Dr. Catherine Macdonald

Like, David and I have this thing where the amount I loathe the hats is a funny joke.

But also it is 0% actually a joke.

It’s so cursed the wind does not want it.

She’s covered in sunscreen, she’s salty as hell, and she’s loving it! 🦑🌿

Please do not encourage him! I can’t bear them on the boat.

Pro tip (and subtweeting that Atlantic article without giving them views): the more inclusive one’s course design, the more everyone can benefit (including those with needs but without the resources to get a formal diagnosis, which is likely a big population).

To me, this begs a question I have often asked myself: why do people who seem to hate students want to be professors?

If a journalist writing this story reached out to me, my response would be something like: “why on earth is this what you’re covering right now?”

Benefits and impacts of use of light in UK fisheries and their wider effect on the marine environment Applications are invited for three 3.5 year PhD studentships: Benefits and impacts of use of light in UK fisheries and their wider effect on the marine...

PhD opportunity! "Benefits & impacts of use of light in UK #fisheries & their wider effect on the marine environment" (aka #scallopdiscos!) Supervision by me @thembauk.bsky.social Tom Davies @plymbiomarsci.bsky.social Tim Smyth @pml.ac.uk @fishtekmarine.bsky.social www.plymouth.ac.uk/study/resear...

Would love to be useful if there’s anything I can do there!

In general, in adult life you’re not going to have to have something submitted to your boss at exactly five PM on a preselected Wednesday. You’re going to need to make consistent progress and communicate about and be attentive to expected timelines. Why should school be different?

I do this in my classes and have added additional accommodations as needed (e.g., white boards for writing out jargon for a deaf student). I think about and explain it as removing artificial barriers to student success. It’s my job to create a space where they can learn and do their best work!

Shark scientists want their research to help save threatened species, but don’t know how. Our new paper can help. Sharks are some of the most threatened animals on Earth, and accordingly many scientists who study sharks want their research to be useful for conservation. However, most scientific training does n…

ICYMI, we have a new paper out offering advice to shark scientists who want to perform policy-relevant research but don't understand the basics of science-based policymaking.

Here's the press release/ lay summary. The open access paper is linked within.
🧪🦑🌍🦈

Coming back from vacation to some good news!

The first baby whale of the 2025-2026 North American right whale calving season was spotted Nov 28 near South Carolina.

Mom is Champagne (ID #3904) and its her 2nd documented calf. What joyful news for a species with 384 whales remaining.

I am so sorry you have to deal with that, and that many academic institutions don’t support teachers and instructors as they should.

Still in the clear on this so far, though plenty of scrapes and bruises. I usually tell people (accurately) that the fishing gear we work with is much more likely to injure us than the sharks.

I have not—at least not yet—almost 15 years in. And if I ever am, it will almost definitely be 100% my own darn fault.

If you are a shark scientist, 9 times out of 10 they’re going to ask you if you’ve been bitten by a shark.

Our graduate program in marine conservation at the University of Miami requires it!

I do not doubt it—sorry, on behalf of my poorly-informed colleagues.

We come at this from different perspectives but it doesn’t grind my gears that much to read “this is useful” in a paper and respond “…is it?” skeptically in my head.

I worry less about false claims of relevance than about the potential waste/failure of a genuine effort to provide useful data.

Also: I have absolutely no problem with people conducting research that doesn’t have clear management or conservation implications. I still read and enjoy those papers! Answer the questions that excite you! But ideally, don’t assume all scientific information is automatically policy-relevant.

“This research is important for the conservation and Management of Sharks”: A proposed framework for ensuring that this is actually true Many scientists want their research to inform policy and help manage endangered species, but many common research practices hinder potential policy relevance. The results of our survey provide advice...

I am excited to share with you a new paper, probably my last of 2025. @drcatmac.bsky.social is a coauthor.

Our paper presents advice for early career shark scientists who want their work to be useful for conservation and management policy.

conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 🧪🦑🌍🦈

“Reasons are for reasonable people.” Boy howdy, I wish I’d had this response in my pocket back in the days when I frequented academe!

Hot off the press, "A zero annual export quota for wild-taken specimens traded for commercial purposes" annotation has been adopted for Giant Guitarfish (Glaucostegus spp.) at the #CITESCoP20

Follow along as more updates happen live!

#CITES #CoP20 #guitarfish #shark #ray #chimaera #biodiversity

The Makah have repeatedly been guided by the science in responding to whale conservation threats they had nothing to do with causing. US and conservation group handling of the situation has been profoundly unjust and shameful.

The Makah have the right to hunt whale by treaty with the US. They have approval by international agreement under the subsistence whaling provisions of the International Whaling Commission. Their rights have been ignored, dismissed, and deprioritized.

Remember that when you buy wild-caught fish, fisheries which meet demanding sustainability standards are also much less likely to involve horrifying human rights abuses including forced labor.

Totally agree. Just wanted to make sure folks hear it’s okay not to try, too, especially if you aren’t being met halfway.

This may not speak to your experience, but I think it’s often tough for us (because scientists tend to have so much identity wrapped up in their work) to fully differentiate “I don’t care too much about your recent study” from “I don’t care too much about you”.

If someone loves you and just doesn’t quite understand what you do, David’s approach is likely to be useful. If someone is demanding over turkey that you justify your right to exist as a scientist doing work that’s meaningful to you, they don’t deserve your explanation or energy.

Dear grad students,

Reminder: it’s also totally fine to ignore your [uncle] who thinks your research is a waste of time and resources. You don’t owe people an explanation! They don’t have to get it!

Or, as someone told me as a life-changing piece of advice: reasons are for reasonable people.