BioScience Talks

For today's episode, we are joined by Thilina Surasinghe, Professor at Bridgewater State University in the Department of Biological Sciences, Kunwar Singh, Senior Geospatial Scientist at AidData and affiliate faculty at the Center for Geospatial Analysis, at the College of William & Mary, and Amy Frazier, Professor and the Jack and Laura Dangermond Chair of Conservation Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in the Department of Geography. They joined us to discuss their BioScience article about the promise that drone technology presents for undertaking biodiversity and conservation fieldwork. 

For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Marco Malavasi, plant ecologist and cartographer at the University of Sassari, in Italy. We discussed his recent BioScience article "Beyond crisis and grief: Rethinking conservation narratives," which serves as a guide to more productively communicating about—and thinking about—conservation in a rapidly changing world. 

For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by John Bates, Curator of Birds at the Field Museum, Sushma Reddy, Breckenridge Chair of Ornithology at the University of Minnesota and the Bell Museum, and Rachael Herman, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Stonybrook University.  Our guests were here to chat about a recent research trip to the Falkland Islands, and more specifically, about the gentoo penguins they were studying on those islands.  Pictures from the trip can be viewed on YouTube. Be sure to check out the fantastic Birds of a Feather Talk Together podcast, cohosted by guest John Bates. Learn more about island vegetation restoration at Roots in the Ground, which describes the work of Giselle Hazell, discussed in the episode.

For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Aspen Ellis, PhD candidate at University of California, Santa Cruz, for a discussion of the largest academic strike in history and a recent BioScience article on the topic.

For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Dr. Kelly Diehl, who has been a veterinarian for almost 40 years and currently works at Morris Animal Foundation, which is one of the largest nonprofits dedicated to animal health research in the world. She was here to talk about the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study and its implications for animal and human medicine. Learn more about the Morris Animal Foundation's important work, including the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study at morrisanimalfoundation.org.

For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're reporting from the 2024 National Diversity in STEM, or NDiSTEM, conference hosted in Phoenix, Arizona, by SACNAS (the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science). Several members of the AIBS team attended, with the aim of helping our member societies and organizations develop an understanding of the ways in which minority-serving societies like SACNAS foster inclusive communities for scientists from traditionally marginalized backgrounds. Attending the conference was extremely rewarding, and we returned with the strong sense that the future of science will be well served by continued efforts to connect and invest in the diverse communities and perspectives representing STEM worldwide. A special thank you to SACNAS for the opportunity and warm welcome. You can visit SACNAS.org to learn more about their programs and events, including the National Diversity in STEM Conference. 

For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Ryan Emanuel, Associate Professor in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. He joined us to discuss his recent article in BioScience, The Pocosin's Lesson: Translating Respect for Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Environmental Research. In the article, he debunks a widely shared translation of the word "pocosin," and the ways in which researchers—and others—can better engage with Indigenous peoples and their knowledge systems. 

For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Michael Patrick Lynch, who is the author of the new book On Truth and Politics: Why Democracy Demands It, available for presale from Princeton University Press. He is also the Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and the Provost Professor of Humanities at the University of Connecticut, and he is the author of other books like Know-It-All Society and The Internet of Us. Our discussion was focused on how scientists can effectively convey truth to a variety of audiences in our current political and technological context, as well as a number of other topics that will be of interest to all scientist–communicators.

For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Kailiang Yu, from Princeton University, Paolo D'Odorico, from the University of California, Berkeley, and Scott Collins, from the University of New Mexico, who is also former BioScience editor in chief. They discussed their recent article in BioScience on potential expansion of CAM plants in the Anthropocene. 

For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Paul Humphries, Associate Professor in Ecology at Charles Sturt University, in the School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences. We discussed his recently published article in BioScience, Flood Ecology, and the sometimes uneasy relationship that people have with river floods, as well as some of the ways that we might improve our understanding of them. A version of this conversation can also be found on Dr. Humpries' own podcast, Rheophilia. 

For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Peter Edmunds, Professor of Biology at California State University, Northridge, where he has worked for over 30 years. He was here to discuss his recent article in BioScience's new Perspective and Insight category, entitled "Why keep monitoring coral reefs?". The article describes a now 38-year study of coral reefs in the US Virgin Islands and highlights the value of long-term ecological monitoring. 

