Gammaridean amphipods are a major component of macrobenthic communities, but information on their distribution and ecology in subtidal habitats of northern Japan is limited. We present the species composition and community structure of benthic amphipods in the subtidal bottoms (5–32 m deep) of Akkeshi Bay, eastern Hokkaido, Japan, and examine whether spatial variability of amphipod assemblage is related to local environmental gradients and biogeographic affinities of the component species. Amphipods were collected at nine sites in 2020 and identified to 40 species consisting of 21 families. Similarity analyses showed that the amphipod community differed among the three habitats: (1) marine soft-bottom substrate, (2) gravelly estuarine substrate, and (3) marine hard-bottom substrate. Distance-based redundancy analysis revealed that variation in the soft-bottom community was related to that of depth and sediment composition. The biogeographic affinities of 15 identified species were categorized as two groups, “Arctic and surroundings” and “Northwestern Pacific,” by similarity analysis with global occurrence records in marine ecoregions. Differences in species composition were related to the biogeographic affinities of the component species, with species grouped as Arctic and surroundings occurring at deeper sites than the Northwestern Pacific species. Changes in community structure along the depth gradient reflected variations in environmental factors, such as temperature, as well as differences in the suitable temperature ranges of the species as determined by their biogeographic history. This study highlights the importance of considering both environmental gradients and macroecological features of component species in interpreting variations in amphipod community structure on the local scale.

Morphological examination of recently collected barnacle specimens confirms the presence of Tesseropora atlantica (Cirripedia, Balanomorpha, Tetraclitidae) along the coastlines of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, the easternmost islands of the Canary Archipelago. This constitutes the first documented occurrence of T. atlantica in the Canary Islands and establishes a new southern range limit for this relict species in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Additionally, 16S and COI mitochondrial gene sequences were obtained for the first time for this species, allowing comparisons with related taxa. The study also explores plausible hypotheses concerning the species’ arrival in the Canary Islands.

The rapid advancement of satellite-based monitoring technologies and niche modelling present unprecedented opportunities to enhance conservation efforts, especially over large areas, yet their practical application in guiding conservation strategies remains limited. This study examines how land-use changes affect ant diversity in the Acre River basin, south-western Brazilian Amazon. Using niche modelling with climatic, environmental and land-use data, we examined species distributions for three ant guilds – forest specialists, generalists and open-habitat specialists – across 1985, 2019 and 2050. The results show that forest specialists are concentrated in the eastern regions but are projected to decline, while open-habitat specialists – dominant in the south-west – are expected to increase in distribution. Generalists displayed broader, stable distributions. These patterns highlight the critical role of forest conservation in preserving the diversity of forest-specialist species and the threat posed by Amazon forest conversion, and they point to the need for strategic landscape planning to mitigate deforestation impacts.

The Caribbean islands represent some of the most biologically diverse places on Earth, but much of that diversity is now at risk due to human impact. Larger islands in the Caribbean host more native species, but small islands still hold together a significant portion of the regional biota. Although our knowledge of extinct and extirpated taxa continues to improve, there are hundreds of islands, each with their own unique faunal histories from where there is little information about their ancient diversity. Sombrero is a very small island (0.38 km2) located within the limits between the Greater and Lesser Antilles and is largely barren of vegetation and freshwater. The island was extensively mined for bird guano in the 1800s, which profoundly altered its topography and fauna. Here, we describe a collection of microvertebrates recovered in 1964 from Sombrero, which documents an unexpectedly high number of colonization events and high extinction rate for this territory. The late Quaternary deposits from the island contain remains of five types of lizards, a snake, a tortoise, and an anuran that colonized the island once it became aerially exposed in the early Pleistocene. The ability for such a small, remote island to have eight colonizing taxa in < 2.5 Ma, provides support for the role that island hopping played in regional biodiversity in the Cenozoic (e.g., GAARlandia), even across small, barren islands. Furthermore, these fossils further show that large scale defaunation also affected vertebrate communities on very small islands in the Caribbean.

