Michael Bertram

Over the moon to finally share our new study in @science.org led by the amazing @jack-brand.bsky.social! Pharmaceutical pollution at environmentally realistic levels alters behaviour and migration in Atlantic salmon, directly affecting survival 👉 science.org/doi/10.1126/...

New paper! We outline the shortfall in #behavioural #diversity knowledge, exploring why it matters, how the existing data are distributed, and how we can create solutions www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Led by @ivanjaric.bsky.social + many awesome co-authors! @macrobehaviour.bsky.social

Behavioural diversity is an important, but often overlooked, component of biological diversity. Addressing knowledge gaps is vital in tackling the biodiversity crisis. Check out our new @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social paper led by @ivanjaric.bsky.social here👇 authors.elsevier.com/a/1o0CEcZ3X7...

#Biodiversity #conservation overlooks behavioural diversity – our new paper on the need for greater recognition of behavioural variation across individuals, populations and ecosystems, as well as beyond animals now published in @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.tr... #behavior

Happy to share our Primer, 'Anthropogenic novel entities in the Earth system', in the new special issue on Life and Earth at @currentbiology.bsky.social! 👉 tinyurl.com/3psdc4v4 A big thanks to Lauren Zink, Elvis Genbo Xu, @smbrander.bsky.social, @alisonbain.bsky.social, @bcarneyalmroth.bsky.social

Massive congratulations to Dr Kate Fergusson (@katefergusson.bsky.social) on her PhD graduation today, here standing with three proud supervisors (me, Jake Martin and @michaelgbertram.bsky.social). @monashbiol.bsky.social #BobWongLab

The Emory Biology department is hiring a tenure-track ecologist at any rank. Deadline is Nov 1, link below! As I've said many times before, I couldn't ask for a more supportive department. Our faculty colleagues, dept chair, and admin staff are truly awesome ❤️ apply.interfolio.com/191783

It is an honour to have been awarded the British Ecological Society’s Founders’ Prize for 2026! A big thank you to @britishecologicalsociety.org, my amazing students, collaborators, and mentors, and a big congrats to the other award winners! 🥳 www.britishecologicalsociety.org/content/anno...

This new paper is EPIC!

New study out in CB! Unanticipated wild behaviors surrounding a lake in Ontario. 👇🐟 www.cell.com/current-biol...

Thanks to all the collaborators for their invaluable contribution to the work: @gabrielmelhado.bsky.social, Raiko Rafeeq, Morelia Camacho-Cervantes, @jackmanera.bsky.social, @bbmwong.bsky.social (6/6) Read our open-access paper here: doi.org/10.1093/conp...

Glad to see our new review on behavioural diversity in fishes out today in Fish and Fisheries! Check out the paper here: doi.org/10.1111/faf....

🏆 Early career researchers: your research could win €1,000! Behaviour is launching its new Early Career Researcher Award 2027, celebrating outstanding research published by ECRs. 🧠🐾 1/3

Hi #ECBB2026 @ecbb2026.bsky.social 👋 I have 3 UKRI-funded Senior Research Associate positions live at the intersection of behaviour, conservation + AI (coral reefs/UK waters) 2x2yr9mth; 1x2yrs. More info here sallykeith.weebly.com/team.html Wish I was there!

And one of the key studies published on the same day! After *years* of work, finally published in @royalsocietypublishing.org #proceedingsb Plasticity in collective behaviour helps fish shoals mitigate limited visual information from water turbidity royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...

Scientists are increasingly relying on black-box tools they cannot control or fully understand. In our new study in journal #BioScience @academic.oup.com we address the rise of black-boxes and their impacts on the fields of ecology and conservation science doi.org/10.1093/bios... #llm #ai

Measuring executive function in guppies; is it impacted by anti-depressant pollution? Eleanor Moore and co-authors looked at working memory and cognitive flexibility 2 facets of executive function. @bbmwong.bsky.social @jack-brand.bsky.social @jackmanera.bsky.social link.springer.com/article/10.1...

The result of 10+ years of fieldwork & analysis of 1000s of data points is out now in @natecoevo.nature.com... and on the cover! Mongoose pre-emptive behaviour & intergroup conflict Congratulations @josharbon.bsky.social @juliekern.bsky.social #AmyMorris-Drake doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Congrats to @monashbiol.bsky.social @jackmanera.bsky.social for receiving a best oral presentation award at #ISBE2026. #BobWongLab

Chuffed to be a runner up for the ECR awards at @isbe2026.bsky.social! Congrats to the winners!

Ehi @isbe2026.bsky.social! @sortee.bsky.social is here at ISBE! Come to talk with us about OPEN SCIENCE!

On the creeping normality of AI in the life sciences, how it affects our everyday work, how we think, collaborate, train, supervise, seek information, and where we should draw a line - now published in Front. Ecol. Environ.: doi.org/10.1002/fee.... @esajournals.bsky.social #llm #ai

"Barn owl color morphs hunt differently in moonlight" Learn more in Current Biology: www.cell.com/current-biol... Kim Schalcher, @pbecciu.bsky.social, @owlsforpeace.bsky.social & colleagues @currentbiology.bsky.social

We have a fully funded PhD position on European eel! Please spread! 🐟 🪱 Main supervisor Josefin Sundin @josefin-sundin.bsky.social at SLU Aqua Stockholm (scholar.google.com/citations?us...). Apply through the portal: www.slu.se/en/about-slu...