For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Mary Hagedorn of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute for a discussion about biorepositories, and specifically, a plan to place a biorepository on the Moon. Described in a recent article in BioScience, such a repository would take advantage of the Moon's naturally cold temperatures to provide safe long-term storage for cryopreserved animal tissues.

Today's episode features Dr. Bryan Pijanowski, Professor of Soundscape Ecology in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University, in Indiana. He is the author of "Principles of Soundscape Ecology: Discovering Our Sonic World," which was just released and is a definitive guide to the field of soundscape ecology, the topic of today's episode. Dr. Pijanowski is also the author of an influential BioScience article on the field. Learn more about soundscape ecology at the Center for Global Soundscapes, and be sure to check whether the IMAX film discussed in the interview is playing near you. 

Today's episode is a mostly onsite podcast from Chattanooga, Tennessee, where BioScience Talks was graciously hosted earlier this spring by the Association of Southeastern Biologists at their annual meeting. Our guests represent a broad range of exciting research and career stages. The meeting was striking in its emphasis on providing a welcoming environment for students. Learn more about ASB here (https://www.sebiologists.org), and be sure to attend a meeting. Our guests included: Amy Allen, Lee High School; Barbara Comer, Georgia Southern University; Skyler Fox, Georgia Southern University; Heather Joesting, Georgia Southern University; Chinyere Knight, Tuskegee University; Howard Neufeld, Appalachian State University; Jeremy Rentsch, Francis Marion University; Jennifer Rhode Ward, University of North Carolina Asheville; and Ashleigh Woods, Wesleyan College.

For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by DeeAnn Reeder, Professor of Biology at Bucknell University and a researcher at the Smithsonian Institution. We spoke about a number of topics, including bats, disease ecology, and community outreach. Underlying that conversation was an important message about the One Health concept, which will be the subject of a forthcoming special issue of BioScience.  Potential contributors to the One Health special issue can find more information here. Read Dr. Reeder's latest paper, Ecological countermeasures to prevent pathogen spillover and subsequent pandemics | Nature Communications.

For today's episode, we're joined by Catalina Munteanu, Researcher at the University of Frieberg in Germany, who has a background in geography and forest sciences. Also joining us is Volker Radeloff, Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the SILVIS Lab, where he works on satellite imagery to look at land use. They were here to discuss the potential value of images from Cold War-era spy satellites for current ecological research and practice.  Read their article in BioScience. Captions are available on YouTube.

For today's episode, we're joined by Thomas Meinzen, recent Master's of Science graduate from Montana State University in Bozeman, Diane Debinski, who is a Professor and Department Head in the Department of Ecology at MSU, and Laura Burkle, a Professor also in the MSU Ecology Department. They were here to talk about the subject of their recent BioScience article, roadside verges, and in particular, the way that these habitats may prove to be a boon—or bane—for pollinating insects.  Captions are available on YouTube.

For today's episode, we're joined by Avery Paxton, who is a Research Marine Biologist with NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Chris Taylor, Research Ecologist, also with NOAA's NCCOS, and Melanie Damour, who is a Marine Archeologist and the Environmental Studies Coordinator with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's Gulf of Mexico Region Office. They were here to discuss their recent BioScience article on "Shipwreck Ecology," and the ways in which these sites can be hotspots for biodiversity—and also for research.  Read the article here.  Captions can be found on YouTube. 

For today's episode, we jump back to last spring's Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Our guest is Sinlan Poo, Curator of Research at the Memphis Zoo and one of the co-organizers of the Global Women in Herpetology Project. You may remember her from a previous interview, but we recorded an extra mini-podcast to talk about the book "Women in Herpetology: 50 Stories from Around the World," which features a diverse group of authors describing their journeys to and through the world of herpetology. Proceeds from the book's sales will fund a conference scholarship for women students.  Captions are available on YouTube. 

For today's episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Dr. Simone Soso, Assistant Director of Research and Workforce Development at the MSI STEM Research & Development Consortium. She was here to discuss the NSF-funded Re-Envisioning Culture (or REC) Network and its recent activities. I'll let her tell you more, though, so let's go to the interview. Captions are available on YouTube.

