Bad at Goodbyes cover art

Bad at Goodbyes

Bad at Goodbyes

Written by: Joshua Dumas
Listen for free

About this listen

 On Bad At Goodbyes, we offer a calm, clear-eyed, creative look at plants and animals from the IUCN Critically Endangered Red List. Research-based, we share species details, behaviors, habitat, and conservation information. And then at the end of each show we perform an ambient soundscape, to hold space for contemplation, delight, awe and perhaps grief. Without dedicated conservation action, some of these species will not survive the 21st century. And so, though listening and learning, perhaps we might acknowledge that journey with a moment of our attention, in recognition of our kinship. Thanks for listening.Copyright 2025 Bad at Goodbyes Biological Sciences Science
Episodes
  • Galápagos Damselfish

    Galápagos Damselfish
    Apr 29 2026
    Galápagos Damselfish :: Azurina eupalamaBad at Goodbyes :: Episode 075On today’s show we learn about the Galápagos Damselfish, a critically endangered, possibly extinct marine fish native to the ocean waters of the Galápagos Islands, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, a province of Ecuador, roughly 600 miles west of the South American Ecuadorian coast. Its scientific name is Azurina eupalama and it was first described in 1903.(00:05) Intro(02:05) Species Information(23:33) Citations(25:41) Music(31:44) PledgeFor more information about conservation on the Galápagos Islands, please see the Galápagos Conservancy at https://www.galapagos.org.Research for today’s show was compiled from:Aguilar-Medrano, R., Frédérich, B., De Luna, E., Balart, E. F. "Patterns of morphological evolution of the cephalic region in damselfishes (Perciformes: Pomacentridae) of the Eastern Pacific". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 102, Issue 3, March 2011, Pages 593–613. – https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01586.xButler, Rhett Ayers. "Is the Galápagos damselfish extinct?" Mongabay, April 7, 2026. – https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/is-the-galapagos-damselfish-extinct/Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment of the Galápagos Islands. 2011. Eds. I. Larrea and G. Di Carlo. WWF and Conservation International, USA – https://www.cbd.int/doc/lifeweb/Ecuador/images/ClimateChangeReport.pdfCominsky, E. 2020. "Azurina eupalama" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 20, 2026. – https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Azurina_eupalama/Grove, J.S., Bensted-Smith, W., Brandt, M., Domínguez, O., Espinoza, E., Keith, I., Rivera, F.E., Suárez, J., Tapia, I. & Tirado-Sánchez, N. 2023. "Azurina eupalama". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T184017A217449660. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T184017A217449660.enGrove, J. S., & Victor, B. C. (2025). "Has climate change driven the Galapagos Damselfish, Azurina eupalama, to extinction?" Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 42, 7–14.. – https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14846312Grove, Jack. (1985). "Influence of the 1982/1983 El Niño event on the icthyofauna of the Galapagos islands". Tropical Ocean-Atmospheric Newsletter Vol.28 pp. 18-19. – https://www.google.com/books/edition/Tropical_Ocean_atmosphere_Newsletter/xR4eAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=RA24-PA18&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22ichthyofauna%20on%20the%20Gal%C3%A1pagos%22Heller, Edmund and Snodgrass, Robert Evans. (1903). "Papers from the Hopkins Stanford Galapagos expedition, 1898-1899. XV. New fishes." Proceedings of the Washington Academy of Sciences 5: 189-229. Washington, D.C: The Academy. – https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/17224271iNaturalist – https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=1.6818345&nelng=-89.2412769&swlat=-1.4112351&swlng=-92.0089666Kelly, J., Pan, Y., Menzer, A., Dong, H. 2023 "Hydrodynamics of body–body interactions in dense synchronous elongated fish schools". Physics of Fluids v. 35 (4): 041906. – https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0142950McCosker, John E., and Richard H. Rosenblatt. 2010. "The Fishes of the Galápagos Archipelago: An Update." Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, ser. 4, 61, Supplement II, no. 11: 167–95. – https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/63419300Parmentier, Eric, David Lecchini, and David A. Mann. 2016. "Sound Production in Damselfishes." In Biology of Damselfishes, edited by Bruno Frédérich and Eric Parmentier, 204–228. Boca Raton: CRC Press. – https://www.hawaii.edu/behavior/490E/Parmentier%20et%20al.%202010.%20Sound%20production%20in%20damselfishes.pdfRastoin-Laplane, E., Salinas-de-León, P., Goetze, J.S., Saunders, B.J., McKinley, S.J., Norris, C., Gosby, C., Mattingly, A., Garcia, R., Harvey, E.S. "Fluctuations of Galapagos mid-water and benthic reef fish populations during the 2015–16 ENSO". Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, v. 294 (2023). – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2023.108523Simons, Eric. "The Fish We Never Knew: A Brief History of an Extinct Fish and What to Think About It." Bay Nature, April 16, 2014 (updated August 19, 2021). – https://baynature.org/2014/04/16/science-nature/wildlife/fish-never-knew/Wainwright, D. K., Karan, E. A., Collar, D. C. "Evolutionary patterns of scale morphology in damselfishes (Pomacentridae)". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 135, Issue 1, January 2022, Pages 138–158. – https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blab140Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galapagos_damselPlease find us on the web at Bad at Goodbyes and on instagram. Please subscribe and rate/review Bad at Goodbyes wherever you listen to podcasts. Please help spread the word about the show and about the species we feature. Please take care of each other, and all of our fellow travelers.A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate ...
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • Windswept Helmet Orchid