You are interested in evolutionary ecology and quantitative genetics. You enjoy fieldwork and birds. Join our laboratory and our international team. csee-scee.ca/job/fully-fu...

Excellent opportunity here: a 5 year senior research fellowship in Life Sciences (broadly defined) at All Souls College Oxford. Many opportunities to work with the diverse & inclusive community here in @biology.ox.ac.uk here in the brand new Life & Mind Buiilding www.asc.ox.ac.uk/post-doctora...

#ProcB in @the-independent.com | The Chornobyl Exclusion Zone as a wildlife refuge: restricted human access shaped mammal recolonization: doi.org/10.1098/rspb...

Tips for becoming a better mentor/supervisor, based on survey of 2,600 early-career researchers; eg. regular meetings are super-important Includes tips for institutions and funding bodies to promote good supervision doi.org/10.64898/202... #AcademicSky HT @science.org

How important is mitochondrial DNA in conservation? Jack Brand, @dk-dowling.bsky.social and co-authors argue that ignoring mtDNA risks unintended maladaptation and that mitochondrial and nuclear genetics should be considered jointly in conservation planning. www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

New paper out today in TREE, led by the amazing @jack-brand.bsky.social! We show why mitochondrial DNA introgression matters for conservation, inc. how nonnative mtDNA can shape adaptation, performance, and viability in wildlife populations Open Access paper 👉 tinyurl.com/y6vyrnve

It was really fun joining the @npr.org Short Wave podcast last week to chat about our latest research on how cocaine pollution may affect salmon behaviour! You can listen to the episode here: www.npr.org/2026/05/12/n...

New Policy Analysis paper out today in Environmental Science & Technology, where we outline a framework for an Environmentally Safe and Just Pharmacy 💊🌍 A big thanks to @alistairboxall.bsky.social @bryanwbrooks.bsky.social and the amazing team! Open Access paper 👉 pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Our recent paper on human-induced trait shifts and predator–prey interactions is on the cover of the May issue of Trends in Ecology & Evolution 😭😵‍💫 The paper is available open access here -> www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

Exciting to see our new paper exploring how human activities reshape predator–prey interactions featured on this month's cover of TREE! A big thanks to @predator-smarts.bsky.social and the team, and to Angus Emmott for the fantastic cover photo! Open-Access paper 👉 www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

A bit starstruck seeing our new study on the effects of illicit drug pollution on salmon featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert! Starts at 11:00 👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIlG... Open-Access paper 👉 www.cell.com/current-biol... @jack-brand.bsky.social @colbertlateshow.bsky.social

Exciting to see our new paper on the impacts of cocaine pollution on salmon populations featured on @jimmykimmellive.bsky.social! Starts at 0:30 👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_Zs... Open-Access paper 👉 www.cell.com/current-biol... @jack-brand.bsky.social @currentbiology.bsky.social

Cocaine pollution in rivers and lakes may disrupt behaviour of salmon, study finds

It turns out that salmon exposed to cocaine through water pollution do a lot of swimming—which may not be a good thing

In Current Biology...

"Cocaine pollution alters the movement and space use of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in a large natural lake" spkl.io/63322A4ylw @michaelgbertram.bsky.social, @jack-brand.bsky.social & colleagues @currentbiology.bsky.social

Super happy to see our new paper out in @currentbiology.bsky.social today! We found that cocaine pollution affects salmon movement and space use in the wild! Big congrats to the team for this huge effort! @michaelgbertram.bsky.social Find the paper here: tinyurl.com/cocaine-fish

Can fish think clearly in polluted waters? Common antidepressant found in waterways impairs learning in fish… but only in males! Go check it out at: doi.org/10.1021/acs.... 🐟 🧠 💊 Huge thanks to the epic team💙 @Elly Moore @bbmwong.bsky.social @michaelgbertram.bsky.social @jake-m-martin.bsky.social

🔍 I am looking for a 5-mo research technician to join my lab at CEAB-CSIC! The position will work on the DRYFISH project and combines fieldwork in drying Mediterranean streams with laboratory experiments with fish 📄 Details here: tinyurl.com/4ckf357j 📅 Deadline: 17 Feb 26

Just published in Peer Community Journal: A perspective on Global North–South inequalities in science and how language and funding barriers shape who gets to participate in global knowledge production. 🌍📚 👉 peercommunityjournal.org/articles/10....

New paper out today, 'Global North-South science inequalities due to language and funding barriers' We highlight how language and funding barriers can compound inequity and offer practical recommendations to bridge these gaps. Read the Open Access paper here! 👉 tinyurl.com/654ztk3w

Why don't we use behavioural ecotoxicological studies in environmental management? Michael Bertram & colleagues assess whether behavioral measures are relevant at the population level. They conclude that, yes, they are and they are underutilised. doi.org/10.1021/acs.... @bbmwong.bsky.social

Some exciting news to start off 2026. I'm delighted to welcome @pattyvillarrubia.bsky.social to our group! 🥳 Patty is a rising star working at the intersection of plastic pollution, Earth system governance, and finding solutions to social–ecological challenges 🌟

New paper led by @michaelgbertram.bsky.social! Environmental pollutants can alter animal behaviour, but behaviour is rarely used in risk assessments. We outline how behaviour is key for population outcomes, and why it should be taken seriously in chemical regulation. Link: tinyurl.com/behav-ecotox