"Ecology needs to develop, not swarms of mutually antagonistic theories..., but a new kind of comparative ecology that would bring them all into perspective. For unfortunately, Nature cannot be understood by pretending that it is simple." - Charles Elton, Animal Ecology (preface, 1965 ed.)

In his 1995 paper, "Necessity and chance: deterministic chaos in ecology and evolution", Robert May reminds us that very simple & fully deterministic rules can produce time series that look like random noise - and thus explain some complex biological phenomena. He ends the paper with enthusiasm:

Currently benign invaders do not always remain that way. Non-native "sleeper populations" can maintain low abundance (& low impact) for years or even decades - until triggered by an environmental factor (like climate change) to suddenly become invasive & disruptive. academic.oup.com/bioscience/a...

... Biodiversity loss (and associated ecosystem collapse) is now recognized by some government strategists as a national security issue. Better late than never. 3/3. www.gov.uk/government/p...

... In general, the emergence, spread and impact of infectious diseases of humans are analogous to biological invasion events: redpath-staff.mcgill.ca/ricciardi/Vi... The useful application of invasion ecology concepts & theory extends well beyond outdoor ecosystems. #bioinvasions 🧵5/5.

... In a TREE paper, my colleagues & I proposed that the field of invasion science could facilitate collaborations by biomedical researchers, epidemiologists & ecologists to understand/manage risks of infectious pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, including environmentl factors mediating their emergence. 4/🧵

The marbled crayfish - an aquatic invasive species of increasing global significance: waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/library-bibl...

2/... See our recent paper in Ambio: rdcu.be/flg0u #bioinvasions #biosecurity #astrobiology

Bioinvasions & planetary biosecurity: Given the possibility that extraterrestrial life introduced to Earth could behave like invasive species, we propose that a lunar base be used for biocontainment of extraterrestrial samples (eg. from Mars missions). rdcu.be/flg0u link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Timeless advice: "Your generation must come to terms with the environment. You must face realities instead of taking refuge in ignorance and evasion of truth." - Rachel Carson, commencement address, Scripps College, 1962 loa-shared.s3.amazonaws.com/static/pdf/C...

Born on this day (May 27, 1907) "Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth, are never alone or weary of life.” - Rachel Carson

2] However, substantial biofouling & unionid mortality began 7 yrs after invasion (compared to 3-5 yr periods recorded in Ca-rich lakes). We hypothesize that suboptimal water chemistry in the lake has delayed the onset of lethal fouling but is insufficient to create a refuge for unionid populations.

New from @briellecomartin.bsky.social 1] High calcium ([Ca]>25 mg/L) supports dense zebra mussel pop'ns. Lake Memphremagog has a mean [Ca]=20.3 (range 18.6–23.2) mg/L, considered suboptimal for supporting a zebra mussel pop'n large enough to harm native unionids. cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10....

Animal rights militants prioritize animal welfare over biodiversity conservation. They claim that conservation biologists (those who support eradicating invasive populations to save species) lack a moral compass, yet they themselves choose to ignore animal suffering caused by human-driven invasions.

Biological invasions are a threat to animal welfare and cause widespread, sometimes severe, suffering among animals. This overlooked consequence of the human-mediated spread of invasive species suggests that management intervention can be a moral imperative. Read: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

2/ To understand invader impact under rapid environmental change, we recommended developing a general predictive framework that considers, among other things, (i) abiotic and biotic contexts, (ii) functional distinctiveness between native and non-native species, and (iii) time-since-invasion.

1/ Our 2021 paper identified priority areas for invasion science that remain relevant. Quote: "We advocate comparisons of conspecific populations across invaded and native ranges, recognizing that invasions and impact outcomes are population-level phenomena." cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/...

Quantifying harm posed by invasive species to animal welfare will reveal a moral problem for so-called "compassionate conservation", which demands protection for even invasive animals. Is it compassionate to allow invasive rats, mice, cats to injure & kill wildlife? #bioinvasion #invasivespecies

In 2020, Dan Simberloff & I published an annotated edition of Elton's classic 1958 book. As a grad student in the 1990s, I was inspired by this book to view invasions as a form of global change. I never imagined that I would help give it new life in the 21st century. #bioinvasions #invasivespecies

That incaha morph looks like a speckled bird's egg! I have a few interesting tiger cowries on my shelves. One could spend a lifetime collecting different shell color/spot patterns of the species. #molluscmonday

See our recent paper advocating more cross-disciplinary integration of biological control science & invasion science: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... There are many conceptual parallels & opportunities around which the two fields can inform each other. #biocontrol #bioinvasion #invasivespecies

Photo of the Earth taken by the Voyager-1 probe as it left the solar system. "Consider again that dot. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives." - Carl Sagan #PaleBlueDot #EarthDay

A supercolony of the freshwater bryozoan Pectinatella magnifica. Each patch on the large mass is itself a colony of animals. The colonies grow on a common base (in that sense, similar to coral) which is gelatinous. Each animal (or 'zooid') has a crown of tentacles used for suspension feeding.

#BOTD: Happy 84rd birthday, Dan Simberloff (PhD Harvard 1969; ESA Eminent Ecologist, 2006; Ramon Margalef Prize, 2012). One of the most influential ecologists in modern history, with a research legacy spanning >50 years. Unwavering champion of invasion biology. Superb mentor, colleague & friend.

Ellie Arroway vibe. #Contact

"We shall not cease from exploration; and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know the place for the first time." - T.S. Eliot #ArtemisII

#molluscmonday Newly added to my shelf: a dark orange form of the golden cowrie (Cypraea aurantium). A beautiful seashell.

Re-reading Project Hail Mary before watching the movie. A superb science mystery, the book is dream sci-fi for a biologist: multiple forms of extraterrestrial life (+ first contact), extremophiles, & invasion ecology (space-dispersing parasites of stars, predator-prey dynamics, biological control)!