Kevin Kocot

Flyer with details on the workshop and pictures of two cumaceans. It says: DESCRIPTION: Join us to learn about the fascinating peracarids known as comma shrimp! This workshop will introduce cumacean collecting and identification with a mix of field trips and lab work, working with a combination of live specimens and preserved specimens. Outcomes for trainees include training in morphology and taxonomy of Cumacea, and training in collection, sorting, preservation, and photography of specimens. The course is suitable for advanced undergraduate to graduate students, post-docs or professionals who are interested in learning about and working with cumaceans. DATES: August 3-7, 2026 LOCATION: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County REGISTRATION: No course fee, lodging and food covered. Accepted students will need to cover their own travel. INSTRUCTORS: Dr. Sarah Gerken, Dr. Kevin Kocot, Dr. Les Watling APPLICATION: Please e-mail your CV, 1 letter of recommendation, and a 1 page statement explaining your background and reasons for taking the course to peracaridabackbone@gmail.com by March 15, 2026 For more information, see www.peracarida.org

ICYMI: The next Confusing Crustaceans taxonomy workshop is Aug 3–7, 2026 at NHMLA!

Focus: Cumacea (comma shrimp) ID + preservation of peracarids for morphology & genomics. No course fee; lodging & food covered (travel not included).

Apply by March 15:
www.peracarida.org/workshops/20...

211-0252/25-2N - Tenure Track Assistant Professor and Curator of Mollusca

Tenure Track Assistant Professor and Curator of #Mollusca at the Natural History Museum Denmark, University of Copenhagen: employment.ku.dk/tenure-track...

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.01.033

[New Paper] @currentbiology.bsky.social presents our population genomics study of the iconic Scaly-foot Snail: 125 genomes from 8 Indian Ocean hot vents! Deep currents drive South→North gene flow, while transform faults act as dispersal barriers.
READ FOR FREE: authors.elsevier.com/c/1mbW73QW8S...

Photo of Diastylis sp. - a cumacean or 'comma shrimp.' Photo by Kevin Kocot.

Confusing Crustaceans III: Cumacea
August 3–7, 2026 @ NHMLA

This third workshop in the 'Confusing Crustaceans' series will introduce techniques to collect, study, and identify cumaceans. Applications are due March 15th.

See: www.peracarida.org/workshops/20...

SICB Division of Invertebrate Zoology logo

Time to celebrate! The @sicb-diz.bsky.social auction at the #SICB2026 meeting raised $4790 for student and postdoctoral support!!!! This will be the basis for the John and Vickey Pearse Fund being established by DIZ! Thanks to @kmkocot.bsky.social for being our exuberant auctioneer and all donors!!!

#IcyInverts presenters from this morning's #SICB2026 Antarctic Invertebrates session. @sicb-diz.bsky.social

📢 NEW GENOME ALERT

In #G3journal, @kmkocot.bsky.social and colleagues present a chromosome-level assembly for the marine invertebrate Discradisca antillarum, expanding the resource to study their evolution. buff.ly/boHXays

Assistant Professor position in Marine Invertebrate Organismal Biology at Friday Harbor Labs!
apply.interfolio.com/178804

Two open PhD positions in molluscan biomineralization with the amazing Dr. Victoria Sleight at U. Aberdeen! See:
sleightlab.com/vacancies/ and sleightlab.com/phd-vacancy-2/. The first deadline is 15 December.

Marine Meiofauna Diversity – field course | slu.se Exploring microscopic animals that shape marine ecosystems, June 8-18, 2026 at Tjärnö Marine Laboratory on the Swedish west coast.

Marine Meiofauna Diversity field course
June 8-18, 2026 at Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, Sweden

The evolutionary origins of synaptic proteins and their changing roles in different organisms across evolution Nature Reviews Neuroscience - Recent studies have shed further light on the evolutionary origins of chemical synapses, In this Review, Colgren and Burkhardt explore how ancient proteins were...

First neurons didn’t appear overnight. We trace their roots to ancient secretory cells - showing how lifestyle & behavior shaped the evolution of first synapses.🧠🌊 #Evolution #Neuroscience

Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E

@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social

I'm teaching an undergraduate course with a scientific writing component this semester. Your favorite memes about the state of things are welcome :) I've seen some hilarious ones in the past, but can never find what I'm looking for with a web search when I need it. Thanks!

Line drawings of sclerites of species in the genus Macellomenia.

