Scott Thomas

Jaws at 50: Was the Terrifying Movie Really to Blame for Worldwide Shark Declines? • The Revelator Sharks have experienced the worst declines in history. Can we trace that decline to their villainous portrayal in this influential movie?

Jaws came out 50 years ago this summer.

In my latest for The Revelator, I discuss what’s happened to sharks and shark conservation since then, and how much can be attributed to the movie.

therevelator.org/jaws-at-50-s... 🧪🌎🦑🦈

As an ecologist who moved to the UK for studies during the worst of the Brexit chaos, seeing a peer-reviewed(!) article compare international scholars to invasive pests, brought back unpleasant memories. Words have power & it is important to speak up even if we simply need to spell out the obvious!

The 'gazillions' of lizards in Cincinnati could actually guard us from Lyme disease Cincinnati has a vast Lazarus lizard population, and they could lessen the threat of Lyme disease.

The 'gazillions' of lizards in Cincinnati could actually guard us from Lyme disease | Cincinnati Enquirer 🦎

Sign The Open Letter to Stand Up For Science Now! Science is under siege. Trump’s latest Executive Order calls for politically appointed science commissars to evaluate research. Join us in adding your name to our open letter condemning Trump’s escala...

🚨 URGENT RESPONSE CALL 🚨

Trump’s Fool’s Gold Science EO is a dangerous sham.
It gives his appointees the power to dismiss entire bodies of research and punish researchers who fail to fall in line with his agenda.

We’ve launched an open letter.

SIGN & SHARE NOW: actionnetwork.org/petitions/op...

Today is the last day to oppose the gutting of the Endangered Species Act, I just did and it’s not hard:

An adult western pond turtle shares basking space with two invasive red-eared sliders.

Science Communicators! I need your HELP! I am a turtle biologist, and I have the potential to do some much needed work locally to look at how our one and only native freshwater turtle shares space with non-native red-eared sliders in pond systems. Here is my problem: 1/

A nicely written article, and I agree that museums must reach younger generations. But unfortunately the renovated exhibits at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History mask the fact that the museum has gutted a large part of their research on the natural world over the last few years.

Research Technician II Dr. Volker Rudolf’s research groups in the Department of BioSciences are looking to hire a Research Technician II in the field of biology/ecology. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working outdo...

Job opportunity! Excited to share that we have an opening for a research technician position to help with our research on phenological shifts & species interactions in amphibian communities. (please help spread the word!)
More details here:
emdz.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Do you like clean water? Then you’ll like this slimy, hellish creature.

But it is in danger of extinction.

Legend has it this salamander came from hell. We’re about to send it back. Climate disasters, human sprawl, and now Trump: This is how extinctions happen.

An extinction is not typically a single catastrophic event, where, poof, a species is suddenly gone.

But the threats against the Eastern hellbender, decimated by Helene and now facing Trump, have been stacking up with frightening speed. @jackiefmogensen.bsky.social reports:

What they're saying, for what it's worth (from the wired article): "The three dire wolves are now living in a 2,000-acre secure ecologic preserve, which is in a different location than the small enclosure that WIRED visited. Shapiro says that Colossal is not considering rewilding the dire wolves."

Prima Donna Species Just Has To Have Every Part Of Natural Habitat Intact

double April Fools: That's not a California tiger salamander in the photo

theonion.com/prima-donna-...

🐸

This helped. Thanks.

Drivers of life history variation in a paedomorphic mole salamander We assessed abiotic and biotic factors influencing life history outcomes in the facultatively paedomorphic salamander, Ambystoma talpoideum, across natural populations. Our results indicate that paed...

While it feels like silly to promote papers while the world burns, it is a exciting to see the first MS student thesis published from the lab! Jessica examined factors influencing paedomorphosis in mole #salamanders 🧪🌎 esj-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

A side view of a wood frog with grayish brown coloration against a mossy and pebbly background. It is plump with eggs and has stripey legs.

A side view of a wood frog with very dark coloration against a background of brown dead leaves.

A top-down view of a wood frog with brown coloration and coppery brown dorsolateral folds. Its legs have dark brown stripes and it is against a background of brown leaves.

A side view of a female wood frog with pinkish brown coloration against a wet asphault background.

For #worldfrogday, these wood frogs are showing off the wide variety of coloration in their species. They are identifiable by their white upper lip and dark "mask" around their eyes. They are famous for freezing solid during the winter and reanimating each spring! 🐸

Folks, exactly 5 years ago today I made this offer, & I'll do it again.

Many graduate students are in danger of losing their one field season for collecting data- in March 2020 because of the pandemic, now because of Musk-Trump BS. This means that many won't be able to finish graduate school. 🧪🧵

Those are some huge spots! Is that common for whatever region this is from?

🐸

I've seen this too and guessed it was raccoons.

It's #toadallytuesday? Here are some boreal toad (Anaxyrus boreas) tadpoles freshly reintroduced to a Rocky Mountain site where they have historically been found. The reintroduction was led by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and will be monitored by my research group. Toadlets emerged a week later! 🐸

Frontiers | What Can Professional Scientific Societies Do to Improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Case Study of the American Elasmobranch Society Scientific professional societies are reviewing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices and policies in response to recent calls for much-needed cha...

I assembled a team of experts to write this how-to guide for how scientific professional societies can improve their diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. It's structured around my society's budgets and bylaws, but is broadly applicable.

Please share. 🧪

www.frontiersin.org/journals/edu...

a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on ALT: a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on

Bluetorial: Women, courage, and leadership

What follows will include some generalizations based on population averages of what I have experienced over the course of my career. There are, of course, exceptions in every group who are substantially more to one extreme or the other.

Was this is Michigan or Ohio? Saw one in CVNP as well.

Please enjoy this adorable picture of a marine sculpin taken by collaborator @emilykane.bsky.social to break up your doomscrolling! Excited to debut the first paper resulting from our collaboration on this cool topic

48 Scientific Societies Representing Almost 100,000 Scientists Ask Congress to Protect the Future of Science 48 scientific societies representing almost 100,000 scientists signed on to a letter asking Congress to protect the future of science

Today, a broad coalition of scientific professional societies who represent over 92,000 scientists are speaking out against the politicization and demonization of Federally funded science and government scientist jobs.

It was an honor to help the Union of Concerned Scientists with this! 🧪🌎

If you have experienced direct harm to your work/lab/job due to recent changes at US NSF, & are willing to share this on behalf of the Am. Society of Naturalists and NSF, please DM/ email me ASAP (this is time-sensitive) or submit story here sites.google.com/view/scienti...
Please share widely

Also in Costa Rica! 🐍