WHAT IN THE HELL IS THE POINT OF THIS NEWSLETTER?
Thank you for asking. The point is to get you interested in invertebrates. I will be your vessel for information about different invertebrate taxa (scientifically classified groups), through the form of satire.
WHO TF ARE YOU?
I am a recently graduated student at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In college, I studied biology with a focus in marine biology. I was a part of the Professional Writing Minor science communication track (yes this counts as SciComm, don’t @ me). I worked at the UCSB REEF touch tank aquarium as an aquarist and lead informal science educator, and I have also interned at the Birch Aquarium in San Diego and the Santa Barbara Sea Center.
I have been researching invertebrates for several years now, especially in the Culver laboratory where I study invertebrate fisheries and aquaculture (crabs, scallops, and lobsters, oh my!). My favorite course series at UCSB was called “invertebrate zoology” and in it, I learned about all 30-35ish invertebrate phyla.
I used to only care about sharks and manta rays, but my world view was transformed when I was introduced to the nudibranch, the tiny and brightly colored sea slugs that probably shouldn’t exist. They look like candy and I want to eat them–but I won’t, I swear.
WHO IS THIS NEWSLETTER FOR?
If you are over 30 then literally leave immediately.
Okay fine, you may stay if you wish. However, I am specifically writing this newsletter to high schoolers and undergraduate students who are interested in biology, learning more about invertebrates, and being entertained (hopefully).
HOW WILL THIS WORK?
If you subscribe to my newsletter via Substack, you will be notified by email when new issues are posted. Lucky for you, it is currently free to subscribe!
Each post will consist of three layers: the “meat,” which will be a satirical piece about an invertebrate taxa, a recount of my personal experience with invertebrates, or a concept relating to invertebrate biology; the “cheese,” or an exploration of an invertebrate species; and the “bread,” which will consist of recent news and resources relating to invertebrates, internships, and jobs. Can you tell that my sandwiches are simple?
You will be welcomed into this space regardless of your sandwich choices, beliefs, gender, age, education… Subscribe to my newsletter and I will do my best to instill in you a greater appreciation of invertebrates–the spineless beings that are definitely “not” forcing me to write this ;)
