Molly Clark
@mollyaclark.bsky.social
Behavioural ecologist in training🐟🤖PhD at Bristol & Macquarie
She/Her
She/Her
Aww such good times🥹and amazing work as always!!
July 14, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Aww such good times🥹and amazing work as always!!
Thank you!☺️ and re the tracking, I’ve found what Christos describes to work well for other experiments, but the lighting and camera set up needs to be very consistent
June 6, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Thank you!☺️ and re the tracking, I’ve found what Christos describes to work well for other experiments, but the lighting and camera set up needs to be very consistent
Our findings raise some interesting questions:
🧠Are some group personalities more resilient than others?
🐟How do predator and prey personalities interact?
🔈Could different types of noise have different impacts on shoals?
More info in paper📖
Thanks for reading!
6/6
🧠Are some group personalities more resilient than others?
🐟How do predator and prey personalities interact?
🔈Could different types of noise have different impacts on shoals?
More info in paper📖
Thanks for reading!
6/6
June 4, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Our findings raise some interesting questions:
🧠Are some group personalities more resilient than others?
🐟How do predator and prey personalities interact?
🔈Could different types of noise have different impacts on shoals?
More info in paper📖
Thanks for reading!
6/6
🧠Are some group personalities more resilient than others?
🐟How do predator and prey personalities interact?
🔈Could different types of noise have different impacts on shoals?
More info in paper📖
Thanks for reading!
6/6
Our main finding was that groups showed stable personalities:
✅ Across acoustic noise and control treatments
✅ Across repeated trials
Repeatable group-level differences were seen across all behaviours measured
📊X = trial 1, Y = trial 2
5/6
✅ Across acoustic noise and control treatments
✅ Across repeated trials
Repeatable group-level differences were seen across all behaviours measured
📊X = trial 1, Y = trial 2
5/6
June 4, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Our main finding was that groups showed stable personalities:
✅ Across acoustic noise and control treatments
✅ Across repeated trials
Repeatable group-level differences were seen across all behaviours measured
📊X = trial 1, Y = trial 2
5/6
✅ Across acoustic noise and control treatments
✅ Across repeated trials
Repeatable group-level differences were seen across all behaviours measured
📊X = trial 1, Y = trial 2
5/6
What we found:
📉 Shoals had fewer following events in the noise condition than the control
But we saw no clear change in leadership, swimming speed, or group cohesion
📊light = treatment, dark = control
4/6
📉 Shoals had fewer following events in the noise condition than the control
But we saw no clear change in leadership, swimming speed, or group cohesion
📊light = treatment, dark = control
4/6
June 4, 2025 at 7:25 PM
What we found:
📉 Shoals had fewer following events in the noise condition than the control
But we saw no clear change in leadership, swimming speed, or group cohesion
📊light = treatment, dark = control
4/6
📉 Shoals had fewer following events in the noise condition than the control
But we saw no clear change in leadership, swimming speed, or group cohesion
📊light = treatment, dark = control
4/6
We tested whether acoustic noise 📢 disrupts decision-making in guppy shoals using a 5-arm maze ⭐️
We expected added noise to interfere with group cohesion, exploration and leadership success
📸 image from tracking software
🔴fish attempting to lead
3/6
We expected added noise to interfere with group cohesion, exploration and leadership success
📸 image from tracking software
🔴fish attempting to lead
3/6
June 4, 2025 at 7:25 PM
We tested whether acoustic noise 📢 disrupts decision-making in guppy shoals using a 5-arm maze ⭐️
We expected added noise to interfere with group cohesion, exploration and leadership success
📸 image from tracking software
🔴fish attempting to lead
3/6
We expected added noise to interfere with group cohesion, exploration and leadership success
📸 image from tracking software
🔴fish attempting to lead
3/6
Decision-making allows fish shoals to coordinate movements and maintain the benefits of group-living, like avoiding predators 🐟
But acoustic noise can interfere - by disrupting how group members share information through masking, distraction, and stress
2/6
But acoustic noise can interfere - by disrupting how group members share information through masking, distraction, and stress
2/6
June 4, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Decision-making allows fish shoals to coordinate movements and maintain the benefits of group-living, like avoiding predators 🐟
But acoustic noise can interfere - by disrupting how group members share information through masking, distraction, and stress
2/6
But acoustic noise can interfere - by disrupting how group members share information through masking, distraction, and stress
2/6
Thank you! I hope it was easy to follow😊
January 16, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Thank you! I hope it was easy to follow😊