In this episode, we're joined by Jeremy Bruskotter, faculty member and Professor in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at The Ohio State University and John Vucetich, Distinguished Professor at Michigan Technological University, in the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science. They were here to talk about their recent article in BioScience on the governance issues related to rewilding, or the restoration of native species to their traditional ranges. Read the article here.Captions are available on YouTube.

Our guest for this episode of BioScience Talks is Adam Sepulveda, Research Scientist with the US Geological Survey's Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center in Bozeman, Montana. He joined us to talk about READI-Net, an environmental DNA-based program that was recently funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill as a priority for addressing aquatic invasive species. Learn more about READI-Net here. Captions are available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2G-6AEwJE8Y

Today's episode features three representatives of the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS), which is an American Institute of Biological Sciences member organization. We discussed many topics related to field stations, including the research performed there, as well as the ways that field stations collaborate through organizations like OBFS and AIBS to improve their research, education, and outreach efforts. Our guests were: Lara Roketenetz, Director of the University of Akron Field Station, in Ohio. She is also currently serving as President of the Organization of Biological Field Stations.  Rhonda Struminger, Codirector and Cofounder of the Centro de Investigaciones Científicas de las Huastecas "Aguazarca" (CICHAZ), in Calnali, Hidalgo, Mexico. She is also affiliated with the University of Padova, in Italy, and is Cochair of the OBFS's International Committee.  Chris Lorentz, Professor of Biological Sciences at Thomas More University and Director of Ohio River Biology Field Station. He is currently serving as Past President of OBFS.  Learn more about OBFS and their ongoing efforts on their website.Captions can be found on YouTube.

This episode of BioScience Talks was recorded on location at the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in Norfolk, Virginia, and features a range of presenters and organizers.Our first guests were Sinlan Poo, who is Curator of Research at the Memphis Zoo and affiliated with Arkansas State University, and Prosanta Chakrabarty, who is Curator of Fishes and a Professor at Louisiana State University's Museum of Natural Science. Dr. Chakrabarty is also the current President of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, one of the organizations that convened the meeting. They joined me to talk about the ZooMu symposium, which was held as part of the meeting. Read more about zoo and museum collaboration in BioScience. Next up, I sat down with Karen Caceres from Old Dominion University. She spoke about Florida cottonmouths and how they manage to live on small islands that typically lack freshwater resources. Maisie MacKnight, PhD candidate at Penn State, gave a talk about fieldwork and the ways in which it can be made safe and inclusive for all participants. We discussed her talk, as well as some of her other work. Oliver Shipley, Research Professor at Stony Brook University in New York, and Maria Manz, a graduate student at Stony Brook University, joined me to talk about sharks, their movement, and the ways that scientists study them.  Erin Anthony, President of the Virginia Herpetological Society, chatted with me about her organization's public outreach efforts, as well as herps native to Virginia.Last, I was joined by Sarah Yerrace, a master's student at the University of Washington in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. Her talk was focused on the invasive lionfish, and we chatted about a new approach to surveying their abundance at deep ocean depths.Captions are available on YouTube. 

