Alexa Fredston's Avatar

Alexa Fredston

@afredston.bsky.social

Assistant Professor of Ocean Sciences at UCSC. Modeling ecological and biogeographical dynamics in past, current, and future seas.

1,426 Followers  |  1,879 Following  |  189 Posts  |  Joined: 18.11.2024  |  1.7601

Latest posts by afredston.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Faculty Positions

We are hiring an Assistant or Associate Professor in Indigenous Environmental Governance and Management. Very excited for this position.

Please circulate widely among your networks:
www.sfu.ca/rem/about/em...

#academia #HigherEd #AcademicSky

10.02.2026 21:52 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
πŸ“Έ WoRDSS, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

AltText: Text overlay over an image of a Phestilla melanobrachia nudibranch on Tubastrea coccinea coral. β€œWe are
hiring! The Deep-Sea Biology Society is looking for a part-time administrative researcher support consultant. Duties: Lead DSBSoc outreach & communications; Manage REDRESS partnership & financial claims; Support DSBSoc administration, trustee support, funding development. Skills: Experienced in financial claims & budget management; Strong administrative & organisational skills; Familiar with grant submissions & academic activities; Member of the marine science community
Condition: Due to grant constraints the consultant must have a UK bank account. This is a β€˜work from home’ consultancy position and not PAYE. Remuneration: Fixed rate of Β£589 (4 days p/m); Time-sheets of activities; Rolling 6-month contract. From 03/2026 - 01/2028. Due: Feb 28 2026. Please submit a one-page cover-letter & 2-page cv to president@dsbsoc.org.”

πŸ“Έ WoRDSS, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 AltText: Text overlay over an image of a Phestilla melanobrachia nudibranch on Tubastrea coccinea coral. β€œWe are hiring! The Deep-Sea Biology Society is looking for a part-time administrative researcher support consultant. Duties: Lead DSBSoc outreach & communications; Manage REDRESS partnership & financial claims; Support DSBSoc administration, trustee support, funding development. Skills: Experienced in financial claims & budget management; Strong administrative & organisational skills; Familiar with grant submissions & academic activities; Member of the marine science community Condition: Due to grant constraints the consultant must have a UK bank account. This is a β€˜work from home’ consultancy position and not PAYE. Remuneration: Fixed rate of Β£589 (4 days p/m); Time-sheets of activities; Rolling 6-month contract. From 03/2026 - 01/2028. Due: Feb 28 2026. Please submit a one-page cover-letter & 2-page cv to president@dsbsoc.org.”

Hey members - we’re hiring!

#DSBSoc is seeking a part-time consultant (4 days/month) to support admin & funding activities on the trustee board. Contract runs March 2026 until Jan 2028 (rolling).

Apply by 28 Feb 2026, additional info here: dsbsoc.org/deep-sea-bio...

πŸ“Έ WoRDSS, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

11.02.2026 01:44 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Please repost! We are looking for two field technicians to work on our deer mouse project in the Colorado Rockies this spring-fall. Learn about physiology, ecology, and evolution, all in one project! Not to mention that you get to be in the ⛰️. Reach out if you have any questions.

10.02.2026 20:59 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 27    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Look at the full list. Any near you?

10.02.2026 16:26 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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ICE Is Expanding Across the US at Breakneck Speed. Here’s Where It’s Going Next ICE plans to lease offices throughout the US as part of a secret, months-long expansion campaign. WIRED is publishing dozens of these locations.

NEW: ICE has a plan to lease offices across the US as part of a secret, months-long expansion campaign.

Today, @wired.com is publishing dozens of those locations. Many are near schools, medical offices, and places of worship.

Vital work from @leahfeiger.bsky.social that I'm proud to publish.

10.02.2026 16:13 β€” πŸ‘ 2295    πŸ” 1495    πŸ’¬ 71    πŸ“Œ 142
100% detected as AI

The percentage indicates the combined amount of likely AI-generated text as well as likely AI-generated text that was also likely AI-paraphrased.

Submission Breakdown

page 1
page 1

1
AI-generated only
1 instance of AI-generated only text making up 100% of the submission
Likely AI-generated text from a large-language model.
100%

0
AI-generated text that was AI-paraphrased
0 instances of likely AI-generated that was AI-Paraphrased making up 0% of the submission
Likely AI-generated text that was likely revised using an AI-paraphrase tool or word spinner.