Your field assistant, my emotional support animal🐶Thanks Costanza🥰
January 15, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Your field assistant, my emotional support animal🐶Thanks Costanza🥰
Thanks to those who’ve helped me along the way, including Toby Champneys, Iestyn Penry-Williams and @collectiveecology.bsky.social, my MRes examiners @cbenvenuto.bsky.social and @mgenner.bsky.social, and special thanks to fellow pond enthusiast @coszan.bsky.social and her field assistant Ugo🐾
12/12
12/12
January 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Thanks to those who’ve helped me along the way, including Toby Champneys, Iestyn Penry-Williams and @collectiveecology.bsky.social, my MRes examiners @cbenvenuto.bsky.social and @mgenner.bsky.social, and special thanks to fellow pond enthusiast @coszan.bsky.social and her field assistant Ugo🐾
12/12
12/12
Thanks for reading!🐟🏞️
On a personal note, it is very full circle to have this paper out 1 month before I move to Australia to start the second half of my PhD @ Macquarie University …
11/12
On a personal note, it is very full circle to have this paper out 1 month before I move to Australia to start the second half of my PhD @ Macquarie University …
11/12
January 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Thanks for reading!🐟🏞️
On a personal note, it is very full circle to have this paper out 1 month before I move to Australia to start the second half of my PhD @ Macquarie University …
11/12
On a personal note, it is very full circle to have this paper out 1 month before I move to Australia to start the second half of my PhD @ Macquarie University …
11/12
Our concept can be applied more broadly to different species and modes of data collection e.g. camera traps for birds, light traps for insects, with new or existing data sets🦆🐝🐞🦋and we hope it can be useful to gain more #social insight from field experiments!
see discussion for more ideas👉💡
10/12
see discussion for more ideas👉💡
10/12
January 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Our concept can be applied more broadly to different species and modes of data collection e.g. camera traps for birds, light traps for insects, with new or existing data sets🦆🐝🐞🦋and we hope it can be useful to gain more #social insight from field experiments!
see discussion for more ideas👉💡
10/12
see discussion for more ideas👉💡
10/12
Our method can also be used to look at phenotypic assortment in groups i.e. whether similar individuals are grouping together.
🐟🐟🐟vs🐟🐠🐡
9/12
🐟🐟🐟vs🐟🐠🐡
9/12
January 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Our method can also be used to look at phenotypic assortment in groups i.e. whether similar individuals are grouping together.
🐟🐟🐟vs🐟🐠🐡
9/12
🐟🐟🐟vs🐟🐠🐡
9/12
From our data we found fish were less aggregated when more red, breeding condition males were present #stickleback
8/12
8/12
January 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM
From our data we found fish were less aggregated when more red, breeding condition males were present #stickleback
8/12
8/12
We also record environmental parameters to test whether environmental conditions were affecting how social sticklebacks are being, including: turbidity+🌡️+☀️
7/12
7/12
January 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM
We also record environmental parameters to test whether environmental conditions were affecting how social sticklebacks are being, including: turbidity+🌡️+☀️
7/12
7/12
As well as count data, we recorded the body length of each individual and whether they were in breeding condition (male sticklebacks turn red when in breeding condition!)
📈3 weeks of data collection at one site
a = aggregation score
🔴 = 100% red males
🟡 = 50% red males
⚪️ = 0% red males
6/12
📈3 weeks of data collection at one site
a = aggregation score
🔴 = 100% red males
🟡 = 50% red males
⚪️ = 0% red males
6/12
January 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM
As well as count data, we recorded the body length of each individual and whether they were in breeding condition (male sticklebacks turn red when in breeding condition!)
📈3 weeks of data collection at one site
a = aggregation score
🔴 = 100% red males
🟡 = 50% red males
⚪️ = 0% red males
6/12
📈3 weeks of data collection at one site
a = aggregation score
🔴 = 100% red males
🟡 = 50% red males
⚪️ = 0% red males
6/12
From count data, we calculate the index of dispersion to get an aggregation score. This tells us if fish tended to be more solitary or more social, which we could then compare to other variables…
5/12
5/12
January 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM
From count data, we calculate the index of dispersion to get an aggregation score. This tells us if fish tended to be more solitary or more social, which we could then compare to other variables…
5/12
5/12
To overcome these challenges we use traditional ecology methods: a transect design and minnow traps, to collective information about the distribution of individuals in the population
4/12
4/12
January 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM
To overcome these challenges we use traditional ecology methods: a transect design and minnow traps, to collective information about the distribution of individuals in the population
4/12
4/12