For today's episode, we were joined by L. David Mech, from the US Geological Survey's Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center and the University of Minnesota in St. Paul and David E. Ausband, from the Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, at the University of Idaho. They were here to talk about the successful recovery of gray wolves in North America, and in particular, the challenges associated with that success. Below is a brief article describing their BioScience article.____Over the past 30 years, efforts to recover gray wolf populations in the United States have been broadly successful, with many regions now sporting robust populations of the charismatic carnivore. Writing in BioScience, wolf experts David E. Ausband and L. David Mech describe the conservation landscape and also the obstacles that wolves face as their populations expand into their historical ranges."Remarkable wolf conservation success yields remarkable challenges," say the authors, as 6000 wolves now occupy habitat across 11 states. These growing populations now face significant threats as they attempt to colonize human-dominated areas, among them "fragmented habitats and barriers to dispersal, as well as increased encounters with humans, pets, and livestock."In response to those concerned about wolves' potential impacts to prey populations and domestic livestock production, many jurisdictions have ramped up wolf efforts. For instance, in Wisconsin, "the legislature requires a public hunting or trapping season whenever wolves are delisted from the US Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) list of Endangered species." In contrast, wolves are seen as desirable in other areas, such as Colorado, where voters recently passed a ballot initiative to reintroduce them in the state. The authors caution that such pro-reintroduction initiatives, which may seem initially promising for wolves, could have the unintended consequence of setting precedent for laws barring reintroduction and thus complicate management. An uncertain regulatory regime, say Ausband and Mech, could cause major fluctuations in wolf populations, with dire consequences for conservation efforts.The answer to this quandary, the authors suggest, is thoughtful management that carefully considers the needs of diverse stakeholders: "Future wolf conservation in the United States will be affected by the ability of managers to predict colonization and dispersal dynamics, to reduce hybridization and disease transmission, to mitigate and deter wolf–livestock conflicts, to harvest wolves sustainably while satisfying diverse stakeholders, to avert a reduction in tolerance for wolves due to a disinterest in nature, and to engage diverse stakeholders in wolf conservation to avoid management by ballot initiative or legislative and judicial decrees." Only through such science-informed management, argue Ausband and Mech, can the present success of wolf conservation be built on in the future. Captions for this episode are available on YouTube.

Today's episode of BioScience Talks is a second dispatch from AIBS's spring Congressional Visits Day, which is a program that gives researchers a chance to travel to Washington, DC, to meet with their Congressional representatives and advocate for science. I had the chance to talk with a number of participants about their research, their interest in policy, and their plans for the next day's Capitol Hill visits. Participants included:Peri Lee Pipkin, University of California Botanic Garden, Claremont UniversityConner Philson, University of California, Los Angeles; Rocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryValentina Alvarez, University of Hawaii at ManoaKatherine Charton, University of WisconsinLauren Orton, Sauk Valley Community CollegeRebecca Kauten, Iowa Lakeside LaboratoryNews about this year's event.Learn more about our Congressional Visits Day, and stay tuned for the next event. Captions are available on YouTube.

For today's episode, I was joined by Dr. Peter Gleick, Cofounder and Senior Fellow at the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California, author of the new book, The Three Ages of Water, and member of the National Academy Sciences. He joined me to talk about a number of water-related topics, starting with a recent piece he wrote in the Kyiv Independent about the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam on the Dnieper River and the ensuing human and ecological tragedies. We also discussed his new book, which tells the fascinating story of human history and the way that it has always been deeply intertwined with the history of water on Earth.  Learn more about the book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/peter-gleick/the-three-ages-of-water/9781541702271/ Dr. Gleick's personal website: www.gleick.com The article in the Kyiv Independent: https://kyivindependent.com/peter-gleick-a-call-to-condemn-attacks-on-water-systems-in-ukraine/ Closed captions can be found on YouTube: https://youtu.be/etWCiDxnSBw

For today's episode, I was joined by Juan Amador, who is the Executive Director for the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). We discussed SACNAS's 50th anniversary, its upcoming meeting, as well as the organization's crucial work over the years.  Become a SACNAS member.Donate to SACNAS.Learn more about the 2023 National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference in Portland Oregon, 22–26 October. Closed captions are available on YouTube.

For today's episode, we're joined by Dr. John Van Stan, Associate Professor at Cleveland State University in the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, where he runs the Wet Plant Lab. A description of the article follows, and captions can be found on YouTube . Scientists need to get out of the lab and into the rain, say an interdisciplinary group of researchers led by John T. Van Stan of Cleveland State University. Writing in the journal BioScience, the authors make the case that human observation of storm events (be it rain, snow, or occult deposition) is key to understanding wet weather and its myriad effects on the natural world.Recently, Van Stan and colleagues noted a trend in the scientific community towards relying on remote sensing to study storms and their consequences: "Natural scientists seem increasingly content to stay dry and rely on remote sensors and samplers, models, and virtual experiments to understand natural systems. Consequently, we can miss important stormy phenomena, imaginative inspirations, and opportunities to build intuition—all of which are critical to scientific progress." This type of "umbrella science," they warn, can miss important localized events. For instance, in describing rainwater's flow from the forest canopy to the soils, the authors note that "if several branches efficiently capture and drain stormwaters to the stem, rainwater inputs to near-stem soils can be more than 100 times greater."The authors also point out that important phenomena like low-lying fog events, vapor trapped beneath forest canopies, and condensate plumes may escape remote detection, yet be sensible to scientists on the ground. At the broader scale, these oversights can affect Earth systems models, which often underestimate canopy water storage. They argue that these errors may represent a "large potential bias in surface temperatures simulated by Earth systems models."Direct observation, however, has merits beyond remedying the shortcomings of “umbrella science.” Van Stan and colleagues see intrinsic value in firsthand storm experiences – not only for natural scientists, but also students studying climate change impacts on ecosystems. They claim that this immersive method enhances understanding, incites curiosity, and strengthens bonds with nature, thereby enriching environmental education, inspiring research, and preparing the future scientific community.An audio version of the article is available here.

