BioScience Talks

Latest Episodes:

Storms and Invasives in the Pacific, with Heather Kerkering and Elliott Parsons Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

For this episode, we’re joined by Heather Kerkering, the assistant regional administrator for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center (PI CASC), based in Honolulu, and Elliott Parsons, a PI CASC-supported specialist and University of Hawaii at Manoa scientist with the Pacific Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change Management Network (Pacific RISCC). They talk about their work in climate adaptation research, particularly with a focus on the impacts of invasive species in Hawaii and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI). We discuss the relationships between invasive species and natural disasters, the current super El Niño conditions and the unintended spread of invasive species during storm recovery efforts.

Learn more:

Regional Super El Niño Impacts: Hawaiʻi and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands | U.S. Geological Survey

Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center (PI-CASC): Adapting Together | U.S. Geological Survey

PI-CASC (@pacificcasc) • Instagram photos and videos

Florida Scrub-Jays at Archbold Biological Station, with Sahas Barve Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

For this episode, we're joined by Sahas Barve, Director of Avian Ecology at Archbold Biological Station. Today's episode focuses on Archbold's long-term research on the Florida scrub-jay, along with a conversation about the AIBS Congressional Visits Day event, in which Dr. Barve was a participant.

Learn more about the Long-term Florida Scrub-Jay Project.

Science Communication, with Thom Sanger Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

For this episode, we're joined by Dr. Thom Sanger, Associate Professor at Loyola University Chicago, in the Department of Biology. He was here to science communication, and in particular, the ways that scientists can communicate more effectively about topics that are often a source of controversy among the general public.

Type Localities and Topotypes, with Prosanta Chakrabarty and Bruno Soares Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

For this episode, we're joined by Prosanta Chakrabarty, Director of Louisiana State University's Museum of Natural Science, where he is also the Fish Curator and a professor. Also joining us is Bruno Soares, Scientist and Adjunct Professor at the University of Regina in Canada. Dr. Soares holds a Collaborator-Professor appointment at the Federal University of Rio De Janeiro, in Brazil. They were here to talk about their recent publication in BioScience on the concept of type localities, and how their use can help make taxonomic research more equitable and efficient.

Policy and Public Engagement for Early-Career Scientists, with SNAP Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

For this episode, we were joined by Anna Rader Groves, Amanda Finn, and Alex Rich from the Scientist Network for Advancing Policy, or SNAP. They were here to discuss their recent special report in BioScience that describes the grassroots coalition and some of its important work in helping early-career scientists reach the general public and policymakers.

Learn more about Stance on Science.

Volunteer with Stance on Science.

More information about AIBS workshops and programs, including Congressional Visits, Communications Bootcamps, and Writing for Impact and Influence, can be found here.

Great Plains Grassland Management, with Jesse Nippert and Chris Helzer May 20, 2026

Show notes

For this episode, we're joined by Jesse Nippert, Professor in Biology at Kansas State University, and Chris Helzer, Director of Science and Stewardship for the Nature Conservancy in Nebraska. They were on the show to discuss their recent BioScience article "Rethinking grassland management in the Great Plains during the era of woody plant encroachment."

The Red List Project Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

For today's episode, we're joined by Luiza F. A. de Paula, Vanessa Handley, Raphael Ocelli, and Peggy Fielder, who are four of the authors of the recent BioScience article "Beyond Scents: Calling on the Fragrance Industry to Champion Plant Diversity." In it, they describe The Red List Project, which is a conservation-first initiative that pairs partners from the fragrance industry with local environmental groups and communities to achieve biodiversity objectives and safeguard biocultural heritage, while creating viable fragrance products.

Learn more about one of the initiatives discussed in the podcast, the Magnolia masphi fragrance, in this podcast episode from Beyond the Journey.

Prairie Strips and Pollinators, with Amy Toth and Matt O'Neal Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

For this episode, we are joined by Amy Toth, Professor in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University, and Matt O'Neal, a Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture and Professor in the Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology Department, also at Iowa State University. They were here to discuss their article from BioScience's forthcoming special issue on One Health, entitled, "Can Native Vegetation in Agroecosystems Provide a Net Benefit for Pollinators, Despite Pesticide Use?"

Canopy of Titans, with Paul Koberstein Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

For this episode, we're joined by journalist Paul Koberstein, who was here to discuss his first book, Canopy of Titans, which is about the connection between forests and climate. In particular, the book focuses on the Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest, which constitutes one of the world's most important carbon stores.

You can read recent expose on timber industry misinformation here.

AI and Ecosystem Modeling, with Scott Spillias and Beth Fulton Dec 12, 2025

Show notes

For this episode, we were joined by Scott Spillias, who is a Research Scientist at CSIRO and affiliated with the Centre for Marine Socioecology at the University of Tasmania, and Beth Fulton, who is Chief Research Scientist with CSIRO and the Deputy Director of the Center for Marine Socioecology. We spoke about their recent BioScience article "The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Ecosystem Modeling."

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