Abstract: Within ecophysiological and genetic studies on insects, morphological and physiological traits are commonly assessed and phenotypes are typically obtained from manual measurements on numerous individuals. Manual observations are, however, time consuming, can introduce observer bias and are prone to human error. Here, we contrast results obtained from manual assessment of larval size and thermal tolerance traits in black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) and houseflies (Musca domestica) that have been acclimated under three different temperature regimes with those obtained automatically using an image analysis software (Noldus EthoVision XT). We found that (i) larval size estimates of both species, obtained by manual weighing or by using the software, were highly correlated, (ii) measures of heat and cold tolerance using manual and automated approaches provided qualitatively similar results, and (iii) by using the software we obtained quantifiable information on stress responses and acclimation effects of potentially higher ecological relevance than the endpoint traits that are typically assessed when manual assessments are used. Based on these findings, we argue that automated assessment of insect stress responses and largescale phenotyping of morphological traits such as size will provide new opportunities within many disciplines where accurate and largescale phenotyping of insects is required.

Abstract: “[Daniel Pauly] is an iconoclastic fisheries scientist ... who is so decidedly global in his life and outlook that he is nearly a man without a country.”—NEW YORK TIMES “Daniel Pauly is a friend whose work has inspired me for years.”—TED DANSONDaniel Pauly is a living legend in the world of marine biology. He coined the influential term “shifting baselines,” in which knowledge of environmental disaster fades over time, leading to a misguided understanding of our world. He blew the whistle on the global fishing industry, alerting the public to the devastation of overfishing. And he developed data-driven research methods that led to groundbreaking discoveries. Daniel Pauly is also a man whose life was shaped by struggle. Born after the Second World War to a white French woman and Black American GI in Paris, Pauly’s childhood has been described as Dickensian. His father left before he was born and his mother, whose family did not accept her and her mixed-race son, fell prey to a manipulative Swiss couple who abducted Pauly under murky circumstances. He was taken to Switzerland, where he was treated cruelly as the couple’s servant.  Pauly escaped to Germany to attend university and, as a young man, travelled to the United States during the 1969 civil rights movement, where he met his father’s family and experienced a political and racial reawakening. From there, he went on to have one of the most decorated careers in the field of marine biology. The Ocean’s Whistleblower “weaves together the challenges of marine research with an astonishing coming-of-age story” (Andrew Sharpless, Oceana) and is told through interviews with colleagues, friends, and Pauly himself. A brilliant book about a brilliant man, The Ocean’s Whistleblower finally profiles one of the most influential scientists of our time.