Today's episode comes "live" from AIBS's 2023 Congressional Visits Day in Washington, DC, where our guests gathered for a communications boot camp and meetings with their congressional representatives. Our interviewees were winners of AIBS's Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award: Inam Jameel (2023 awardee, University of Georgia), Elena Suglia (2023 awardee, UC Davis), Michael McCloy (2022 awardee, Texas A&M), and Heidi Waite (2022 awardee, UC Irvine). During the busy preparations for the upcoming congressional visits, we took a few minutes to chat about science and the policies needed to support it.If you're interested in applying for the EPPLA or in joining us in Washington, DC, for our next Congressional Visits Day, please visit the links above.Captions can be found on YouTube.

In this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Professor Roy Sidle, Director of the Mountain Societies Research Institute and Professor in Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Central Asia. He was here to discuss his new BioScience article, Food Security in High Mountains of Central Asia: A Broader Perspective.Captions can be found on YouTube.

A recent article in BioScience discusses "Nature's Chefs"—animal, plant, and fungal species create or mimic food for others for a variety of reasons. In this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by authors Robert Dunn and Pia Sörensen to discuss the article and some of these food-creating species (including humans).Captions can be found on the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/gqzXjUoJYyE

For this episode, we're joined by Samantha Kreling, PhD candidate at the University of Washington, in the Prugh Lab. She's here to discuss her new BioScience article So overt it's covert: Wildlife coloration in the city.Captions can be found in the YouTube version.

Today's interview is with Dr. Richard Hill, Professor Emeritus at Michigan State University and author of the BioScience article "Living Naked in the Cold: New Insights into Metabolic Feasibility in Primeval Cultures."Captions available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/2eT9WXCiY8A

For today's episode, we're joined by Dr. Brenda Lin from CSIRO Land and Water in Australia, and Dr. Erik Andersson, Professor of Sustainability Science with University of Helsinki and Stockholm University. We discussed their BioScience article on green spaces, particularly in urban areas, and the ways that different groups use those spaces. We also chatted about how planning can be used to achieve urban green spaces that are equitably used and a valuable part of the urban landscape. A captioned version can be found on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jUCk6ghBoLU

This podcast is part of AIBS's Diversity Heroes series, where we spotlight individuals who are working to increase Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the biological sciences. Our guest today is Roberto Efraín Díaz, PhD student in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of California, San Francisco. Read our Diversity Heroes contribution from Dr. Steward Pickett.

For today's episode, we're joined by Dr. Charles A. S. Hall, who discusses his recent book review of Peter Victor's "Herman Daly's Economics for a Full World: His Life and Ideas." In addition, we chatted about neoclassical economics from a biologist's perspective, among many other topics. For a further critique of neoclassical economics, read Hall and colleagues 2001 BioScience article, The Need to Reintegrate the Natural Sciences with Economics.  The accompanying transcript was computer generated and has not been edited.

In Their Own Words chronicles the stories of scientists who have made great contributions to their fields. These short histories provide our readers a way to learn from and share their experiences. We publish the results of these conversations in the pages of BioScience and on our podcast, BioScience Talks. This history is with Dr. Osvaldo Sala, who is the Julie A. Wrigley and Regents' and Foundation Professor and the founding director of the Global Drylands Center, at Arizona State University.Note: Both the text and audio versions have been edited for clarity and length.

