Hugo Sentenac: Biofilms, an underrated yet important way of life

In this new post, Hugo Sentenac, a PhD student at Labaoratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (LEFE), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, France, discusses his review paper: The significance of biofilms to human, animal, plant and ecosystem health—recently shortlisted for the 2022 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers. About the paper Microbes are everywhere: in soil, on rocks, in—and on—us, animals, plants, etc. All this is … Continue reading Hugo Sentenac: Biofilms, an underrated yet important way of life

Joshua Brian: Parasites flex their mussels to influence ecosystem function

In this new post, Joshua Brian, a new ecological researcher working at King’s College London,  UK, discusses his paper: Parasitism dramatically alters the ecosystem services provided by freshwater mussels—recently shortlisted for the 2022 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers. About the paper There is increasing awareness of the importance of parasites in ecosystem structure and function. However, there has been very little work done actually … Continue reading Joshua Brian: Parasites flex their mussels to influence ecosystem function

Juliano Morais: What is the fate of coral colonies after death? An Investigation into the erosion of dead coral colonies

In our latest post, Juliano Morais—a PhD candidate at James Cook University, Australia—presents his new work ‘On the fate of dead coral colonies’. In this blogpost, Juliano discusses the importance of erosion for coral reef survival and encourages non-native language speakers to be bold and start a career in ecology.   About the paper Carbonate budgets dynamically balance production and loss of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) … Continue reading Juliano Morais: What is the fate of coral colonies after death? An Investigation into the erosion of dead coral colonies

Natalie K. Rideout: Sifting through the wetland muck to examine links between habitat, disturbance and biodiversity

In our new post, Natalie Rideout from the Canadian River Institute at the University of New Brunswick, presents her MsC research in the paper ‘Environmental filtering of macroinvertebrate traits influences ecosystem functioning in a large river floodplain’. She highlights the importance of floodplains for ecological research, emphasises the need for teamwork to answer research questions, and shares her passion for the natural world. About the … Continue reading Natalie K. Rideout: Sifting through the wetland muck to examine links between habitat, disturbance and biodiversity

Haldane 2021 Winner Max Mallen-Cooper: Tiny plants with big nutrient dreams

We are delighted to announce that the winner of the Haldane Prize 2021 for early career researchers has been awarded to Max Mallen-Cooper. Check out their story behind the award winning paper below and read all the shortlisted papers here. Winner of the Haldane Prize 2021, Max Mallen-Cooper from the University of New South Wales discusses their latest research: Tissue chemistry of biocrust species along … Continue reading Haldane 2021 Winner Max Mallen-Cooper: Tiny plants with big nutrient dreams

Robert enjoying canoeing

Robert Buchkowski: Weak interactions between herbivores and detritivores in an old-field ecosystem

In our newest post, Robert Buchkowski from University of Wester Ontario presents his last work ‘Weak interactions between strong interactors in an old-field ecosystem: control of nitrogen cycling by coupled herbivores and detritivores’. He discusses the importance of considering multiple interacting organisms when evaluating ecosystem functioning, the challenge to extract earthworms from the soil and warns about doing ecology under the supervision of an expert. … Continue reading Robert Buchkowski: Weak interactions between herbivores and detritivores in an old-field ecosystem