Conor Waldock

When Good Fit Goes Bad: Identifying and Minimising Overfitting in Ecological Niche Models Aim To synthesise current understanding of overfitting as a pervasive and often underdiagnosed problem in correlative ecological niche models (ENMs), and to assess its consequences for model interpr...

Our last contribution is a review on correlative ecological niche models' overfitting. We examined diagnostic approaches and evaluated modelling practices related to sampling bias, predictor choice, study area definition, model complexity and regularisation.
doi.org/10.1111/jbi....

Systemic bio-inequity links poverty to biodiversity and induces a conservation paradox https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.13.653456v1

Systemic bio-inequity links poverty to biodiversity and induces a conservation paradox https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.13.653456v1

Systemic bio-inequity links poverty to biodiversity and induces a conservation paradox Biodiversity is declining globally, and poverty rates are not improving, so sustainable development initiatives aim to jointly reduce biodiversity loss and alleviate poverty. These initiatives expect ...

Our new pre-print exposes how the global link between poverty and biodiversity is rooted in colonial exploitation of biological resources.

🌎🌐 #decolonisingconservation #conservation

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Developing a predictive science of the biosphere requires the integration of scientific cultures | PNAS Increasing the speed of scientific progress is urgently needed to address the many challenges associated with the biosphere in the Anthropocene. Co...

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

I have also fallen into this trap, what a succinct alternative wording? "Society"? The issue is more the globalising language? Better to first define the impacts specifically e.g., impacts driven by societal patterns of overconsumption and exploitation mostly in rich nations - then simplify?

Biodiversity loss in all species and every ecosystem linked to humans – report Sweeping synthesis of 2,000 global studies leaves no doubt about scale of problem and role of humans, say experts

I really do wish researchers & journalists would stop stating that ‘humans are responsible’ for catastrophic biodiversity decline. The Q of ‘which humans’ matters here. It’s time to call out the global capitalist system as the driver of losses instead. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Restoring habitats is critical to support fish populations in Switzerland. 🐟Check out this interview by Uniaktuell with @conorwaldock.bsky.social and myself on how species distribution models can help us in identifying priority regions for conservation and restoration of fish habitats.

Zitat von Conor Waldock, Institut für Ökologie und Evolution: "90% der potenziellen Fischlebensräume sind durch menschliche Einflüsse beeinträchtigt."

Die Schweizer #Fischbestände sind, insbesondere durch die Verbauung der #Gewässer gefährdet. Ein Projekt der @wyssacademy.bsky.social, #unibern & @eawag.bsky.social setzt sich für die Renaturierung ein, um die Lebensräume der heimischen Fischarten zu bewahren.
www.uniaktuell.unibe.ch/2025/hier_lo...

Three AI-powered steps to faster, smarter peer review Tired of spending countless hours on peer reviews? An AI-assisted workflow could help.

Let's talk about this Nature piece in more detail.

I've rarely read something so anti-scientific anywhere short of the National Review.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Deconstructing the geography of human impacts on species’ natural distribution - Nature Communications Explainable Artificial Intelligence can improve conservation decisions by revealing hidden insights to where human impacts on biodiversity are greatest. In this investigation of freshwater fish in Swi...

Deconstructing the geography of human impacts on species’ natural distribution 🌎🌐🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Two fish talk to each other. One fish says to the other: Hey, we now have been given our names! The other replies happily: Oh, great, I'm glad you are ...?

The Barbatula #fish species newly discovered by researchers @unibern.bsky.social @wyssacademy.bsky.social #NaturhistorischesMuseumBern
@eawag.bsky.social now have #names!

They are called «fluvicola» und «ommata».

mediarelations.unibe.ch/media_releas...

Can Higher Education be Decolonised This open access book critically reflects on what it has meant to embark on a process of decolonising higher education at a Global North institution – namely th…

Can Higher Education be Decolonised? A forthcoming book describes attempts to apply decolonial practices at the University of Bristol. www.bloomsbury.com/uk/can-highe...

list of banned keywords

🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.