In this episode, we're joined by Scott Plein, Principal of Equinox Investments and Founder and Chairman of the White House Farm Foundation, and Alan Rowsome, Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, to discuss Leopold's Preserve, a 380-acre natural site nestled within the rapidly growing area of Haymarket, Virginia. We discussed the vision that underlies the preserve, its namesake, Aldo Leopold, the preserve's ecology and role promoting the wellbeing of the community, and the conservation easement that will protect it in perpetuity.Learn more about Leopold's Preserve and plan a visit here.

For this episode, we're joined by Dr. Judith Weis of Rutgers University to discuss her new book, Polluting Textiles: The Problem with Microfibres. Listen to Dr. Weis's In Their Own Words oral history interview. A description of the book follows:This book examines the critical issue of environmental pollutants produced by the textiles industry.Comprised of contributions from environmental scientists and materials and textiles scientists, this edited volume addresses the environmental impact of microplastics, with a particular focus on microfibres released by textiles into marine and freshwater environments. The chapters in Part I offer environmental perspectives focusing on the measurement of microplastics in the environment, their ingestion by small plankton and larger filter feeders, the effects of consuming microplastics, and the role of microplastics as a vector for transferring toxic contaminants in food webs. Written by environmental and material scientists, the chapters in Part II present potential solutions to the problem of microplastics released from textiles, discussing parameters of influence, water treatment, degradation in aquatic environments, textile end-of-life management, textile manufacturing and laundry, and possible policy measures. This is a much needed volume which brings together in one place environmental research with technical solutions in order to provide a cohesive and practical approach to mitigating and preventing environmental pollution from the textiles industry going forward.This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of environmental conservation and management, environmental pollution and environmental chemistry and toxicology, sustainability, as well as students and scholars of material and textiles science, textile engineering and sustainable manufacturing.

For this episode, we're joined by Thyaga Nandagopal, Division Director for the Division of Innovation and Technology Ecosystems, in the newly launched TIP Directorate at NSF. He discusses the directorate's programs, priorities, and future plans.

COVID-19 has been the first pandemic that has taken place alongside the interconnectivity of the Internet. Consequently, the spread of ideas and information about the disease has been unprecedented—but not always accurate. One of the widely circulated headlines was that of the relationship between land change and the spillover of diseases from wildlife to humans. Writing in BioScience, Andre D. Mader of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies and colleagues survey primary and secondary literature, as well as webpage content on the subject of land change and zoonotic disease risk. Based on the patterns picked up from this literature and media coverage, Mader and colleagues describe what amounts to a case study in improper science communication and its possible consequences. Dr. Mader joins us on this episode of BioScience Talks to discuss his article in depth. This episode can also be found on Mader's podcast, The Case for Conservation.Read more about the article: According to the authors, media messaging consistently described direct causality between zoonotic disease spread and land use change, despite the fact that only 53% of the surveyed peer-reviewed literature made this association. The authors delve into theoretical scenarios that would demonstrate the difficulty of tracing the real risk of zoonotic spillover, emphasizing that the “complexity of pathogen responses to land change cannot be reduced to one-size-fits-all proclamations.”The authors found that as the literature moves from primary research to review articles and commentaries, and finally to webpages, the “overstating of the evidence” increases, with 78% of secondary papers implying the land use–zoonotic spillover association and all but one of the sampled webpages making this association. The authors also noted that secondary sources and webpages often failed to mention the uncertainty associated with their conclusions.The potential consequences of simplistic messaging and a lack of proper communication regarding zoonotic spillover can erode credibility, neglect local community's specific needs when it comes to policy making, and detract attention from other factors that can lead to zoonotic spillover, say Mader and colleagues. The authors recommend more accurate, nuanced, and explanatory dissemination of the studies on zoonotic spillover risk, arguing that such an approach would also benefit science more broadly. As the authors conclude, “if the goal of science communication is to improve understanding, it must strike a balance: sufficient simplicity to be grasped by as broad an audience as possible but sufficient nuance to capture the complexity of an issue and contribute meaningfully to the discussion around it, especially when it goes viral.”

