Scientists launch "OnlyMarms" on OnlyFans to fund their marmot research

Faced with dwindling public funding for scientific research in the United States, a team of researchers at the University of California has found a rather unexpected solution: opening an account on the OnlyFans platform. Called "OnlyMarms," ​​this initiative offers internet users exclusive videos of marmots to raise funds to continue a scientific program launched in 1962.

The project is led by Professor Daniel Blumstein, an expert in ecology and evolutionary biology. For more than six decades, his team has been studying yellow-bellied marmots in the Rocky Mountains near Crested Butte, Colorado. It is one of the longest-running continuous studies in the world devoted to individually identified mammals.

A fundraising campaign born out of declining funding

According to researchers, the decrease in federal funding jeopardizes the continuation of this long-term work. The OnlyMarms account is thus presented as an original attempt to finance the program's ongoing expenses, even though scientists acknowledge that this solution cannot replace the public funding that has supported American research for decades.

Contrary to the image often associated with OnlyFans, the content published is primarily educational. Subscribers can watch the marmots play, dig their burrows, carry vegetation, or interact with each other. The researchers also promise to release footage of young marmots to raise public awareness about their behavior and environment.

An initiative that attracts curiosity

Since its launch, the page has generated some interest, with several hundred visits and a few dozen subscribers. However, the revenue generated remains modest, mainly due to commissions charged by the platform and taxes applicable to earnings.

Beyond the financial aspect, researchers see this initiative as a way to raise awareness of their work and educate the general public about research on animal behavior and the effects of climate change on marmot populations. This unusual approach illustrates the growing difficulties some laboratories face in securing funding for their long-term research.