SCIENTIFIC OUTREACH

Human societies have grown to better understand the world we live in through building scientific knowledge. Unfortunately, we witness an era of scientific denial, discouraging people to adopt environmentally friendly lifestyles. More than ever before, scientists need to ensure that the output of their research must reach and impact beyond the academic audiences.

LIVING WORM TOWERS

Our recent paper, which reveals that nematode towers function as collective dispersal structures, has received significant media attention.

CNN - https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/05/science/nematode-stacking-worms-living-towers

Science - https://www.science.org/content/article/watch-tower-worms-wriggle-single-organism

Scientific American - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/this-tower-of-worms-is-a-squirming-superorganism/

IFL Science - https://www.iflscience.com/we-captured-something-no-one-had-documented-before-wild-worm-towers-seen-for-the-first-time-79498

New Scientist - https://www.newscientist.com/article/2482950-worms-team-up-to-form-tentacles-when-they-want-to-go-places/

Geo - https://www.geo.de/natur/tierwelt/wuermer-bauen-tuerme-aus-ihren-leibern---um-sich-transportieren-zu-lassen-35782794.html

Popular Science - https://www.popsci.com/environment/nematode-worm-towers/

Gizmodo - https://gizmodo.com/wild-worms-build-flesh-towers-and-are-closer-than-you-think-2000611200

Science Alert - https://www.sciencealert.com/worms-use-their-bodies-to-build-towers-as-a-wild-survival-strategy

Phys.org - https://phys.org/news/2025-06-worms-towers-nature-hitch-habitats.html

Live Science - https://www.livescience.com/animals/watch-superorganism-created-by-tiny-worms-the-first-time-its-ever-been-spotted-in-the-wild

El Pais - https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2025-06-05/these-tiny-worms-form-living-towers-to-become-super-organism.html

Bringing the World of Fiddler Crabs to the Screen

I collaborated with Wild Space Productions on a story about fiddler crabs for the Netflix documentary Our Living World. I’m currently assisting Offspring Films in gathering material for another fiddler crab story for a new BBC natural history series scheduled for release in 2017.

Sciart initiative mpi-ab and merz akademie - Re-shaping Nature

I was part of an interdisciplinary partnership between the Merz Akademie, the MPI-AB and the CASCB. Four art students created stunning science outreach projects using the data from my research on fiddler crab wave display diversity and synchrony.

Booklet by Victoria-Luise Scheible; 3D Modelling of the fiddler crab Environment “Cube“ by Isabel Kohlhagen; Virtual reality of fiddler crab burrow by Vivienne Jahn; Interactive installation of fiddler crabs wave displays diversity by Felina Russ

Copyright: Elisabeth Böker, CASCB, Universität Konstanz

SCIENCE MEETS STREET ART

I was part of Science meets Street Art, a project to communicate scientific research through art. 

It is a real challenge to talk about science with an audience that has limited knowledge of the field. Yet art can easily trigger the imagination, grab attention, instigate curiosity and, if well depicted, also communicate ideas.

The artist James Houl created this incredible and fun street art about my work using robotic crabs.

#ScienceWeek @colabscience

Photo credits: Andrew Sikorski

Get in touch for LECTURES, AUDIOVISUAL MATERIAL AND INTERVIEWS

I am always open for invitations. Please drop me an email if you need any audiovisual material or if you are looking for someone to give a talk about animal behaviour and other fun animal related subjects!

artwork

I’m passionate about making science visible and accessible through art. As an artist inspired by science, I’ve worked on projects ranging from research institute banners to PhD thesis covers and scientific illustrations. I am always looking for more projects to take on and I plan to expand to street art.