As the effects of climate change mount, ecosystem restoration in the US West has garnered significant public attention, bolstered by President Joe Biden's America the Beautiful plan to conserve 30% of US land and water by 2030. Writing in BioScience, William J. Ripple and 19 colleagues follow up on the Biden plan with a proposal for a "Western Rewilding Network," comprising 11 large reserve areas already owned by the federal government. The authors advocate for the cessation of livestock grazing on some federal lands, coupled with the restoration of two keystone species: the gray wolf and the North American beaver. For this episode, we're joined by Mike Phillips of the Turner Endangered Species Fund, one of the Viewpoint's coauthors.

As global warming accelerates, it is increasingly clear that climate change is affecting our planet on every scale, from global shifts in weather patterns to local ecosystem changes. In a special section in BioScience, a group of authors hailing from the US National Science Foundation's Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network synthesize insights from 40 years of long-term ecological research on how ecosystems are responding to climate change. For today's episode, we're joined by the authors of that special section's lead article, Julia Jones, Professor of Geography at Oregon state University and an investigator at the Andrews Forest Long-Term Ecological Research site, and Charles Driscoll, Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Syracuse University and an investigator at the Hubbard Brook Long-Term Ecological Research site.According to the special section authors, although the variety of ecosystems have some responses in common, most ecosystem responses to climate change are unique and are the result of a combination of region-specific drivers, human activities, and interactions between multiple climate drivers. In the lead peer-reviewed article, Julia Jones of Oregon State University and Charles Driscoll of Syracuse University introduce and describe the section, explaining the conceptual framework behind the processes driving these ecosystem changes and the logistics of and varied results from the 28 LTER research sites that were used to collect the data.A contribution from Hugh Ducklow (Columbia University) and colleagues describes the varied ocean ecosystem responses to climate change, as well as broader and more consistent marine physical system changes, such as declining sea ice and changes in the ocean surface layer. Tackling coastal ecosystems, Daniel C. Reed (Marine Science Institute) and colleagues use long-term ecosystem research at seaside sites to demonstrate the importance of site-based, long-term research for understanding the “natural capacity of coastal ecosystems to resist and adapt to climate change and the types of human interventions that effectively mitigate them.”Back on land, Amy R. Hudson (US Department of Agriculture) and colleagues compare diverse drylands' responses, revealing consistent warming across sites but variability in droughts and their subsequent effect on primary production. Discussing forest and freshwater ecosystems, John L. Campbell of the USDA Forest Service and colleagues delve into how these tightly linked ecosystems are directly and indirectly impacted by climate change, and how primary production is being affected.The special section is rounded out by a Viewpoint article from Michael Paul Nelson of Oregon State University, who reflects on environmental scientists' duty to not only tell the stories of climate impacts but also advocate for mobilization and change. In Nelson's words, “our love and knowledge create a new kind of work for us in the face of the climate crisis. Beyond the work of revealing and explaining our ecosystems, we are called also to do the work of caretakers for those ecosystems.”

In this episode, we're joined by Alexandre C. Siqueira, a postdoctoral fellow at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia, where he works in the lab of Professor David Bellwood. He joined us to talk about his recent BioScience article on reef fish evolution, and how we're learning more about that topic from some recent findings in Mayan temples. The article's abstract follows.During the excavation of Mayan tombs, little did the archaeologists know that the fossils they discovered in the tomb stones would fundamentally alter our understanding of the earliest origins of coral reef fishes. Located just 500 kilometers from the point where an asteroid impact reconfigured the world's biological systems 66 million years ago, we find the earliest origins of three typical reef fish groups. Their presence in Mexico just 3 million years after this impact finally reconciles the conflict between the fossil and phylogenetic evidence for the earliest origins of reef fishes. The incorporation of these fossils into a global reconstruction of fish evolutionary history reveals a new picture of the early biogeography of reef fishes, with strong Atlantic links. From locations associated with biological destruction and societal collapse, we see evidence of the origins of one of the world's most diverse and spectacular marine ecosystems: coral reefs.