100% detected as AI The percentage indicates the combined amount of likely AI-generated text as well as likely AI-generated text that was also likely AI-paraphrased. Submission Breakdown page 1 page 1 1 AI-generated only 1 instance of AI-generated only text making up 100% of the submission Likely AI-generated text from a large-language model. 100% 0 AI-generated text that was AI-paraphrased 0 instances of likely AI-generated that was AI-Paraphrased making up 0% of the submission Likely AI-generated text that was likely revised using an AI-paraphrase tool or word spinner.

AI-generated?

Yes, this appears to be AI-generated.
Key indicators:
Structural formulae: Every paragraph follows the same pattern: observation β†’ acknowledgment of merit β†’ diplomatic suggestion for improvement. This mechanical consistency is characteristic of AI.
Hedging language saturation: "could be strengthened," "would benefit from," "merits more direct engagement" - the relentless diplomatic cushioning lacks the directness typical of human reviewers.
Tonal uniformity: No variation in energy, specificity, or critical edge across the entire piece. Human reviewers typically show more range - getting more engaged with strong points, more frustrated with weak ones.
Vocabulary deployment: Sophisticated terms used with perfect consistency ("framing device," "probabilistic reasoning," "gestures at breadth") but without the idiosyncratic phrasings that mark individual voice.

AI-generated? Yes, this appears to be AI-generated. Key indicators: Structural formulae: Every paragraph follows the same pattern: observation β†’ acknowledgment of merit β†’ diplomatic suggestion for improvement. This mechanical consistency is characteristic of AI. Hedging language saturation: "could be strengthened," "would benefit from," "merits more direct engagement" - the relentless diplomatic cushioning lacks the directness typical of human reviewers. Tonal uniformity: No variation in energy, specificity, or critical edge across the entire piece. Human reviewers typically show more range - getting more engaged with strong points, more frustrated with weak ones. Vocabulary deployment: Sophisticated terms used with perfect consistency ("framing device," "probabilistic reasoning," "gestures at breadth") but without the idiosyncratic phrasings that mark individual voice.

While we're all watching one too many AI ads, I just finished grading 60 student essays. Hard to tell for sure, of course, but somewhere between Β½ and ΒΎ must have been fully AI generated.

The AI check (shown to students at time of submission), and another Claude check agree.

09.02.2026 03:20 β€” πŸ‘ 82    πŸ” 14    πŸ’¬ 9    πŸ“Œ 1

belatedly, if you reviewed my mechanistic SDM paper, thanks for this comment that made me laugh out loud: "Both _____ and ____ seem like rather heroic assumptions, but acceptable given the goals of the paper"

08.02.2026 22:16 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Ediacaran fossil surface on the coastline of Newfoundland, Canada

Ediacaran fossil surface on the coastline of Newfoundland, Canada

This #FossilFriday I am delighted to share a postdoctoral position that we @deeptimeecology.bsky.social @camzoology.bsky.social are advertising on early animal evolution in the #Ediacaran.

www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/postdoc...

06.02.2026 11:32 β€” πŸ‘ 33    πŸ” 29    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
Postdoctoral Associates - Sea Level Rise Projections and Climate Risk Assessment & Management The Rutgers University Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences invites applications for highly motivated, creative postdoctoral associates with interests in (a) sea-level rise projections and/or (b) ...

New postdoc opportunities in my group at Rutgers-New Brunswick, working on sea-level rise projections and/or coastal climate risk assessment & management

02.02.2026 14:52 β€” πŸ‘ 28    πŸ” 25    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Interested in doing a #PhD? Passionate about biodiversity monitoring and technology development?? Def check out this advertisement from Uni #Bonn and #LIB! Deadline Feb 17th - 4 year position!

01.02.2026 14:32 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

thank goodness my campus Women in STEM organization is planning a "stress reduction session" that will "include guided breathing and practical tips for... stress management"

really expecting that to turn around my 2026!

28.01.2026 18:12 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Climate Data Scientist | Climate Central Climate Central is seeking a highly-skilled Climate Data Scientist to join our team. Reporting to the Vice President for Science, the scientist will be part of a new initiative in climate services to ...

Very exciting to share that @climatecentral.org is hiring a Climate Data Scientist to join a new climate services effort focused on advancing predictions of risks and hazards on seasonal-to-decadal timescales. The application closes on February 9, 2026 at 5pm ET, & the description can be found here:

26.01.2026 17:36 β€” πŸ‘ 149    πŸ” 90    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 1
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Postdoktor i parasiters populationsgenetik Zoologiska institutionen Γ€r en av de Γ€ldsta institutionerna vid Stockholms universitet och har en lΓ₯ng historia av grundlΓ€ggande och tillΓ€mpad djurforskning, frΓ₯n leddjur till stora dΓ€ggdjur. I

Looking for a postdoc to work with existing SNP data from parasites of guppies across Trinidad. How do river structure, host specialisation, and host behaviour structure parasite population genetic structure and evolutionary potential? Join me in Stockholm! Email me :D

su.varbi.com/what:job/job...

