Madeline G. Eppley, PhD

New paper out in ecology letters! with @andylee.bsky.social @allydefduf.bsky.social We synthesized the active debate on how scientists define sex, including limitations and assumptions. We believe this discussion will lead to more accurate science. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

I'm hiring a bioinformatician! Review of applications starts October 1 with a start date as soon as possible. 🧪 #Genomics #popGen #CompBio northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/job/...

woah i will be defending soon!! 🦪🦪🦪 message me your email if you’d like the zoom link or come on out to the Marine Science Center if you’re in the boston area!! 🤠 @northeasternmes.bsky.social

Congratulations to Andy Lee @andylee.bsky.social, winner of the 2026 Harry Smith Prize for his work on the genetic basis of adaptation in a range-expanding marine species with high dispersal. Andy recently defended his PhD at Purdue University. Read More: buff.ly/w8GY8u1 (1/2)

EEB Mentor Match is now open! But apps due soon (8/17). Mentees: get help applying for grad school or fellowships in ecology & evolution. Mentors: senior grads, post-docs, or faculty in these fields willing to give advice Org by Diversity Cmte of @asn-amnat.bsky.social Pls share! eebmentormatch.com

As everyone's winding down on #evol2026 we want to share our survey link with you again. Whether you work in reproductive biology specifically or not, please take a minute to help us understand how the scientific community uses reproductive terms in research! And hope to see you at #SMBE!

🚨 Heads up. Time to keep submitting comments. NSF is planning to comply in advance to OMB proposed grant policies. Comment by Aug 24. You should be an expert on this now!!

In our Viewpoint (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...) we synthesize the gametic definition (outlined by Janicke et al below) and other definitions of sex (e.g., multivariate definition). We contend that is NO consensus on “biological sex” (maybe a consensus isn’t actually necessary…)

My coauthor Jay Falk's postdoctoral fellowship was terminated by the Trump administration for documenting the hummingbird example in this paper.

Let biological sex be multifaceted, as all biology is. And when you need to be precise in scientific research, be precise. Say ‘gametic sex’ or ‘chromosomal sex’ or ‘anatomical sex’, or whatever is appropriate to your own work.

today seems like a good day to repost our Viewpoint!!

Australia’s first Sea Country Indigenous Protected Area, Karajarri Jurarr Ngurra, will protect 237,489 hectares of Kimberley coast, reefs, mudflats & culturally vital places. #IndigenousConservation #Australia #protectedarea

Why did oysters struggle to survive last winter's deep freeze? With New England shellfish farmers losing up to 50% of their yields, @seagrant.whoi.edu experts say it may be time to explore new techniques. 📲Get the full story from @bostonglobe.com: go.whoi.edu/bg-oyster

Chesapeake Bay oyster disease manuscript coming sooooon 👀

Your annual pride month reminder that nature is more queer than we know 🌈 www.theguardian.com/science/arti...

✨🌈💡kicking off pride month by sharing our new article on using queer perspectives to improve practice in #ecology and #evolution. Bobby Dellinger presented a stellar overview of our work last month at the UCLA Thinking Gender 2026 conference, which you can watch here! #PrideInSTEM 🧪

This one hits home to the Polar Programs community.... "NSF continues to offer fellowship opportunities ...in the fields of engineering, entrepreneurial research, mathematics and physical sciences. ..postdocs in biology are available only if they involve the use of artificial intelligence." 🧪🌎🇦🇶🌊

Want to hear about the next Benthics meeting? Join our new mailing list! #bem2027

How connected are we to nature? A new report featuring research from Professors Brian Helmuth and John Coley explores how our relationship with nature impacts biodiversity and decision-making. Our choices matter more than we think. 🧪 Read more: https://bit.ly/4dr5Zc2 #COSConnects #MarineScience

Excited to share this manuscript from my lab, where we describe and compare the genomes of the trans-isthmian species Abudefduf saxatilis and A. troschelii. Available now on @genomebiolevol.bsky.social @smithsonianmag.bsky.social academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-...

