I am a sci-cartoonist! I believe that comics are a fun way to communicate complex ideas. So, I started illustrating them to share the stories behind my research papers, blending storytelling with science in an engaging format.
From this spark, I launched Wormly Speaking, a space where the fascinating, often-overlooked polychaete worms get their time to shine. Through this project, my mission is to empower and inspire us with hopeful stories while also sharing the remarkable traits of these worms, such as their unique regenerative and reproductive biology. Take a peek at the stories I’ve created so far.
Follow on Instagram to see more stories: https://www.instagram.com/wormlyspeaking/
Breaking free. Some worms begin new life by letting part of themselves go. They grow special reproductive bodies called stolons. When the time comes, the stolons detach from the parent worm and swim freely through the water. There, they transform, find partners, and release the next generation into the sea. The parent worm survives this separation. It regenerates the missing body region and continues living, carrying the possibility of future cycles. This art is inspired by polychaetes of the family Syllidae.
Platynereis in “Brighter waters”. Once mature, worms in the genus Platynereis swim to the sea surface, where they meet partners that help produce the next generation, beginning a new cycle.
Platynereis in “With Maturity”, drawing on my work published in Development: Ribeiro et al. 2025.
Syllis in Wonderland, Part II: Syllis malaquini rises again, regenerating heads and tails from just three segments. A message of strength and resistance. Find more details in Spieß, Ribeiro et al. 2024.
Dodecaceria zelinhae. We named a polychete species in honor to Zelinha (Maurizelia de Brito) - the guardian of the paradisiacal Rocas Atoll. Thanks, Zelinha. Details in Freitas et al. (2023).
Kirkegaardia zafirae. We named a polychaete species in honor to my first scientific advisor, Dr. Zafira de Almeida. Sadly, she left us too soon, and I deeply miss her. She will continue to be one of my role models. Species description in Freitas et al. (2022).
Syllis in Petrosialand. We described new Ramisyllis from Japan. It clearly deserves a comic, and it will be a new friend for Syllis malaquini. Details in Aguado et al. (2022).
Syllis in Wonderland. I described a new syllid species and it was the inspiration for my first comic character. Syllis malaquini has been described. Details in Ribeiro et al (2020)
