Josh Pickett

Updated 17th March 2025, to include my own catches. A Cornish Sucker ( Lepadogaster purpurea ) I caught in a rockpool in Falmouth, 15 March 2025. As with virtually every contemporary tale of misidentification, it starts with a "Google said"; two words which send a chill down my spine every time I hear or read them. What may feel like a comfort blanket of confirmation bias to some, can mean an investment of hours for science communicators, who often need to access (sometimes quite obscure or costly) papers or surveys to effectively relay the relevant information over, and then summarise why the Google algorithm frequently pushes incorrect or dated material, even from reputable sources, to the top of the search. Sci-comm is generally a rewarding experience, as with every delve into a study, we learn more and become better communicators; though, in this "Age of Information", every peer-reviewed paper is countered with a more popular webpage lacking in any references. I...