Rockefeller University

Program for the Human Environment

Talks and Podcasts

Items related to talks Jesse Ausubel has given or will be giving in the near future.

Mark & Jesse give NOAA Webinar on Urban estuary eDNA

On 19 November Mark Stoeckle and Jesse Ausubel presented the NOAA ‘Omics Webinar on “Urban estuary eDNA reports seasonal abundance of marine fish, and, thanks to wastewater, tracks local wildlife, land birds, household pets, and human diet.” A video of the Webinar, one hour including Q&A, is here in YouTube. Thanks to Katie Poser and Nicole Miller for hosting and organizing.

Abstract: Here we analyzed vertebrate eDNA in New York City’s East River, a rocky estuary channel difficult to survey with mechanical gear and subject to wastewater discharge. There was a 10-fold increase in local marine fish eDNA in summer and seasonal differences among taxa consistent with known phenology. Levels of other vertebrate eDNA—domesticated animal, non-fish wildlife, and dietary fish—were correlated with human eDNA levels, consistent with a shared wastewater source. Wastewater eDNA identified the commonest urban mammals, land birds, and household pets. Proportions of dietary animal eDNA in wastewater closely approximated proportions in national consumption statistics, opening a window into human diet assessment. Wastewater eDNA analysis added value in an urban estuary survey of marine fish eDNA.

Jesse on Decouple podcast

Canadian Chris Keefer, an emergency medical physician and president of Canadians for Nuclear Energy, hosts Jesse Ausubel for an hour on his Decouple podcast. Jesse discusses his intellectual roots, the environmental trifecta of land-sparing, decarbonization, and dematerialization, and contrasting Catholic and Protestant views of strategy and fate in relation to energy systems.

Short essay by Jesse on defending America’s submerged borders

Thanks to RealClear Defense for publishing Defending America’s Submerged Borders. The essay builds on Jesse’s Michelson Lecture at the United States Naval Academy on advances in ocean sensing and other PHE work about ocean exploration and observing. Thanks to Iddo Wernick and Paul Gaffney for helpful contributions.

A corresponding 5-minute video is here.

Short video by Jesse about Lounsbery Prize & France

On 15 October, on the occasion of the presentation of the French Academy of Sciences awards including the 2024 Richard Lounsbery Prize to Dr. Jean-Léon Maître (Institut Curie Paris), Jesse Ausubel, Chair of the Richard Lounsbery Foundation, looked back on the history of scientific relations between the United States and France and the need to encourage and support young researchers. The 3-minute video is here.

Le 15 octobre dernier, à l’occasion de la remise des prix de l’Académie des sciences et du Prix Richard Lounsbery 2024, Jesse Ausubel, Chairman de la Fondation Richard Lounsbery, est revenu sur l’histoire des relations scientifiques entre les Etats-Unis et la France et la nécessité d’encourager et soutenir les jeunes chercheurs.

Jesse interviewed at Energy Forum in Washington DC

Mark Mills’s new National Center for Energy Analytics launched publicly with an Energy Future Forum organized jointly with RealClearEnergy.  The meeting included a half-hour interview with Jesse Ausubel conducted by Peter Bryant about what makes energy systems green.

Jesse’s talk on “The Environmental Trinity”

Jesse’s talk on the Environmental Trinity opened the Breakthrough Dialogue 2024 in Sausalito.  Roger Pielke Jr kindly posted the talk in his substack, The Honest Broker. A pdf of the talk is here.

Andrew Revkin also has a warm comment and link at his Substack, Sustain What.

Jesse & Mark NOAA ‘Omics Webinar on eDNA-dominant fish species

NOAA has posted the video of their ‘Omics Seminar Series: eDNA-Dominant Marine Fish Species Characterize Coastal Habitats presented on 28 February, 2024 by Mark Stoeckle and Jesse Ausubel. The 1-hour seminar is full of new results and ideas about using eDNA data to characterize marine regions and features Mark’s excellent graphics.

Title: eDNA-Dominant Marine Fish Species Characterize Coastal Habitats: an eDNA-Based Classifier Approach to Aid Marine Biogeography and Ocean Monitoring by Mark Stoeckle & Jesse Ausubel

Abstract: A small minority of species typically account for the great majority of individuals or biomass. Here we characterize marine coastal habitats based on abundance of marine fish environmental DNA. We designate the ten most eDNA-abundant fish species in each habitat as eDNA-dominant species. eDNA-dominant species are similar within but differ among habitats and seasons and accord with abundance by traditional survey methods. “Classifiers” based on eDNA-dominant fish species could help map marine fish habitats and monitor changing oceans. Advantages include relatively low sampling requirements, a single technology applicable to diverse habitats, and ease of application to multiple datasets.

eDNA biodiversity survey of Charles River & Boston Harbor

For a 50th Harvard College Reunion Seminar on EO Wilson’s proposal to conserve half Earth, Jesse Ausubel and Mark Stoeckle, assisted by Elizabeth Munnell, conducted a survey of vertebrates in three locations in the Charles River and two in Boston Harbor.  The 14 slides on The Charles River and Boston Harbor Then and Now tell a story of remarkable ecological recovery.

Mark & Jesse present NOAA ‘Omics seminar on eDNA abundance

Mark Stoeckle and Jesse Ausubel presented in the  NOAA ‘Omics Seminar Series on Marine fish eDNA Metabarcoding: Promising Developments and Early Applications.  The outline:

–eDNA abundance matters (relevant to detection, quantification, field design, laboratory protocols)

–Adding internal standard to metabarcoding PCRs quantifies eDNA (converts relative sequence reads to absolute eDNA copies)

–Current marine fish metabarcoding protocols ready for wider use (reasonably accurate index of fish abundance, especially for more abundant species)

–eDNA metabarcoding can overcome information hurdles for ecosystem-based management

A  recording is here , 40-minute presentation and 20-minute Q&A. Thanks to NOAA’s Katharine Egan and Nicole Miller.

Mark’s talk at the 6th Annual Environmental DNA Technical Exchange Workshop (6eDTEW)

On January 24, 2023, Mark Stoeckle presented our recent work on measuring marine fish eDNA abundance at the sixth annual Environmental DNA Technical Exchange Workshop (6eDTEW), sponsored by interagency US Government eDNA Working Group.