudy spring day. Picture from the first few rows in at the rally at the end of the march. The crowd faces speakers and observers in front of the stone building (hotel/conference center) where the board of visitors is meeting
March 25, 2025 at 10:54 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Back in VA for a week & enjoying the many signs of spring: daffodils, trillium, & blueberries in the garden + protests (Sunday was for standing up against privatization of our federal mail service with USPS union & community members)
Three clusters of daffodil plants flowering in a bed of mulch in front of a white house A single trillium plant emerges from a bed of dried leaves. The plant has three leaves that are mottled green and purple. Blueberry bush with early spring buds and leaves just starting to open A person with a ponytail stands with a sign that says "fight like hell" at a protest
March 24, 2025 at 1:17 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Had a fun morning visit to East Fork Poplar Creek today to test methods & plan storm sampling with @jonnybehrens.bsky.social! Still a surprising amount of algae after a big storm / high flows over the weekend. 🧪💧🌎
View looking downstream from a large, forested stream on a blue sky day in early spring. The water is still cloudy from weekend storms, grass is starting to green up on the left bank, and trees haven't leafed out yet. A smiling scientist wearing large gloves, sunglasses, and a sun hat is standing in a stream and holding a clump of filamentous algae over small dark glass vials.
March 18, 2025 at 9:49 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
My research sabbatical time at ORNL continues to be a treat. Amazing people & scientists ++ today I got to visit Walker Branch, an important long-term study site for our understanding of how streams function (IYKYK & are a biogeochemistry/ecology nerd)! 💧🧪🌎
A small, blue shed stands to the right of a moss covered rock formation and beyond several stairs in a forested area where the ground is covered by fallen leaves and the trees haven't leafed out yet. To the right of the shed is a v-notched weir used to measure streamflow, with a small stream cascading down the concrete wall of the weir. A small stream cascades down rocks that have been weathered by the water flow over time. The stream is in a forested area where the ground is covered by fallen leaves and the trees haven't leafed out yet. A close up view of stream rocks under clear, flowing water. The rocks are covered in a thin layer of algal biofilms and many small stream snails grazing on the algae. Old, weathered sign at the edge of a deciduous forest reads "AEC-ORNL / Ecology Field Studies / Water Resources Research Area / Land-Water Interaction"
March 14, 2025 at 12:34 AM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Took the long way to my destination to spend a bit of time in Great Smoky Mountains National Park today. No regrets. (And yes, of course I spent as much time as possible along streams & rivers!)
View of a river in the Smoky Mountains with clear turbulent water, large rocks, and trees on both banks View of a rocky river cascade A small waterfall on a large smooth rock surrounded by moss and rhododendron View from the edge of a river in the Smoky Mountains with clear turbulent water, large rocks, and vegetation on the opposite bank
March 7, 2025 at 1:14 AM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Today's backyard springtime phenology updates: bees started visiting the snowdrops & crocus flowers + the first yellow crocuses-in-the-grass started blooming. Nice little break from all of the horrible news. Now back to reality....
A bee visits the middle of five light purple crocus flowers in bloom. The flowers are growing through a layer of dried leaf cover. A bee flies towards a cluster of four white snowdrop flowers in bloom. The flowers are growing through a layer of dried leaf cover. A single yellow crocus flower blooms in a yard with dormant grass and a few fallen leaves A bee collects nectar from a light purple crocus flower. The flower is growing through a layer of dried leaf cover.
March 1, 2025 at 7:38 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
And now for...spring? Today's lunchtime walk around the garden brought the first backyard crocus sightings of the year + other early spring plants emerging from the melting snow & ice.
Two crocus flowers with purple and white petals and yellow center growing out of dormant grass Two clusters of bulbed flower stems emerging from a ground covered in dried leaves and melting ice The very top of two daffodil plant tips poke through the ground covered with dried leaves and melting ice. A few more green clusters are emerging from the ground in the background of the photo. Single blades of wheat poke through a layer of snow and ice on raised garden beds
February 14, 2025 at 6:15 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
2nd snow day (VT classes were cancelled but I'm on a research sabbatical & not teaching) came with more ice/rain/sleet & and new views from the garden
Close up of a lichen- and moss-covered tree branch covered in a layer of ice with small icicles. There are more ice covered branches and icicles in the background. Last summer's now-dried Joe Pye flowers covered in a layer of ice with snow in the background A small pond surrounded with snow-covered cobbles. The water's surface is disrupted by raindrops and has a reflection of a nearby tree. Mountain laurel evergreen leaves and buds covered in a layer of ice with small icicles. There are more ice covered leaves and icicles in the background.
February 12, 2025 at 7:10 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Found some peace & sunlight today - it was a much needed recharge. The science will continue. The fight for human rights, equity, democracy, & a better future goes on.
A rocky stream with clear water in the foreground; a hill with mostly evergreen rhododendron bushes and bare deciduous trees is on the other side of the stream. There are glimpses of a blue sky with white clouds between the trees. View looking down at a small vernal pond surrounded by dried, fallen leaves from deciduous trees. There are two moss-covered logs reaching into the pond and a reflection of a blue sky with white clouds in the pond water. View of a colony of club moss on the forest floor with patches of dried, fallen leaves mixed in. There are mossy patches on the leaf-covered hillslopes in the distance. The trees are still bare for winter. View of a rocky stream with clear water looking downstream from above. A hill with dried fallen leaves, rocks, and bare deciduous trees is on the right bank of the stream.
February 4, 2025 at 10:52 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Season's greetings from Tennessee (& Mom's army of nutcrackers!)
Living room corner with a decorated Christmas tree and a fireplace mantel covered in nutcrackers. The front of the fireplace is covered by large poinsettias and there are lots of other holiday decorations all over the room, including a coffee mug on a table that reads "equal rights for snow women!"
December 25, 2024 at 6:50 PM
fluvialbenthos.bsky.social
Very ready to relax at home after a busy but fun week of connecting w/ amazing earth scientists at #AGU24. A favorite part of conferences now is meeting new early career colleagues, so thanks to all who reached out & shared your work! (Bonus: I got to travel by train for 2/2 meetings in 2024!) 🌎🧪👩‍🔬💧🚆
View from the pedestrian bridge above the Roanoke, VA train station at night with an Amtrak passenger train still at the station. Lots of cars are idling waiting to pick up passengers on the road next to the train station, and the outside of a tall building in the background is illuminated with red and green lights for the winter holiday season.
December 14, 2024 at 11:28 PM