Sampling Simulation in a Virtual Ocean Reveals Strong Sampling Effect in Marine Diversity Patterns Aim Undersampling and other sources of sampling bias pose significant issues in marine macroecology, particularly when shaping conservation and management decisions. Yet, determining the extent to w...

Occurrence records currently available may be insufficient to capture the latitudinal gradient of marine diversity. Computer simulations show that sampling bias persists even with the use of different richness estimators.

🌎🧪🦑
#Macroecology
#MarineEcology

👇 Out now in GEB!

Removal of DEI content from a microbiology group’s website shows reach of Trump executive orders The professional society for microbiologists stripped content about Black, female, and LGBTQ scientists from its website

The professional society for microbiologists began stripping content about Black, female, and LGBTQ+ scientists from its website in the last few days, angering its members and highlighting the reach of President Trump’s directives.

Well the award for most cowardly, boot-lickingest academic society has squarely gone to the American Society of Microbiology, who has taken down features of various non-white scientists. Absolutely pathetic behavior. Those articles are now coming up as “under review”. Truly sickening cowardice here.

Take part in choosing the names of two new fish species that researchers have recently discovered: www.aqua.iee.unibe.ch/research/res...

Link to the survey is here:

www.aqua.iee.unibe.ch/research/res...

Help us choose a name for a new fish species hiding in Swiss rivers and lakes!

Led by Bárbara Calegari, we discovered two species of small but beautiful stone loaches (Barbatula).

Overlooked for hundreds of years, but now properly documented.

The first step to protecting biodiversity.

Post-growth: the science of wellbeing within planetary boundaries There are increasing concerns that continued economic growth in high-income countries might not be environmentally sustainable, socially beneficial, or economically achievable. In this Review, we expl...

Excited to announce this new article, a comprehensive review of recent research on post-growth — the science of wellbeing within planetary boundaries. Published in the Lancet Planetary Health with a brilliant team of authors. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Visiting Fellows selected for inaugural cohort of the Africa-UBC Oceans and Fisheries Visiting Fellows Program | Sea Around Us The Africa-UBC Visiting Fellows Program came about as the brainchild of Drs Rashid Sumaila and Daniel Pauly.

ICYMI: The Africa-UBC Oceans and Fisheries Visiting Fellows Program offers Fellows $23K in funding for research, travel, & accommodations. Apply for 2025! 🌊 bit.ly/blog197sau

Extinction of experience among ecologists Fieldwork-based research and education in ecology are under multiple threats and are progressively declining. We call for greater attention to this ongoing loss of direct field experience within the ecology community, as it could have widespread consequences for science and education, ultimately hindering efforts to address the ongoing biodiversity crisis.

An interesting read in @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social

Extinction of experience among ecologists

www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

Firma la petizione APPELLO PER IL TAGLIAMENTO - PETITION FOR THE TAGLIAMENTO - PETITION FÛR DEN TAGLIAMENTO

chng.it/srbjC6CzMP

Interesting to see the argument that #patriarchy is a key cause in environmental degradation and effectiveness in #conservation of #biodiversity and that this extends to knowledge production as well. www.nature.com/articles/s44...

AI offers powerful tools for #conservation but also poses risks—bias, resource demands, and unintended impacts on #biodiversity. 🦤🌍🌐

PhD Studentship Scholarship Opportunity!

🧑🏾‍🔬 This programme offers 4-year fully-funded PhD studentships to support Black British researchers.

💻 For more information and to apply, visit: www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...

#ExeterCEC 🧪

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Basing conservation on the global literature

Tatsuya Amano has shown that just reading the English literature misses 35% of the science, yet this is rarely included in syntheses or global assessments. The problem is much greater in many biodiverse areas. He is determined to change this.
youtu.be/ky0TAnMOlfA?...

The responses of freshwater fish to global warming. Our analyses in @pnas.org @bristolbiosci.bsky.social
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Made possible by #RivFishTIME