In Their Own Words chronicles the stories of scientists who have made great contributions to their fields. These short histories provide our readers a way to learn from and share their experiences. We will publish the results of these conversations in the pages of BioScience and on our podcast, BioScience Talks. This history is with Daniel Simberloff, who is the Gore-Hunger Professor of Environmental Studies in Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, at the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville, in the United States.Note: Both the text and audio versions have been edited for clarity and length.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials and others have used concepts such as "waves" to convey information about the spread of disease. In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Louise Archer, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Laboratory of Quantitative Global Change Ecology at the University of Toronto, Scarborough, who wrote in BioScience about disease analogies. She and her coauthors found that some analogies are more useful than others -- for instance, wave analogies may instill a sense of inevitability and depress disease mitigation, whereas firefighting analogies may encourage action while simultaneously contributing to a more nuanced understanding of disease dynamics. 

We're joined by Dr. Pam McElwee, Professor of Human Ecology at Rutgers University, and Dr. Sarah Diamond, Associate Professor of Biology at Case Western Reserve University. They were here to discuss their recent BioScience article, Governing for Transformative Change across the Biodiversity–Climate–Society Nexus, which describes principles for addressing global environmental crises.The abstract of their article follows.Transformative governance is key to addressing the global environmental crisis. We explore how transformative governance of complex biodiversity–climate–society interactions can be achieved, drawing on the first joint report between the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services to reflect on the current opportunities, barriers, and challenges for transformative governance. We identify principles for transformative governance under a biodiversity–climate–society nexus frame using four case studies: forest ecosystems, marine ecosystems, urban environments, and the Arctic. The principles are focused on creating conditions to build multifunctional interventions, integration, and innovation across scales; coalitions of support; equitable approaches; and positive social tipping dynamics. We posit that building on such transformative governance principles is not only possible but essential to effectively keep climate change within the desired 1.5 degrees Celsius global mean temperature increase, halt the ongoing accelerated decline of global biodiversity, and promote human well-being.

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Robert Montgomery, Associate Professor of Biodiversity and Sustainability, Senior Research Fellow in Lady Margaret Hall College, and Senior Researcher in the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, at Oxford University. He's here to talk about his recent BioScience article, Integrating Social Justice into Higher Education Conservation Science. The abstract of the article follows.Because biodiversity loss has largely been attributed to human actions, people, particularly those in the Global South, are regularly depicted as threats to conservation. This context has facilitated rapid growth in green militarization, with fierce crackdowns against real or perceived environmental offenders. We designed an undergraduate course to assess student perspectives on biodiversity conservation and social justice and positioned those students to contribute to a human heritage-centered conservation (HHCC) initiative situated in Uganda. We evaluated changes in perspectives using pre- and postcourse surveys and reflection instruments. Although the students started the course prioritizing biodiversity conservation, even when it was costly to human well-being, by the end of the course, they were recognizing and remarking on the central importance of social justice within conservation. We present a framework for further integration of HHCC approaches into higher education courses so as to conserve the integrity of coupled human and natural systems globally.

Thomas Larsen and Patrick Roberts of the Max Planck Institute of the Science of Human History join us to discuss how we can learn about early hominins diets using stable isotope analysis. The abstract of their BioScience article follows.Stable isotope analysis of teeth and bones is regularly applied by archeologists and paleoanthropologists seeking to reconstruct diets, ecologies, and environments of past hominin populations. Moving beyond the now prevalent study of stable isotope ratios from bulk materials, researchers are increasingly turning to stable isotope ratios of individual amino acids to obtain more detailed and robust insights into trophic level and resource use. In the present article, we provide a guide on how to best use amino acid stable isotope ratios to determine hominin dietary behaviors and ecologies, past and present. We highlight existing uncertainties of interpretation and the methodological developments required to ensure good practice. In doing so, we hope to make this promising approach more broadly accessible to researchers at a variety of career stages and from a variety of methodological and academic backgrounds who seek to delve into new depths in the study of dietary composition.

In this episode, we're joined by Liam Zarri, PhD student at Cornell University, and Dr. Eric Palkovacs, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. They discuss their recent BioScience article on evolutionary effects of dams and other anthropogenic water barriers, such as culverts, on riverine fishes. The impacts they highlight include rapid evolution affecting behavior, migration, behavior, temperature tolerance, and body type. Damming waterways can also lead to reductions in genetic diversity, with possibly harmful effects for fish populations.