Katharina J. Peters

📄 see paper here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

in collaboration with: @conservbytes.bsky.social @fredsaltre.bsky.social @kjpeters.bsky.social @coorongdan.bsky.social, Joel Chadoeuf and Vera Weisbecker. @australianmuseum.bsky.social

Yes, correlation, not causation. What’s exciting here is that the association mirrors patterns seen in humans and other social mammals. The next challenge is figuring out directionality and mechanisms, which will likely require a mix of long-term data, comparative studies, and experimental systems.

Friendship is magic: male dolphins with close friends age more slowly Like friendship itself, the slower ageing is more than just skin deep.

We wrote a Conversation article explaining what epigenetic ageing is, why dolphins are such a powerful study system, and what this research might tell us about ageing across social mammals.
📰 Read it here 👇
🔗 theconversation.com/friendship-i...
@aunz.theconversation.com

Using decades of behavioural data from Shark Bay and epigenetic “ageing clocks”, we found that male dolphins with stronger social bonds are biologically younger than less social males of the same age.

It’s not about being in big groups: it’s the strength of relationships that matters.

Social bonds decrease epigenetic age in male bottlenose dolphins - Communications Biology Across 40 years of behavioural and epigenetic data, male dolphins with stronger social relationships show lower epigenetic ages and therefore appear to age slower compared to those with weaker social ...

🐬 Can friendship slow ageing?

In wild bottlenose dolphins, strong social relationships aren’t just important for social life — they may actually influence biological ageing.
@liviagerber.bsky.social
#ScienceCommunication #MarineMammals #Ageing #MAVELab

www.nature.com/articles/s42...

Friendship is magic: male dolphins with close friends age more slowly Like friendship itself, the slower ageing is more than just skin deep.

If you need a happy science story today - another piece how male dolphins who bond better with their mates* age slower

@aunz.theconversation.com piece by @liviagerber.bsky.social @kjpeters.bsky.social and Lee Rollins

*Aussie dolphins, so the Aussie meaning of mates
🐳🦑🧪

‘Forever chemicals’ contaminate more dolphins and whales than we thought – new research The sex and age of an animal turn out to be stronger predictors than habitat for higher PFAS levels, suggesting they accumulate over a lifetime.

'Forever chemicals’ contaminate more dolphins and whales than we thought – new research theconversation.com/forever-chem... @australianmuseum.bsky.social @kjpeters.bsky.social @fredsaltre.bsky.social @ecologybrad.bsky.social

New research out! 🐬

We tested 16 NZ toothed whale species to see if habitat predicts PFAS levels.

Results:
• Habitat = weak predictor
• Sex & age = stronger predictors
• Even remote oceans aren’t safe from PFAS

doi.org/10.1016/j.sc...
#PFAS #MarineScience #Cetaceans #MAVELab #CERG

PhD Fellow in Ecology/Ecosystem-Based Management (289259) | UiT The Arctic University of Norway Job title: PhD Fellow in Ecology/Ecosystem-Based Management (289259), Employer: UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Deadline: Sunday, December 7, 2025

We are hiring: #PhD fellow in Ecosystem-based management and marine connectivity🐋🧪🛰️

Want to work with tracking data from migratory species to identify ecological corridors and help inform biodiversity conservation priorities?
Apply by Dec 7th!
@bioprotectproject.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/ytfmfhfc

➡ Stranded archives can reliably calibrate epigenetic clocks 🔬

This opens exciting new pathways for population modelling, health assessments & long-term conservation.

#Dolphins #MarineScience #Epigenetics #AgeEstimation #Cetaceans #Conservation #StrandingResearch #MAVELab

Key findings:

• Accurate age estimates for dolphins ≤16 yrs

• Older 👵🏼 animals tend to be underestimated

• Dental 🦷 ageing error & decomposition? No detectable impact ❌

Dental Ageing Offers New Insights Into the First Epigenetic Clock for Common Dolphins (Delphinus delphis) We present the first species-specific epigenetic clock for common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), calibrated using dental ages from stranded and bycaught individuals. Despite concerns about dental agei....

🌊🐬 New Paper Out! 🧬✨

We’ve developed the first ever epigenetic clock for common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) — using DNA from stranded & bycaught individuals to estimate age non-lethally and with high accuracy. A major step forward for dolphin conservation.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

You still have 5 days to apply for this awesome postdoc opportunity in the Environmental Data Science Innovation & Impact Lab at the University of Colorado-Boulder! This could be your backyard!

2025: Adrift in a warming world - University of Wollongong – UOW How disappearing habitats are sending marine mammals into uncharted waters

EF member Dr Katharina Peters has co-authored an interesting publication examining the rising number of marine mammals who in recent years have been found beyond their natural habitat 🐳

Read more via the below UOW media release.

kjpeters.bsky.social

www.uow.edu.au/the-stand/20...

Just like polar bears in the Arctic, emperor penguins are the iconic species threatened by climate change in Antarctica 🐧

Read more on @danambergstrom.bsky.social article in @theconversation.com

📣 Marine mammals are appearing far from their natural habitats. From belugas in rivers to walruses on boats. A new study, led by OceanCare, calls for better preparation to protect animals & communities as climate change drives these shifts. Read the full study: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Some OOH animals might be pioneers — testing new territory and potentially adapting to shifting environments. Should we rethink how we include them in conservation policy? 🧠🌍 #ClimateChange #Biodiversity

Managing OOH cases isn't just about the animals — it's also about public safety, ethical decision-making, and learning from rewilding and human-wildlife conflict. Education and communication are vital. #SciencePolicy #Conservation

What is an out of habitat (OOH) marine mammal? Think: a walrus on a French beach or a dolphin 🐬 in a freshwater river. Our paper sets out a definition, key drivers (like climate change & prey shifts), and what to do when they show up. #WildlifeConservation

📢 New paper alert! 🐋 As climate change reshapes our oceans, more marine mammals are turning up in unexpected places. We define "Out of Habitat" (OOH) animals, explore why it's happening, and what it means for conservation.
🔗 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#MarineMammals #OOH

Katharina Peter, working on Marine mammal ecology 🐬🐳🐋🦭

Balancing overpopulation and conservation targets to optimize koala management strategies The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is Australia’s largest arboreal folivore that inhabits eastern and south-eastern Australia. While its populations are in decline in areas of New South Wales and Quee...

Balancing overpopulation and conservation targets to optimise #koala management strategies (preprint)

doi.org/10.22541/au....

@fredsaltre.bsky.social @kjpeters.bsky.social @coorongdan.bsky.social

❗️LAST DAY TO VOTE ❗️My photo 🐬 🐬  has been has been shortlisted in the 2024 ‘Ecology in Action’ Photo-Competition 📸 by the Ecological Society of Australia (Category - Water World: Coastal, Marine and Freshwater Fauna of Australia)! www.ecolsoc.org.au/opportunitie... 🩵🐬 #MarineMammals

Thank you Michelle!!!!!