    Windswept Helmet Orchid
    Apr 22 2026
    Windswept Helmet Orchid :: Corybas dienemusBad at Goodbyes :: Episode 074On today’s show we learn about the Windswept Helmet Orchid, a critically endangered flowering plant native to Australia, in the state of Tasmania, specifically Macquarie Island in the far southwest Pacific. Its scientific name is Corybas dienemus and it was first described in 1993.(00:05) Intro(02:05) Species Information(19:12) Citations(20:56) Music(26:34) PledgeFor more information about Windswept Helmet Orchid conservation, please see the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service at https://parks.tas.gov.au.Research for today’s show was compiled from:Bergstrom, D.M., Bricher, P.K., Raymond, B., Terauds, A., Doley, D., McGeoch, M.A., Whinam, J., Glen, M., Yuan, Z., Kiefer, K., Shaw, J.D., Bramely-Alves, J., Rudman, T., Mohammed, C., Lucieer, A., Visoiu, M., Jansen van Vuuren, B. and Ball, M.C. (2015), "Rapid collapse of a sub-Antarctic alpine ecosystem: the role of climate and pathogens." Journal of Applied Ecology, v.52: 774-783. – https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12436Clements, Mark & Jones, David. (2007). "A new species of Nematoceras and characterisation of N. dienemum (Orchidaceae), both from subantarctic Macquarie Island." Telopea. v. 11. – https://doi.org/10.7751/telopea20075739Cockel, C. 2013. Nematoceras dienemum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T44392794A44533262. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T44392794A44533262.ende Lange, P.J. (2025). "Corybas dienemus Fact Sheet." New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. – https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/corybas-dienemus/Skotnicki, M. L., G. R. Copson, J. Doube, L. Gadd, J. M. Selkirk-Bell, and P. M. Selkirk. 2009. "Biology and population studies of two endemic Nematoceras (orchid) species on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island." Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 143 (2): 61-71. – https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/64591663Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. (2007). Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project: Operational Plan for the Eradication of Rabbits and Rodents from Macquarie Island. Department of Tourism, Arts and the Environment. - https://www.dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/heritage/publications/eradication-rabbits-and-rodents-subantarctic-macquarie-islandThreatened Species Section. "Listing Statement for Corybas dienemus (windswept helmet-orchid)". Hobart: Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Tasmania, 2017 – https://nre.tas.gov.au/Documents/Corybas%20dienemus%20listing%20statement.pdfThreatened Species Section (2017). "Threatened Tasmanian Orchids Flora Recovery Plan". Hobart: Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment, Tasmania – https://nre.tas.gov.au/Documents/Accepted-Orchid-RP.pdfVisoiu, Micah. 2019. Flora Values Assessment and Monitoring Report - Macquarie Island Nature Reserve and World Heritage Area - March 2019. Nature Conservation Report 19/01. Hobart: Natural and Cultural Heritage Division, Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment. – https://nre.tas.gov.au/Documents/Macquarie%20Island%20Vegetation%20Assessment%202019.pdfWikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corybas_dienemusPlease find us on the web at Bad at Goodbyes and on instagram. Please subscribe and rate/review Bad at Goodbyes wherever you listen to podcasts. Please help spread the word about the show and about the species we feature. Please take care of each other, and all of our fellow travelers.A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m a musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • Bahamian Hutia

