Lorna McKellar

Reflecting on a busy but exciting two weeks at @icesmarine.bsky.social in CPH focused on estimating quality thresholds for good status of benthic ecosystems (Seafloor Integrity). One of the best parts of my PhD is getting to collaborate and discuss ideas with others - esp. over good food

A picture of sandy beach flanked by rocky outcrops on both sides. The sun is shining, the sky is blue with a few clouds, and the sea is calm.

A great day for the annual SOS beach trip with the new undergraduate students @bangoruniversity.bsky.social. Sandcastles were built, beach pictionary played, and much fun had by students new and old, and staff.

Photographs of #FishingCommunities always speak to my heart. These are from Lithuania’s Curonian Spit.

One of the highlights of #ICESASC25 getting to view these at the conference dinner. 🇱🇹🐟

Starting the last day of my travel back from the #ICESASC25 in Lithuania (train ferry combo). The travel was fairly cheap with interrail with the ferry was only £126 return. But it does take 3 days 🙂 @sosbangor.bsky.social @icesmarine.bsky.social

👏👏👏

And she was shorted-listed for the best presentation award! @sosbangor.bsky.social

Great talk on using historical sources to map herring spawning grounds by @georginahunt.bsky.social for @projectfishistory.bsky.social.

Really enjoyed presenting my PhD work at #icesasc25 in Klaipeda, Lithuania - even at 9am the day after the conference dinner

Great talk by Daniel van Denderen showing that fishing had resulted in an explosion of small pelagics #icesasc2025

'Notably, 11 out of 24 state features/criteria were not assessed in over half of the ecoregions' - my PhD work is evaluating methods for estimating thresholds for good status to address gaps in state assessments e.g., for GES under the #MSFD and #UKMS

Study on the prediction of approaching #tippingpoints
Research team recommends: Warnings of approaching #climate tipping points using statistical early warning signals have to be taken with a grain of salt ➡️ www.marum.de/en/Study-on-...

Stability metrics behave predictably across data qualities but are sensitive to community size Modern biodiversity monitoring is generating increasingly multidimensional representations of wildlife populations and ecosystems. It is therefore app…

New paper out from @duncanobrien.bsky.social, will be particular interesting to those of you trying to understand #stability loss in real-world ecosystems

"Stability metrics behave predictably across data qualities but are sensitive to community size"

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

My first paper is out! 🥳🐠🐟

‘Taking the further step of correctly portraying scientific consensus as convergent evidence rather than scientists’ opinions will further the goal of showing why vetted and validated science is a crucial ingredient of policy decisions around the world.’

New survey shows the extent of class privilege in UK journalism Only 9% of journalists working for national and transnational media come from a working class background.

Only 9% of journalists working for national and transnational media come from a working class background.

(Not intentionally) but on this #earthday I presented my PhD work at my first webinar series. We had a great turnout and some interesting questions around the application of methods for estimating thresholds and the use of reference conditions. Thanks to the #SMMR organiser team for having me on 🌍

SMMR-Net Webinar "Setting thresholds for good status in marine ecosystem management" - Sustainable Management of Marine Resources Another free lunchtime Webinar, hosted by the Sustainable Management of UK Marine Resources Programme (SMMR).

I'll be presenting my PhD work tomorrow online at 1pm BST for the SMMR webinar series - 'setting thresholds for good status in marine ecosystem management' - free to join www.smmr.org.uk/event/smmr-n...

RESTORATION of marine habitats & species: just out @icesmarine.bsky.social workshop report on enhancing understanding of restoration processes, success criteria, & factors affecting recovery rates. Pleased to have contributed to this useful new resource doi.org/10.17895/ice...

Saw my first (tiny) adder this weekend! Also not happy with me

Mapping of marine protected areas and their associated fishing activities (MAPAFISH) - Publications Office of the EU The European Union (EU) Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 sets the target for protected areas in the EU at 30% of its sea area, one third of which needs to be strictly protected. While there is growing i...

"Mapping of Marine Protected Areas & their associated fishing activities in the Atlantic, Baltic, Nth Sea & Outermost Regions" We identified & characterised fishing activities in 800 #MPAs & assessed which activities are compatible with MPA conservation objectives 🧪🌎🦑🐠
data.europa.eu/doi/10.2926/...

Understanding and optimising local nature recovery networks in England at University of Kent on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Understanding and optimising local nature recovery networks in England at University of Kent, listed on FindAPhD.com

I am advertising two PhD studentships (part of the six that DICE is currently advertising).

PhD 1: Understanding and optimising local nature recovery networks in England. Deadline 11/05/25.

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Supervised by Bob Smith and Zoe Davies, funded by UKRI E3.

Exploring scenarios for conservation areas to balance biodiversity and ecosystem services in the UK’s marine environment at University of Kent on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Exploring scenarios for conservation areas to balance biodiversity and ecosystem services in the UK’s marine environment at University of Kent, listed on FindAPhD.com

PhD 2: Exploring scenarios for conservation areas to balance biodiversity and ecosystem services in the UK’s marine environment. Deadline 23/04/25.

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Supervised by Rachel Seary and Bob Smith, funded by Leverhulme.

Evaluating the robustness of generalized additive models as a tool for threshold detection in variable environments As global climate change and anthropogenic activities amplify widespread environmental variability, there is a strong need for management strategies that incorporate relationships between ecosystem c...

esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... interesting paper on identifying 'tipping point' / non-linear pressure-state thresholds: "detectability was found to depend on both the shape of the threshold relationship and the statistical definition of the threshold location"

FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY GROUP Exciting lab news! In September 2025, the lab will move to the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University  in Melbourne, Australia. We will keep a presence at the Gulbenkian Institute for...

Very exciting news! In Sept 2025, I will move my lab to the School of Biological Sciences @monashbiol.bsky.social at #Monash University in Melbourne!

I am recruiting #PhD students to work on #ecological & #evolutionary dynamics of #phytoplankton #communities – find out more here giuliaghedini.com

Can you explain your doctoral research through interpretive dance?

The deadline for submissions to the 17th annual #DanceYourPhD competition is this week. Submit by 28 March for a chance to win $2000: scim.ag/4gKMnz9

Links to join and listen in to day 1 -

AM: www.fao.org/webcast/home...
PM: www.fao.org/webcast/home...

I'm giving a talk this afternoon about defining significant adverse impacts, including work by @lornamckellar.bsky.social

At @fao.org this week to talk about fisheries management in the high seas.
eafm-symposium.nafo.int

#MarineEcology

Looking for a PhD position, and interested in in 2nd generation restoration considering genetic factors in seagrasses (aka assisted evolution)? - still 10 days left to apply!