Hydrothermal vents are known to host unique faunal assemblages supported by chemosynthetic production; however, the fauna associated with inactive sulphide ecosystems remain largely uncharacterised across the global seafloor. In November 2023, a six-rayed starfish was collected from the Semenov hydrothermal field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. A combination of morphological and molecular methods has confirmed the identity of this species as Paulasterias mcclaini Mah et al. 2015 (Forcipulatida: Paulasteriidae), providing the first validated record of this family in the Atlantic Ocean. We present an updated morphological description of the species, alongside phylogenetic analysis of the COI, 16S, 12S, and H3 genetic markers. The biogeography of the family is discussed, and previously published records amended.

Using a combination of field inventories in temporary sample plots and extensive molecular analyses, the diversity of lichens in the order Teloschistales on the Commander Islands (Kamchatka Territory, Russia) was assessed. Nearly 600 specimens of the order were collected from 154 sample plots, which included 36 species, one belonging to the family Brigantiaeaceae and the rest to the Teloschistaceae; of these, 18 species belonged to the subfamily Caloplacoideae and 17 to the Xanthorioideae. The diversity of the Teloschistales is unevenly distributed across the different habitat types of the archipelago, namely coastal, tundra and floodplain. Each habitat type has a specific lichen composition and a combination of traits. Coastal habitats have the highest number of species and the greatest number of species per plot. The Commander Islands are characterized by having the highest number of Teloschistales species when compared with the most well-studied local biotas in the North Pacific. This is probably due to the presence in the archipelago of species with diverse distribution patterns, including western North American species, North-East Asian species, and endemic species, as well as species more widely distributed in the arctic-alpine and boreal regions of both Asia and North America. The putative role of the Commander and Aleutian Islands in migrations of lichens between Asia and North America is discussed. ‘Caloplaca’ litoricola and Polycauliona flavogranulosa from the Commander Islands and Orientophila corticola from the southern part of the Russian Far East are new to Russia. Three species are proposed as new to science: Athallia subrotundispora (epilithic or epiphytic lichen characterized by an inconspicuous thallus and widely ellipsoid to subglobose ascospores, 14–16(18) × 10–11 μm, with septa 6–7 μm wide), Gyalolechia orientoinsularis (corticolous lichen characterized by a yellow thallus and apothecia with a yellow to orange true exciple highly contrasting with a brown to reddish brown disc) and G. paradoxa (muscicolous or lichenicolous lichen characterized by an orange to orange-red thallus and ellipsoid to widely ellipsoid and subglobose ascospores, 12–19 × 8–13 μm, with septa 4–9 μm wide). Lendemeriella kamczatica, L. phaeocarpella and Polycauliona etesiae are new combinations. A lichenicolous morph of Lendemeriella tornoënsis is reported for the first time and a key to species of Gyalolechia s. lat. occurring in the Far East is provided.

As part of a broad survey of the trematodes of damselfishes (Pomacentridae) in the tropical Indo-West Pacific, zoogonids were collected from multiple localities in Australia, New Caledonia, and French Polynesia. All zoogonid specimens collected were consistent with the subfamily Lecithostaphylinae, and morphological and molecular data (ITS2 and 28S rDNA, and cox1 mtDNA) were generated for most host-locality combinations to enable an integrative species delimitation. The collection comprised three species: Deretrema stratiotes n. sp. from four species of Abudefduf Forsskål from Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, and two species consistent with the genus Lecithostaphylus Odhner, 1911 for which Innuptacola n. gen. is proposed based on phylogenetic and morphological distinction, the type-species I. gibsoni (Cribb, Bray & Barker, 1992) n. comb. (= L. gibsoni) from six species of Abudefduf in Ningaloo Reef, Queensland and New Caledonia, and I. torquata n. sp. from 12 pomacentrid species in Ningaloo Reef, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, and the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. The new collection demonstrates that some zoogonid species are geographically widespread (from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean) and can infect a broad range of hosts (multiple genera within a family), whereas others are apparently geographically restricted and exhibit higher host-specificity (fishes within a single genus).

