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Andrew D Thaler

@drandrewthaler.bsky.social

Deep-sea ecologist investigating how humans shape and reshape the sea floor. Conservation technologist developing open-source tools to understand our changing oceans. Ocean educator creating novel programs to help students interact with marine ecosystems.

40,066 Followers  |  3,113 Following  |  9,915 Posts  |  Joined: 02.05.2023
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Posts by Andrew D Thaler (@drandrewthaler.bsky.social)

There's more skill checks overall, it changes the way surprise works to give you advantage/disadvantage on initiative rather than missing a turn, some fun rules for traveling.

05.03.2026 15:25 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Rolling a d4 - annoying to pick up, feels bad in the hand, barely tumbles when you roll it. Sad.

Spinning a Dreidel - Satisfying twirl. Turns the tabletop into a Beyblade arena. Lands with a good thud.

05.03.2026 15:20 β€” πŸ‘ 17    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Replace all your d4s with Dreidels.

05.03.2026 15:17 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

D&D 5e is a social roleplaying game with an extremely restrictive tactical combat mini-game built in.

The d20 + advantage/disadvantage system is great, actually, and 5.5e does it even better.

05.03.2026 15:14 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

CON saving throw (DC18). Take 12d6 acid damage + 4d4 force damage on a failed save and be pushed back 10 feet.

05.03.2026 13:27 β€” πŸ‘ 22    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The single tiny grogger ties it all together.

05.03.2026 02:48 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
A big-hearted iron snail is the first deep-sea species to be declared endangered due to seabed mining. [Note: this article originally appeared on the Deep-sea Mining Observer. It is republished here with permission.] In 2001, on an expedition to hydrothermal vent fields in the Indian Ocean, research…

Big-hearted Iron Snail that rusts when you bring it up from the deep: www.southernfriedscience.com/a-big-hearte...

05.03.2026 01:42 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I guess I need to call Oda.

youtu.be/O9M1UMj-vwE?...

05.03.2026 01:35 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Eiichiro Oda Reveals the One Piece Secret Is Hidden at Bottom of Sea For the first time, Eiichiro Oda has put to page the long-speculated secret of the One Piece, the treasure left behind by Gol D. Roger.

I picked a hell of a year to be writing a book about the Use and Misuse of the Deep Sea.

www.tokyoweekender.com/entertainmen...

05.03.2026 01:29 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

🐟 Fish

🐠🐠 Fish

🐟🐠🐑 Fishes

πŸ¦‘πŸ¦€πŸ¦ͺ Also, somehow, Fish

🦈 Gristle Fish

🦫 Fish (Lent)

🐝 Fish (California)

04.03.2026 13:49 β€” πŸ‘ 178    πŸ” 49    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 6

I’m very proud of the Drawdown Explorer. In only six months, we have created the world’s go to resource for climate solutions.

And it’s only getting better! Check it out.

04.03.2026 22:10 β€” πŸ‘ 24    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Letter: Navarro's fisheries claims just don't hold water
By Miriam Goldstein | March 2, 2026

Navarro’s fisheries claims just don’t hold water

To the Editor: As an ocean scientist and Manchester native, I read with interest Peter Navarro’s op-ed on Donald Trump’s fisheries policy (β€œFish ban lifted to lower cost,” Feb. 23). Unfortunately, his op-ed suffers from poor geography and worse economics β€” no doubt he would have been better off had he also attended Central High School.
First, Navarro seems unaware of where the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument actually is. Located 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod, the monument is so far offshore that it comprises less than 1% of historic fishing grounds. While it protects rare deep-sea corals and underwater canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon, data on vessel movements show the monument has had little to no economic impact on commercial fisheries β€” unlike Trump’s tariff policy, which cost the average U.S. household $1,000 last year.
Second, Navarro seems to have confused New Hampshire with New York. He addresses β€œNew York families” and localities such as Montauk and Fulton Fish Market. New Hampshire readers deserve better than warmed-over New York leavings, particularly because of New Hampshire’s proud tradition of stewardship. Indeed, a 2022 poll of 3,500 New Englanders found more than 80% favor permanently protected marine areas.
While Navarro touts his fishing bona fides, the administration he represents is moving to open over 1.27 billion acres of public waters to offshore oil and gas drilling, expanding deep-sea mining into key fishing grounds, and raising electricity prices at twice the rate of inflation. That isn’t just poor geography β€” it’s deliberate misdirection.

Dr. Miriam Goldstein is the Executive Director of the National Ocean Protection Coalition and a graduate of the Central High School class of 1999.