    Bahamian Hutia
    Apr 14 2026
    Bahamian Hutia :: Geocapromys ingrahamiBad at Goodbyes :: Episode 073On today’s show we learn about the Bahamian Hutia, a critically endangered mammal, a rodent, native to the Bahamas archipelago in the Caribbean region, in the Atlantic Ocean. Its scientific name is Geocapromys ingrahami and it was first described in 1891.(00:05) Intro(02:05) Species Information(26:25) Citations(28:32) Music(33:34) PledgeFor more information about Bahamian Hutia conservation, please see the Bahamas National Trust at https://bnt.bs/Research for today’s show was compiled from:Allen, J.A. 1891-08-31. Description of a new species of Capromys from the Plana Keys, Bahamas. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 3(23):329-336. – https://hdl.handle.net/2246/839Campbell, D. G., Lowell, K. S., Lightbourn, M. E. 1991. The effect of introduced Hutias (Geocapromys ingrahami) on the woody vegetation of Little Wax Cay, Bahamas. Conservation Biology 5: 536-541 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.1991.tb00361.xCartwright, F.B., Davis, A., Kennerley, R. & Turvey, S.T. 2024. Geocapromys ingrahami. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2024: e.T9002A224590046. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T9002A224590046.enClough, Garrett C. 1973. “A Most Peaceable Rodent.” Natural History 82 (6): 66–74. – http://hdl.handle.net/2246/6480Clough, Garrett C. “The Bahaman Hutia: A Rodent Refound.” Oryx 10, no. 2 (1969): 106–8. – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605300007936Clough, Garrett C. 1976. “Current Status of Two Endangered Caribbean Rodents.” Biological Conservation 10, no. 1 (July): 43–47. – https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3207(76)90023-9Jordan, Kevin Clark. 1989. "An Ecology of the Bahamian Hutia : Geocapromys Ingrahami". Doctoral Dissertation; University of Florida. – https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/207298Knowles, Lindy, and Casuarina McKinney-Lambert. 2013. Southeastern Bahamas Coral Reef & Island Survey: Rapid Ecological Assessment Report. Nassau: Bahamas National Trust & BREEF. – https://www.agrra.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/SE-Bahamas-Coral-Reef-and-Island-Survey-Final-REA-Report-9-24-13.pdfKennerley, Ros. 2024. “Safeguarding the Future of Critically Endangered Bahaman Hutia Within the Bahaman Archipelago Through Evidenced Based Management.” Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. December 23, 2024. - https://www.speciesconservation.org/small-grant/bahamian-hutia/36130LeFebvre MJ, deFrance SD, Kamenov GD, Keegan WF, Krigbaum J (2019) The zooarchaeology and isotopic ecology of the Bahamian hutia (Geocapromys ingrahami): Evidence for pre-Columbian anthropogenic management. PLoS ONE 14(9): e0220284. – https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220284LeFebvre, Michelle, Geoffrey Duchemin, Susan deFrance, William Keegan, and Kristen Walczesky. 2018. “Bahamian Hutia (Geocapromys Ingrahami) in the Lucayan Realm: Pre-Columbian Exploitation and Translocation.” Environmental Archaeology 24, no. 2 (August): 171–87. – https://doi.org/10.1080/14614103.2018.1503809Oswald, J.A., Allen, J.M., LeFebvre, M.J. et al. Ancient DNA and high-resolution chronometry reveal a long-term human role in the historical diversity and biogeography of the Bahamian hutia. Scientific Reports v 10, 1373 (2020). – https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58224-yRebach, Judith A. Osborn, "Comparison of the Gas Exchange and Water Balance of the Nutria, Myocastorcoypus, and the Hutia, Geocapromys Ingrahami" (1971). Open Access Dissertations. Paper 2617. University of Rhode Island. – https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss/2617Turvey, Samuel T., Rosalind J. Kennerley, Jose M. Nuñez-Miño, and Richard P. Young. 2017. “The Last Survivors: Current Status and Conservation of the Non-Volant Land Mammals of the Insular Caribbean.” Journal of Mammalogy 98, no. 4 (August): 918–36. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw154Wilson, Don E., Thomas E. Lacher Jr., and Russell A. Mittermeier. 2016. “Geocapromys Ingrahami.” In Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6: Lagomorphs and Rodents I, 552–604. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. – https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6624107Please find us on the web at Bad at Goodbyes and on instagram. Please subscribe and rate/review Bad at Goodbyes wherever you listen to podcasts. Please help spread the word about the show and about the species we feature. Please take care of each other, and all of our fellow travelers.A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m a musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
No reviews yet