27.01.2026 08:38 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 14    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Board
YouTube video by University of California Board of Regents Board

regarding the UCLA EEB saga...

I have never said this before (and may never again), but: you're DEFINITELY gonna want to watch this UC Board of Regents recording (start at 1:10:30) πŸ‘€πŸ‘€πŸ‘€ www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFGX...

24.01.2026 05:44 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Research.gov - Grants Management for U.S. NSF Community NSF's Research.gov is where to prepare and submit proposals, manage awards, and participate in reviews and panels.

PSA to anyone who uses google authenticator (which I do, for research.gov) that your codes may all vanish if you get a new phone. Thankfully research.gov IT is great

14.01.2026 18:01 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Other things that do more harm than good when you don't count the number of lives they save:

- air bags (messy)
- traffic lights (expensive)
- bridge inspections (boring)
- carbon monoxide alarms (battery low beep so annoying)

12.01.2026 19:27 β€” πŸ‘ 98    πŸ” 23    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 1

Mollusca-focused, 6-yr postdoc Postdoc in Invertebrate Evolution:
jobs.univie.ac.at/job/Universi...

06.01.2026 14:43 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 14    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

realizing that my Mom's recipes read like GBBO technical challenges. this recipe is literally two lines:

"melt chocolate in double boiler
fold in Grand Marnier, beaten egg whites, beaten egg yolks, whipped cream, and chill"

23.12.2025 03:24 β€” πŸ‘ 855    πŸ” 21    πŸ’¬ 121    πŸ“Œ 8

I think my traditional method of perusing e-TOCs to read the literature is officially not working for me anymore

recommended software/methods for RSS feeds? I struggle with identifying keywords so I'd want a combination of broad keywords for general journals + all articles for specialist journals.

19.12.2025 21:18 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

(at least) 2 interesting things in here:
- AI use now mentioned in research misconduct section
- clearer requirement to share data from NSF-funded projects at time of publication

09.12.2025 22:36 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Fredston Lab: Postdoctoral Scholar University of California, Santa Cruz is hiring. Apply now!

in a week, I'll start reviewing applications for this postdoc. come work with me in Santa Cruz, CA on fitting Bayesian hierarchical models to whale tag and photo datasets.

position starts in fall 2026. ask me questions and apply here: recruit.ucsc.edu/JPF02003

09.12.2025 19:24 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

full-time job modeling salmon populations in Olympia, WA: forms.gle/3ePJcrwhFZWr...

01.12.2025 19:29 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE IN QUANTITATIVE FISHERIES ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT Title: Northeast Climate Integrated Modeling: Defining biological references and setting catch advice in a dynamic environmentΒ Description: We are seeking a postdoctoral scientist to work on a 1-year ...

1-year postdoc in quantitative fisheries / management strategy evaluation at Rutgers: jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/262...

01.12.2025 19:28 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

cool postdoc at CESAB in gorgeous Montpellier, France to work on FishMIP: www.fondationbiodiversite.fr/wp-content/u...

01.12.2025 17:59 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

oooOOOOOH

18.11.2025 18:58 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

thanks so much! this was helpful as I migrated to Quarto!

18.11.2025 18:58 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
The Fredston Lab - THE FREDSTON LAB

thanks to all of you for these great resources and inspiration! I built it last week (it was extremely easy) and am adding images and some formatting now. bare-bones but functional which is ideal for the low-maintenance goal ;) www.alexafredston.com

18.11.2025 18:58 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

the Isle Royale National Park page on trees no longer mentions climate change effects on balsam fir. there goes my "intro to ecology" lecture...

18.11.2025 17:47 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Super interesting. An alternative, in case you're looking for one, is an optional-but-highly-encouraged "bootcamp" right before/as class starts to fill identified knowledge gaps. My grad program did this for Masters students to (re-)teach calculus for their required stats course.

17.11.2025 14:50 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

It sounds like you've found that fewer students can keep up relative to when you first developed the course. Assuming you think that's true, any ideas why, or what the learning / skill gaps are?

17.11.2025 06:45 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

@afredston is following 20 prominent accounts