Letter: Navarro's fisheries claims just don't hold water By Miriam Goldstein | March 2, 2026 Navarro’s fisheries claims just don’t hold water To the Editor: As an ocean scientist and Manchester native, I read with interest Peter Navarro’s op-ed on Donald Trump’s fisheries policy (β€œFish ban lifted to lower cost,” Feb. 23). Unfortunately, his op-ed suffers from poor geography and worse economics β€” no doubt he would have been better off had he also attended Central High School. First, Navarro seems unaware of where the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument actually is. Located 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod, the monument is so far offshore that it comprises less than 1% of historic fishing grounds. While it protects rare deep-sea corals and underwater canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon, data on vessel movements show the monument has had little to no economic impact on commercial fisheries β€” unlike Trump’s tariff policy, which cost the average U.S. household $1,000 last year. Second, Navarro seems to have confused New Hampshire with New York. He addresses β€œNew York families” and localities such as Montauk and Fulton Fish Market. New Hampshire readers deserve better than warmed-over New York leavings, particularly because of New Hampshire’s proud tradition of stewardship. Indeed, a 2022 poll of 3,500 New Englanders found more than 80% favor permanently protected marine areas. While Navarro touts his fishing bona fides, the administration he represents is moving to open over 1.27 billion acres of public waters to offshore oil and gas drilling, expanding deep-sea mining into key fishing grounds, and raising electricity prices at twice the rate of inflation. That isn’t just poor geography β€” it’s deliberate misdirection. Dr. Miriam Goldstein is the Executive Director of the National Ocean Protection Coalition and a graduate of the Central High School class of 1999.

Peter Navarro tried to explain Trump's fisheries policy in my hometown newspaper, but it turns out his geography is worse than his economics policies. You know what the Granite State loves? Getting mixed up with New York!

Anyway, I fixed his homework for him. ⬇️
www.unionleader.com/opinion/lett...

04.03.2026 19:53 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Language evolves. Boop the fish.

04.03.2026 21:15 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Vibe Warmongering.

04.03.2026 19:40 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Verification might make it go down to 19.

04.03.2026 19:07 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I'm in conservation technology. Code is neat but, 99% of the actual engineering challenge is just making sure the computer doesn't get wet.

04.03.2026 19:06 β€” πŸ‘ 30    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

I was invited to lead an paper on teaching ocean science using Dungeons & Dragons for a Folklore journal, with my podcast crew, and it is by far the most fun I've had writing an academic paper, ever.

I cannot wait for you to read it.

04.03.2026 19:03 β€” πŸ‘ 35    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 0

Ah, see, my goal isn't Inbox 0, my goal is to flag the important ones that have to be responded to that day and then walk away, guilt free, with my little status bar full up.

04.03.2026 18:19 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Best I can do is a cartoon drawing robot that frees you up to sort your own socks.

04.03.2026 17:54 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Boops boops has entered the chat.

04.03.2026 17:52 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0

Does anyone else count the number of emails they have to respond to first thing in the morning and then draw a little status bar in their notebook to fill out throughout the day as you approach 100%?

No? Just me?

04.03.2026 15:57 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Bees are legally fish in California, court rules. Here’s why and what led to it A 1970 act explicitly protected β€œfish.” Now, it includes bees.

www.sacbee.com/news/califor...

04.03.2026 15:25 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

South America has Catholics.

04.03.2026 14:33 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Great code is extremely well structured.
Great writing challenges conventional structure to create something new.

04.03.2026 14:32 β€” πŸ‘ 42    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Also nutria, muskrat, and capybara.

04.03.2026 14:28 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Nothing will every surpass the pure unhinged chaos of California declaring "fuck it, honeybees are fish".

04.03.2026 14:01 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0

🐟 Fish

🐠🐠 Fish

🐟🐠🐑 Fishes

πŸ¦‘πŸ¦€πŸ¦ͺ Also, somehow, Fish

🦈 Gristle Fish

🦫 Fish (Lent)

🐝 Fish (California)

04.03.2026 13:49 β€” πŸ‘ 178    πŸ” 49    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 6

The fights will need to be rebalanced, but yes! Though probably not if your players are lobbing level 9 spells.

04.03.2026 11:45 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

My favorite thing to do in the Feywild is be completely normal and let the party tie themselves into knots trying to figure out The Twist.

04.03.2026 11:41 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

It’s D&D night, and the party has been invited to the Feywild to hunt the Jabberwock, courtesy of @drandrewthaler.bsky.social’s campaign module, The Last Hunt For The Jabberwock. There’s a limit to what I can say, because spoilers, but the party is deeply suspicious.

04.03.2026 04:08 β€” πŸ‘ 341    πŸ” 15    πŸ’¬ 13    πŸ“Œ 0