BioDV – providing you with readily available ways to procrastinate since 2011.

Some of our dedicated readers might have noticed that our content slowed down to a crawl this spring, then stopped entirely for a few months as the site went dark. It turns out that the website had fallen into a state of disrepair, and was condemned by the Internet’s building inspector (that is, our web hosting service). But that’s all (hopefully) in the past now. The bank didn’t foreclose, and the site is still here.

However, BioDiverse Perspectives problems aren’t behind us. When we launched the blog in 2013, we hoped that it would be a place where graduate students from around the world could share their enthusiasm for biodiversity research with each other. And for a while, it was that place. But graduate school is a transitory time, and with the recent graduations of several steering committee members and regular contributors, and shifts towards dissertation writing for others, our publishing rate has declined precipitously.

So where does that leave BioDiverse Perspectives? We need someone new to carry the torch. We need you to contribute content, join the steering committee, make BioDiverse Perspectives your own. In the meantime, we will continue to publish content, but at a reduced rate. If you want more information about contributing, send us a note here, or you can simply contribute here.

Below are a few updates from the last few months. Although we haven’t been publishing, we’ve still been hard at work! -Fletcher Halliday

This summer I’ve been wrapping up a few loose research-ends and slowly transitioning to the writing phase of my doctoral career. Fortunately for me, the research included a bit of travel. I started the summer in Charleston, SC at the Grice Marine Lab collaborating with my seaweed genetics guru Dr. Stacy Krueger-Hadfield. We were able to generate mounds of data in just two weeks and I can’t wait to finish allele scoring and get on to analysis! Currently, I am back in New England conducting field experiments testing local adaptation in the brown seaweed, Fucus vesiculosus. I have been fortunate to work in some very beautiful places over the last 5 years and I am excited for what comes in the next phase of my career! -Kylla Benes

Fucus vesiculosus in a tidepool (c) K. M. Benes

With Biodiverse Perspectives out of comission this summer, I had to find other communications and outreach opportunities or I would have gone crazy just writing manuscripts. I am working with Washington Sea Grant to launch a citizen science monitoring program for invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas) in Puget Sound (none found yet). There is renewed concern about invasion here as the crab recently expanded its range closer to the abundance of good potential habitat in the Salish Sea. Yesterday, I got to hear myself on the radio for the first time, talking about green crab, which was fun/cringeworthy. I have also been working with JRS Biodiversity Foundation to translate the science of their grantees’ research for a broader audience. I’ve not only gotten to learn about really great work being done to increase the availability of biodiversity data online, but I also discovered Smorball. – Emily Grason

Searching for crab molts in the pickleweed with volunteer monitors.

This past June I decided to launch my not much-anticipated rap career, beginning with the release of my invertebrate themed-mixtape, 808s and PulmoNates. Imagine the lyrical complexity of the Barenaked Ladies accompanied by Yeezus-style drill music. Well that took off, resulting in a few Great Gatsby-esque recruitment parties by Interscope, Sony, and Roc-A-Fella Records. My follow up album, the isopod-inspired Pillmatic, was not as well received. Cancellations by Ellen Degeneres, Lee Westwood, and Sway followed and, in August, I decided to do as all rappers do and retire, come out of retirement, make seven more albums, then retire again. Since then I’ve started an organic cooking blog, doing daily Zumba, and have gotten really into podcasts. I also defended my master’s last summer, graduated in December, and have been working at an environmental NGO called Artist Boat ever since, but more on that later. – Nate Johnson

Cover art by Banksy

I’ve moved to San Francisco, where I’m on a semester-long dissertation-writing sabbatical. Defense date is set for Dec. 3rd! After that… who knows?  -Jes Coyle

August 26, 2015