🌎️Participatory fuzzy cognitive model reveals shallow and deep leverage points for agroecological adoption in Oaxaca, Mexico. The study illustrates a novel approach for bridging theory and practice toward a more equitable, sustainable future 📖 buff.ly/78HIXfo

Not all heroes wear capes, some are simply mollusks. 🦪 Dive below the surface of oyster restoration with Brianna and Kelsey from @nature.org on this month’s #TimeAndTide podcast episode! 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts! 📷: Nate Gruen from PREP, highlighting a healthy NH oyster reefs.

Surprised to learn scientists can't agree on a definition of sex? Don't be! To be honest, we can't even agree on a definition of species. Many so-called natural categories are hard to define once we look at the evidence. Biology is too complex for simple definitions, which is a feature, not a bug.

Just a reminder - if you are looking to advertise opportunities in marine science in the New England area, or look for marine science opportunities in the marine science area, the New England Marine Science opportunities listserv is your place to be! groups.google.com/g/ne_marine_... 🧪🌊🌍

Excited to see this out after years of work from many folks in the field and lab. @ben-glass.bsky.social did such a lovely job of doing this work justice! 2023 heatwave was no joke in Bocas..... Global Change Biology | onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

What is the relationship between science and society? How does culture impact the production and dissemination of knowledge? In this new paper, Eppley et al interrogate how systems of oppression bias our research, and how Queer perspectives can address these. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

📣 A perspective with @allydefduf.bsky.social @madeline-eppley.bsky.social and others out in @ecol-evol.bsky.social 📣 Drawing from queer lived experiences, we offer new perspectives to confront existing biases in #ecology and #evolution. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

On this Trans Day of Visibility, please enjoy & learn something from this fascinating & clarifying read from @madeline-eppley.bsky.social, @andylee.bsky.social, Robert Dellinger & @allydefduf.bsky.social Read👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... (🙏 for this excellent work & actionable recs!)

Seasonal job available in Burlington, VT in invasive pest ecologcal genomics! The successful candidate will work with myself and @jcbnunez.bsky.social on seasonal adaptation in Drosophila susukii. #popGen #evolution #genomics 🧪🧬🖥️ Apply by April 7: northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/job/...

Excited to share our new paper, “Microbial ecology for all: A vision of accessibility, unity, and responsibility.” Thankful to the people I worked with on this and to be growing as an early-career researcher in the field!! 🍄 esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

NSF Update through March 13, 2026 1/2

Looks interesting after a short scan. I also note that a gamete based definition won’t work for the majority of extinct animals, beyond the extremely rare cases where a pregnant individual or gamete is preserved (as has happened with a handful of extinct fishes). Important to think about!

Fantastic paper! I was coincidentally thinking earlier today about how we sex baby juncos (genetic) and juveniles (wing size) and what the error rates are. I thought "at least we can tell for reproductive adults", but this paper reminded me that it's possible we're getting some of those wrong too.

I’m really excited to have recently published my first chapter of my dissertation, which is also my first ever first author paper! 🌟 We identified a basin-wide pathogen candidate for white band disease in the Caribbean! 🪸🧪 doi.org/10.1093/isme...

ICYMI: in our new paper, we contend there is "no current consensus on a definition of sex that is free of assumptions and limitations... and most importantly,...no biological definition of sex should be used to dictate human rights" #evolsky #LGBTQSTEM #ecology #evolution #biologicalsex

I am still actively looking for postdoc positions — please lmk if you (or your friends and colleagues) need a hardworking postdoc with field, lab, and bioinformatic skills! I am broadly interested in evolution in the ocean, conservation and population genetics, and rapid evolution.

Eppley et al (2026) "We believe that acknowledging limitations and assumptions of current definitions of sex will lead to more accurate science." 🧪