Mike Sovic

Virtual Rally to Save the Cornerstone of Conservation Science · National Wildlife Federation We need YOU as we rally in support of critical federal government services at risk of being lost forever. The U.S. Geological Survey Ecosystems Mission Area is responsible for many of the programs tha...

Spreading word on this virtual event 5/22 in support of USGS's Ecosystems Mission Area, though I just learned of it, and haven't yet tracked down many details🧪🐸🦋🦅🐋🐟🌺🍄🦇... www.mobilize.us/nwf/event/79...

Rescinding the Definition of “Harm” Under the Endangered Species Act The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively referred to as the Services or we) are proposing to rescind the regulatory definition of "harm" ...

The degree to which such deregulation should happen is a fair question that science 🧪 can inform, but society has to decide. Opportunity for open public comment is part of that process, so if you’re inclined to weigh in, you can do so at www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

This seems significant given broad consensus that habitat destruction is a primary cause of extinction (which as best we understand is happening at one of the highest, if not the highest rate in history). The change ultimately works toward reducing regulations - a current political priority…

The new proposal is to narrow the definition of “harm” going forward to apply only to actions targeting a specific individual (i.e. hunting, capturing an animal, etc - seeming to effectively synonymize it with those), meaning impacts to a listed species’ habitat would no longer be considered.

In this context, harm has long been understood and interpreted, including in multiple Supreme Court cases, as including the destruction of habitat of an endangered species.

The ESA defines the term “take” as…

‘(19) The term “take” means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct’. The proposed change focuses on the word “harm” in that definition…

Public comment on a proposed change to the #EndangeredSpeciesAct (ESA) ends May 19 (next Mon). From my read, this proposal could have significant implications. Insights from others welcome re: likely practical impacts – especially from those better versed in the legalese than I. My understanding… 🧪

A little cold🥶❄️💨 wasn’t enough to keep hundreds from getting out today to #StandUpForScience2025 in #ColumbusOH 🧪

Happening tomorrow! Get to an event near you, and show support for #science as “a public good and pillar of social, political, and economic progress”! 🧪🔬 🧬#standupforscience2025

Indeed - the breeding colors can get especially vivid! But also easy to overlook. Lots of folks might have them in a stream in their backyard and not even know it.

Hornyheads, Madtoms, and Darters A collection of essays on nature, naturalists, and the natural history of fishes in central Appalachia.A nature lover’s paradise, central Appalachia suppor...

Excellent plenary by Dr. Stuart Welsh at the joint OH/WV/PA #AFS meeting on his #scicomm efforts! His book has some great stories on the fascinating diversity of Appalachian fishes – check it out! 🐟🧪 www.ohioswallow.com/978082142610...

Spending the next couple days thinking and talking #fisheries at the joint meeting of the WV/PA/OH chapters of #AFS! 🐟🐟

NCBI Genbank went down around 10am (Eastern) for me and as of now seems to still be offline😔.

How many planets does it take to sustain your lifestyle? Calculate your Ecological Footprint. Find out how many planets would be needed if everyone in the world lived like you?

Those include both the well-being of this and future generations, and your own finances. I’m a fan of the ecological footprint tool as a way to start to think about this. If you haven’t before, consider checking it out here… www.footprintcalculator.org/home/en

Participating in the #EconomicBlackout #boycott ?A call here to consider ways you might extend some of these actions beyond Feb28. Our (myself included) excess consumption has real consequences. The motivation doesn’t have to be punitive - lots of ways this can have a positive impact…

Michael G Sovic ‪Freedom Genomics LLC‬ - ‪‪Cited by 903‬‬ - ‪genomics‬ - ‪bioinformatics‬ - ‪population genetics‬ - ‪evolutionary biology‬

Hi Eryn, can I get added to the Evolutionary Bio/Science feed? Thanks!

scholar.google.com/citations?us...

Also, are we expecting other #research granting agencies to follow suit with how F&A will be handled? i.e. #NSF #DOD #USDA 🧪

More likely that funding just goes away, but that’s a bit hard to square with the text.

I guess a probably overly optimistic view is that at least the individual researchers would come out ahead in that scenario (at the expense of the institutions), though admittedly this seems unlikely…

“vital to ensure that as many funds as possible go towards direct scientific research costs rather than administrative overhead”. This statement from the guidance suggests maintained levels of investment, and a shift in allocation of #research funding from F&A toward individual researchers…

A few thoughts/questions from my read of the #NIH F&A news yesterday…🧪

grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

Anybody know what’s going on with #NCBI #genbank? Not completely down, but getting lots of “page not found” errors and now seeing note about experiencing heavy traffic. #Bioinformatics

Great to end the week visiting two local high schools to talk careers in #science #biology #research. And H/T to @ohiolifesciences.bsky.social for lots of useful data on Ohio life science jobs, wages, etc.

Giving CareerDay talks to HS students, w focus on Bio/ #Science. Previously promoted academia, industry, & agencies - both fed&state. Know hard to predict 4+ yrs away, but want to give realistic picture for when they enter job market. New admin makes me rethink previous optimism. Thoughts/insights?

Hello Bluesky!!