This research focuses on pteropods of the family Cavoliniidae, which remains an under-studied taxa in Indian waters. Sediment samples collected by the FORV Sagar Sampada from the Andaman Islands, India, yielded eight species of the family Cavoliniidae, representing the genera Cavolinia and Diacavolinia of the subfamily Cavoliniinae, and the genus Diacria of the subfamily Diacriniinae. Notably, four species – Diacavolinia aspina, D. bandaensis, D. deblainvillei and Diacria erythra represent new distributional records for India. Furthermore, Cavolinia uncinata, Diacavolinia angulata, D. bicornis and D. flexipes are recorded for the first time in the Andaman Sea. This study is significant in expanding the understanding of pteropod diversity in the Indian Ocean, contributing to a better understanding of their ecosystem and geographical range.

Invasive plants’ ability to extend their range depends upon their local environments and both positive and negative interactions with native species. Interactions between invasive and native plants may be indirectly linked to the soil fungal community, which may enhance or suppress invasion through mutualism or parasitism. Many invasive plants preferentially select fungal communities or change soil chemistry to gain a competitive advantage, and such changes can remain even after the invader is removed, known as legacy effects. Yellow toadflax (Linaria vulgaris Mill.) is an invasive forb that is aggressive in the western United States but is nonaggressive in the midwestern United States. We evaluated the relationship between soil abiotic properties, nitrogen (N) enrichment, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) community composition, and L. vulgaris invasion in aggressive (CO) and nonaggressive (IL) populations. We collected soil from uninvaded and invaded sites in Gothic, CO, and near Chicago, IL, and sequenced AMF community composition in each site. Using the same soil, we grew L. vulgaris and native species in pots for 120 d, with half of the pots receiving N fertilization, and harvested biomass. We also injected a 15N-labeled tracer in pots and analyzed plant tissue for 15N enrichment and net uptake rates (NUR). In CO soil, L. vulgaris rhizomes sprouted more in invaded soil, whereas in IL soil, L. vulgaris only sprouted in uninvaded soil. N fertilization had no impact on biomass, and NUR did not differ significantly between any treatments. AMF communities differed between the two sites but were not significantly influenced by invasion history. Our results suggest that L. vulgaris leaves legacy effects but that these effects are different between aggressive and nonaggressive populations. Legacy effects may facilitate reinvasion in CO, but we did not find conclusive evidence of legacy effects in IL, and differences between the sites could be shaped by endemic AMF communities.

Iberodes littoralis subsp. gallaecica (Laínz) M. Serrano, R. Carbajal & S. Ortiz is a small annual plant endemic to dune systems in the north-west Iberian Peninsula. It is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is a priority taxon under the EU Habitats Directive. Nevertheless, the only comprehensive census of this subspecies was conducted in 2009. Here we present the results of a new survey conducted in 2023 that adds a new location to its known range. Comparison with the previous census suggests that both the total population and area of occupancy have increased. However, these changes were not uniform across the range of the subspecies, with populations increasing at the northern and southern extremes and populations at central sites remaining stable or decreasing. Spatial differences in climate, anthropogenic pressures, plant performance and/or random fluctuations may explain these interpopulation variabilities. Given that the majority of populations are already located within the EU Natura 2000 network, we recommend that the current level of protection be maintained and that the plant be reintroduced into dune systems from which it has recently disappeared. Despite the increase in the total population, we recommend that the plant be recategorized as Critically Endangered given that its area of occupancy is small. Further censuses over time will be needed to provide information on population dynamics, trends, fluctuations and responses to environmental variables.

