Keller Kopf

An updated review of fish species reintroductions: global lessons to inform future riverine fish conservation in the UK | Discover Conservation share.google/HsNqskxDVhmT...

Greenland shark eyes may hold anti-aging secrets The Greenland shark is thought to live for about 400 years but somehow its eyes appear to barely deteriorate, according to a new study that has implications for human health.

I am generally optimistic but I can’t help but fear this will lead to the slaughter of these sharks in the name of science.

www.abc.net.au/news/science...

Deep-sea earthquakes fuel huge plankton blooms in Antarctica Hydrothermal vents spurred by seismic activity feed vital nutrients to Antarctic microbes

Deep-sea earthquakes fuel huge plankton blooms in Antarctica | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

'Predator-free' fence project praised for restoring Kangaroo Island's native wildlife Five years after feral cats were removed from inside the Western River Refuge on Kangaroo Island, populations of endangered species have boomed.

Populations of endangered animals on an island have increased by 90-100% in five years, after effectively controlling non-native predators.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...

Newish paper (i.e. it was out last summer and just now seeing it) out on Alicella gigantea, the world’s largest amphipod. Long thought to be rare because we almost never see it. Turns out it may occupy ~59% of the global ocean.

royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article...

The deepest confirmed fish observation occurred at ~8,300 m. I know the shape behind it is another fish’s tail, but my brain insists it looks like the foreground fish is wearing a party hat. #deepsea #marinelife
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...

This Freshwater Fish Can Live Over 120 Years and Shows No Signs of Aging. But It Has a Problem An ancient freshwater species may be quietly facing a silent collapse.

www.zmescience.com/science/news...

What Craig’s long life reveals about elephant conservation The death of a well-known wild animal is an odd kind of news. It is intimate, because so many people feel they have met the creature through photographs and video. It is also impersonal, because the a...

For context, I watched him leave his family at 16 (late) and his first musth in his 20s. A very successful male.
news.mongabay.com/2026/01/what...

Two white-blooded fish, two paths: Icefish and noodlefish independently lose red blood cell function Antarctic icefish are famous for living without red blood cells, but they are not alone. A species of needle-shaped, warm-water fish called the Asian noodlefish also lacks hemoglobin and red blood cel...

phys.org/news/2026-01...

There’s a species of jellyfish that can restart its life cycle. 🪼🔁

Turritopsis dohrnii can revert from an adult back into a juvenile state when stressed or injured, essentially starting life over again.

It’s one of the only animals known to biologically reset itself.

A half-planet-size gap in global governance is about to get plugged A new treaty offers hope of curbing the destruction of the oceans

Most illegal activity in the ocean takes place on licensed vessels. This is the context in which a new agreement to protect the high seas has emerged. It has three broad legs

Emma Johnston was a visionary scientist, environmentalist and leader, with an abiding hope for humanity The University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, who has died aged 52, was driven by a deep love of science and a desire to safeguard the planet’s future.

Very sad to hear of this. I met Emma at conference I organized in Montreal in 2019. She had a stellar reputation, so I invited her as a keynote speaker. She was charismatic & inspirational. Students in particular told me they enjoyed meeting her. Wonderful person. theconversation.com/emma-johnsto...

Very sad news. The world needs more people like Emma. Her death is a tragic loss for science, education, and society . I wish Emma’s family and friends peace at this time.

Do globally increasing invasion rates threaten ecosystem sustainability? - Biological Invasions Rates of biological invasion are rarely described as a sustainability issue, yet multiple lines of evidence suggest that burgeoning invasion rates cause ecosystems to be less sustainable over time. Fi...

Current evidence shows:
More invaders in an ecosystem = greater likelihood that one will be disruptive. Invaders can interact synergistically with each other & with external stressors. Rather than generate resistance, higher invasion rates promote more disruption. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

A new freshwater ricefish of genus Oryzias (Teleostei: Adrianichthyidae) from northern Taiwan | Zootaxa

Ricefishes of the genus Oryzias always fascinate me. At first glance I at once think it must be a small Percina darter species, a Poeciliid livebearer, or a North American silversides. Here's a newly described species from northern Taiwan. 🧪🌍🐟 #TeamFish

This fish seems to use its bizarre skull like a drum The rockhead poacher’s unusual cranial anatomy may help it communicate

Awesome article in @science.org on @danielgeldof.bsky.social Master's thesis on the secret of the rockhead poacher’s (Bothragonus swanii) unusual cranial anatomy. Daniel did some beautiful CT scans on this odd fish's head.

www.science.org/content/arti...

A global estimator of C and N isotope baselines for fresh waters Baselines are the pebbles in the shoes of isotope ecologists. The extreme variability of the isotope composition of resources at the base of food webs governs the spatial differences of consumers'...

A global estimator of C and N isotope baselines for fresh waters. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 00, 1–15. doi.org/10.1111/2041...

Prep. Finished for a minor (cat. 2; likely 90 km/hr winds) cyclone here in Darwin.

Global body adopts policy to protect Earth’s old, wise and large animals | Charles Darwin University The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recognised Charles Darwin University-led research into the Earth’s oldest animals with the adoption of the ‘Longevity Conservation’ global...

Update: IUCN has approved a motion to adopt Longevity Conservation. www.cdu.edu.au/news/global-...

Thanks very much Dan

The application deadline for these has been extended (due to them being open an unreasonably short time initially, not b/c we got too few applications). Dust off your CV, friends. 🧪⚒️

A new special collection, released in the journal Wildlife Research @wildliferesearchj.bsky.social, published by @csiropublishing.bsky.social, showcases some of the amazing Indigenous-led and cross-cultural wildlife research occurring in Australia 🧪

Watch the full interview in the link below.

This is figure 5, which shows CIRBP overexpression extends lifespan and enhances DNA damage resistance in Drosophila.

The remarkably long lifespan of bowhead whales could be due to an increased ability to repair DNA mutations, according to research in Nature. go.nature.com/4hzvDN7 🌏 🧪

The not-so-little Murray cod that could: fish tracked swimming 900km along Australia’s biggest river system Fish named after Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus was most recently tracked at a section of the mid-Murray, near Belsar Island

The not-so-little Murray cod that could: fish tracked swimming 900km along Australia’s biggest river system www.theguardian.com/environment/... 🧪🦑🌎🐠

Global body adopts policy to protect Earth’s old, wise and large animals | Charles Darwin University The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recognised Charles Darwin University-led research into the Earth’s oldest animals with the adoption of the ‘Longevity Conservation’ global...

the IUCN have passed the Longevity Conservation motion put forward to them by @kellerfish.bsky.social and @pili-scotland.bsky.social and based on the paper we wrote on the value of older individuals in animal societies.
www.cdu.edu.au/news/global-...

Scientists say North Atlantic right whale population slowly increasing Once hunted to the brink of extinction, the most venerable of the leviathans now numbers 384, up eight from past year

The North Atlantic right whale, one of the rarest whales on the planet, now numbers an estimated 384 animals, up 8 whales from the previous year, according to the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium.

Right whales were once hunted to the brink of extinction.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

The Victorian government’s decisions do a great disservice to expert’s time and carefully considered advice, and most importantly, the health of the places and wildlife we love.

Proud papa moment: my son J published a letter in the @nytimes.com today (in print tomorrow) on the need to think our definitions of autism.

📑 #NewReview by Boube et al. dives into the scientific literature around the Great Hammerhead Shark. Our understanding of its migratory behaviour and habitat use is changing.

👀 doi.org/10.1007/s111...