New pub by Chandler Olson, Chimpi Cobo Llovo, and yours truly describing 7 new species of solenogasters in the family Macellomeniidae! This more than doubles the number of described species in the family.
academic.oup.com/mollus/artic...

AMNH is hiring a #curator! We are searching for an “Assistant Curator in #Climate #Physics: #Atmosphere or #Ocean”! Join us! careers.amnh.org/postings/4579 #academicjobs #tenuretrack

Abstracts Abstract submission form: https://forms.gle/TwWfeb4ZYvBtoBTx8 Deadline for Abstract Submission: 30th September 2025 · Abstracts must be written in English and should not exceed 300 words. · Clearly ...

The abstract submission deadline for 19th International #Meiofauna Conference (IMCO19) has been extended to September 30th! sites.google.com/view/19imco/...

Figure showing violin plot of chlorophyll-a density in the region of study and fossil mollusks.

Postdoctoral Fellow opportunity in paleontology/biology at the University of Alabama Museums with @paleoadiel.bsky.social as part of the NSF-funded project “Energetic Controls on Marine Benthic Community Structure in Space and Time.” For more information see: careers.ua.edu/jobs/688232b...

Hey everyone! @sicb-diz.bsky.social is now here! Follow them for all your invertebrate science needs! 🧪🦑🌎

Protist genomics: key to understanding eukaryotic evolution All eukaryotes other than animals, plants, and fungi are protists. Protists are highly diverse and found in nearly all environments, with key roles in planetary health and biogeochemical cycles. They ...

Protist genomics: key to understanding eukaryotic evolution: Trends in Genetics www.cell.com/trends/genet...

several years ago, the @ebpgenome.bsky.social sample collection and processing subcommittee ran a survey to understand more about people's successes and failures with HMW DNA extractions across the tree of life -- we planned to publish the results of this survey alongside the randomly drawn ...

Best-practice guidance for Earth BioGenome Project sample collection and processing: progress and challenges in biodiverse reference genome creation Abstract. The Earth BioGenome Project has the extremely ambitious goal of generating, at scale, high-quality reference genomes across the entire Tree of Li

New pub on genome sample collection and processing: "Best-practice guidance for Earth BioGenome Project sample collection and processing: progress and challenges in biodiverse reference genome creation"
academic.oup.com/gigascience/...

New pub by Vicky Sleight et al. on genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic signatures of ageing and cold adaptation in the Antarctic clam Laternula elliptica (including a nice genome assembly and annotation for Laternula): royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....

Kocot lab macro photography setup in use by the IcyInverts team during RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer cruise NBP25-01 in the hydro lab.

Epimeria walkeri (Amphipoda) collected using an epibenthic sledge during NBP25-01. Photo by Kevin Kocot.

Today's #IcyInverts blog post is about our efforts to take the best possible photos of live animals and meticulous data recording for each specimen we sample while in #Antarctica. @uofalabama.bsky.social
www.icyinverts.com/shipboard-bl...
#ConfusingCrustaceans #SweatTheSmallStuff

Taxonomy training workshops are an incredibly valuable experience for everyone involved. The next #ConfusingCrustaceans workshop will be in Wilhelmshaven, Germany from Oct. 6-10, 2025. See peracarida.org for more details. #Peracarida #SweatTheSmallStuff #IcyInverts

Happy Valentine's Day! ❤️ ICYMI: our #IcyInverts team will be blogging during the NBP25-01 cruise to the Ross Sea, #Antarctica. Check it out to see the amazing animals we 🫶 at icyinverts.com #Peracarida #SweatTheSmallStuff

The Nathaniel B. Palmer leaves Lyttleton, New Zealand today to start steaming towards Antarctica. We'll be blogging as time permits here: www.icyinverts.com/shipboard-bl...

See where the ship is in real time here:
www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/...

#IcyInverts #Peracarida #SweatTheSmallStuff

Nominate the International Mollusc of the Year! ~ 2025 ~

1 DAY LEFT to nominate your favorite mollusc for the 2025 International Mollusc of the Year! Winner gets FREE genome sequencing!

More info & Nominate here: tinyurl.com/2025MOTY

@sgn.one @sigwartae.bsky.social

Applications for Unitas Malacologica Travel Grants to attend the World Congress of #Malacology in São Paulo, Brazil from August 4-8 2025 are now open! unitasmalacologica.org/projects.html

The website for the 2025 World Congress of #Malacology in São Paulo, Brazil from August 4-8 is now live! wcm2025.com.br