Teaching and research in marine biology and animal behaviour, or research and teaching in animal behaviour and marine biology. Any opinions are my own.
Joined June 2013
- Tweets 409
- Following 451
- Followers 1,007
- Likes 419
44 Photos and videos
Apr 15
New paper on skill during contests in domestic pigs and welfare implications royalsocietypublishing.org/r…
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Apr 8
Our (me and Gareth Arnott) new perspectives paper on "Animal sentience and the scientific cycle" sciencedirect.com/science/ar…
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10 Oct 2025
First year field week with Marine Biology @PlymUni students, on the south Devon coast. The beautiful rocks were formed around 400 million years ago!
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13 Sep 2025
Took inspiration from the news today and tried my hand at AI image creation. Words and concept = my own thoughts
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6 Nov 2024
Gaaahhhhhh! Grant application rejected. In addition to the customary hissy-fit, here's my thoughts:
(1) Got great reviews so I'm happy we did a good job.
(2) Helped crystalize new ideas & some will still happen.
(3) ...continues below if I can work out how...
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6 Nov 2024
(3) Never feel bad about not getting a grant because (a) we're expected to apply and just doing our job and (b) there's not enough ££ to go around.
(4) Well done & congrats if you did get one in this round - it's crazy tough.
(5) Bah!
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31 Oct 2024
PhD in hermit crabs, personality and human impacts on behaviour, part of the AIRES DTC. Based in Plymouth with me and with @SvenjaTidau in Bangor. Please share and if interested feel free to get in touch for more info!
plymouth.ac.uk/study/researc…
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Mark Briffa retweeted
2 Jul 2024
Looking back on 14 years of the Tories is like looking back at the traumatising post-vindaloo shit you just did in the toilet.
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14 Jun 2024
I know its not news and everyone gets these, but I had to laugh at this one....
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14 Jun 2024
...actually while I'm at it I might as well take the opportunity to advertise the review article mentioned, which came out earlier this year!
sciencedirect.com/science/ar…
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3 Jun 2024
This is from a GCSE paper… might use it in lectures to show students that they already know what an interaction effect (3 factors in this case!!) even though they haven’t heard it called that before
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26 May 2024
Nope! You’re welcome to use your own kids as cannon fodder Rishi but you’re not getting your hands on mine. theguardian.com/politics/art…
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Mark Briffa retweeted
27 Apr 2024
@MBERC_PlymUni 1st Year Marine Biology field course this week:160 super students; ⭐️staff PhDs; 40 projects; 4 X best beaches in SW🇬🇧; 1 @PlymUni Marine Station; 10 mins rain; Burritos. Big thanks congrats @ukadventuregurl 4 making it happen 👍🦀🐟🐚⚡️
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Mark Briffa retweeted
23 Apr 2024
Fabulous 2nd day of the 1st year marine biology fieldcourse. Using observations to choose model organisms for our questions, collecting pilot data and experimental design in preparation for students’ projects @mark_briffa @ManuelaTruebano @ella_ackroyd @plymbiolmarsci #PlyMBIO
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Mark Briffa retweeted
14 Apr 2024
This is the base reality: The number of ATP molecules used to power transmission is much greater in photoreceptors and LMCs (A type of photocell in flies) than for a regular synapse.
In doing so each photoreceptor can make use of about 10^6 photons per second!
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7 Apr 2024
From @GOVUK website: “Some countries are developing new nuclear weapons and we must take sure these can never be used to threaten us”. Ironic tiny typo justifying a system where a tiny human error can = catastrophe.
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15 Feb 2024
If you get fed up of repeated emails inviting you to speak at a mechanical engineering conference NEVER respond offering a talk about fighting in crabs. It will trigger more invites to meetings about robotics, urology, dentistry, etc. Obv sarcasm lost on the bots.
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10 Nov 2023
We're looking for a post-doc for a 3 year BBSRC funded project on learning in sea anemones - With myself @ali__wilson @SarahLane_Sci @DeepSeaEcol based @MBERC_PlymUni - Behaviour, genetics and AI so should be a fun project! Please apply 👇or share
hrservices.plymouth.ac.uk/tl…
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Mark Briffa retweeted
4 Oct 2023
As a scientist – and expert in masturbating primates – reckon I'm fairly qualified to say that these lot are the *biggest* wankers going.
What does this even mean? Desperate and embarrassing 🤦♀️
3 Oct 2023
NEW: Conservatives are safeguarding scientific research from the denial of biology and the steady creep of political correctness.
@michelledonelan announces plans to depoliticise science at #CPC23
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