Antarctica is populated by a diverse array of terrestrial fauna that have successfully adapted to its extreme environmental conditions. The origins and diversity of the taxa have been of continuous interest to ecologists since their discovery. Early theory considered contemporary populations as descendants of recent arrivals; however, mounting molecular evidence points to firmly established indigenous taxa far earlier than the Last Glacial Maximum, thus indicating more ancient origins. Here we present insights into Antarctica's terrestrial invertebrates by synthesizing available phylogeographic studies. Molecular dating supports ancient origins for most indigenous taxa, including Acari (up to 100 million years ago; Ma), Collembola (21–11 Ma), Nematoda (~30 Ma), Tardigrada (> 1 Ma) and Chironomidae (> 49 Ma), while Rotifera appear to be more recent colonizers (~130 Ka). Subsequent population bottlenecks and rapid speciation have occurred with limited gene transfer between Continental and Maritime Antarctica, while repeated wind- or water-borne dispersal and colonization of contiguous regions during interglacial periods shaped current distributions. Greater knowledge of Antarctica's fauna will focus conservation efforts to ensure their persistence.

Continental-scale patterns of morphological and biological change represent broad time- and spatially averaged interpretations. Conversely, regionally focused studies of morphological variability offer an opportunity to consider patterns of biological change at more refined spatial scales, where nuanced histories may be identified. That approach is particularly applicable for areas known to have dynamic biogeographic and glacial landscapes (e.g., western Canada). We studied proboscideans from Alberta, Canada, an area thought to represent a zone of sympatry between extinct forms of mammoth (i.e., Mammuthus columbi, Mammuthus primigenius) in order to test existing taxonomic hypotheses and chronologically contextualize the regional record of mammoths through the Late Pleistocene. Morphometric analysis of sixth molars of mammoths from Alberta (n = 17) support identification of three distinct morphologies that we assign to M. columbi, M. primigenius, and intermediates of those taxa. The presence of intermediate forms is perhaps unsurprising, given both the recognition of hybridization in M. columbi and M. primigenius and the previously documented occurrence of both taxa in Alberta. Some records of M. columbi may document a broader northern geographic incursion for that taxon than previously recognized, but could also represent a much deeper time component to the history of Mammuthus in Alberta (i.e., Mammuthus trogontherii).

The Pacific bryozoan, Smittoidea prolifica Osburn, 1952, is reported for the first time from the Northwest Atlantic coast. Colonies were discovered during routine benthic sampling of Casco Bay, Maine, encrusting mussel shells and barnacles. Aiming to compare specimens from native and introduced locations, uncertainties about the Pacific range of S. prolifica were resolved by re-examining specimens from Japan, southern Korea, the United States west coast, and Mexico. The occurrence of this species in Japan was confirmed but southern Korea specimens were found to be Smittoidea spinigera (Liu, 1990). Comparisons of biometrics among specimens from widely dispersed locations where S. prolifica is native and introduced showed significant trends in variation with most characters largest for California and smallest for Germany. Zooid width was largest for Maine specimens. Comparisons between oceans showed that Pacific and Atlantic specimens differed significantly in all measures except zooid length and orifice width. Low substrate specificity and broad range of temperatures and salinities in occupied habitats suggests the potential for successful introduction is high. Smittoidea prolifica was most likely introduced through commercial shipping from the North Sea where it is an established non-native species. This was the third non-indigenous species found in Casco Bay discovered within the same timeframe and which shared the same likely region of origin. This spike matched a rise in commercial shipping from the Northeast Atlantic to Portland, Maine, suggesting this seaport is shifting towards becoming a bioinvasion hotspot.

Umbilicaria ahtii sp. nov. is described based on morphological and molecular characters. The new species resembles Umbilicaria vellea but the former has larger and submuriform ascospores, a darker lower surface, longer dark brown to black rhizinomorphs, and lacks thalloconidia directly on the lower surface and basal part of the rhizinomorphs. Phylogenetic analyses (ITS, mtLSU and RPB2) confirmed the distinctness of U. ahtii and indicated its sister relationship to U. meizospora. Umbilicaria ahtii is described from Finland and is currently known from several localities in Northern Europe (Svalbard, Norway, Finland, Kola Peninsula in Russia), Asia (Kodar Range, Siberia) and North America (Alaska). Within the U. vellea group, new molecular data confirmed U. koidzumii as a widespread, separate species sister to U. cinereorufescens. Diagnostic traits and variability of species, as well as their distribution patterns and nomenclature, are discussed.

The Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris, is a cosmopolitan species and the only beaked whale species commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea. Five strandings of Cuvier's beaked whale were reported along the Aegean/Mediterranean Seas coasts of Türkiye and northern coast of Cyprus in 2016–2017. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (430–444 bp) and cytochrome b (cytb) (382–424 bp) sequences each revealed two different haplotypes (four out of five individuals had the same haplotype for each locus) on these stranded animals. The control region haplotypes were identical to two previously identified haplotypes from the Ionian (Greece) and Adriatic (Croatia) Seas. Only one of the cytb haplotypes had previously been described from the Adriatic Sea (Italy) and the other one was detected for the first time. In a comparison of these haplotypes with Cuvier's beaked whale haplotypes previously reported from outside the Mediterranean Sea, the Mediterranean subpopulation shows genetic differentiation based upon the presence of two unique haplotypes. Additional mtDNA sequences from the Mediterranean Sea are needed for a better understanding of the genetic population structure of this species and to elaborate more concrete conservation measures.

Polychaetes from tropical ecosystems of the eastern Pacific have been poorly studied; thus, the aim of this study was to analyse their taxonomic composition in the southern Mexican Pacific shelf and to examine their biogeographic affinities. A total of 3741 specimens from 82 species, 52 genera, and 27 families were identified from 38 stations at 42–109 m depth. The Sedentaria group was more diverse (40 species, 48.8%) and abundant (1753 ind., 46.9%) compared to the Errantia (36 species, 43.9%; 346 ind., 9.2%) and the Basal Annelida groups (6 species, 7.3%; 1642 ind., 43.9%). The families Onuphidae (14 spp.), Spionidae (8 spp.), and Paraonidae (8 spp.) were the most diverse. The Amphinomidae and Spionidae accounted for 72.6% of the fauna; the remarkably high abundance of both families together is unusual in the tropical eastern Pacific. The polychaete species had high biogeographic affinities with the Mexican tropical Pacific ecoregion (45.1%), which has tropical conditions, and the Cortezian (29.3%), which has warm-temperate characteristics. Twelve amphiamerican species and ten with worldwide distribution were found. The tropical eastern Pacific is one of the world regions with the lowest number of polychaete records, thus underlining the importance of the taxonomic and biogeographic information provided here. The sampling effort should increase, since the non-parametric estimators indicated that 116–138 species were expected, instead of the 82 species actually found.

Three twig-growing lichen species belonging to the family Teloschistaceae from southern Patagonia are described as new to science: Marchantiana pyramus sp. nov., with minute apothecia, orange due to dominant content of emodin, M. ramulicola sp. nov., with minute olive apothecia with dominant parietin and Austroplaca thisbe sp. nov., with clear yellow apothecia also with dominant parietin. Marchantiana subpyracea, M. epibrya and M. queenslandica are new combinations for species which, so far, are known only from New Zealand and Australia. Blastenia circumpolaris is shown to be very common in Patagonia and Marchantiana asserigena is documented for the first time from the Southern Hemisphere, viz. the Falkland Islands. The genus Marchantiana is analyzed here using three genes and is shown to be closely related to Yoshimuria; although appearing as paraphyletic, a monophyletic origin cannot be ruled out. Morphology, ecology and distribution support a monophyletic treatment and Marchantiana is therefore treated as such.

Fungi are probably the most diverse group of eukaryotic organisms in the Antarctic continent and nearby archipelagos, and they dominate communities in either mild or harsh habitats. However, our knowledge of their global distribution ranges and the temporal origins of their Antarctic populations is rather limited or almost absent, especially for species that do not lichenize. We focused for the first time on elucidating the taxonomic identity and phylogenetic relationships of several Antarctic collections of the deadly fungal Basidiomycota genus Galerina. By using molecular sequence data from the universal fungal barcode and a dataset encompassing 178 specimens, the inferred phylogeny showed that the Antarctic specimens corresponded with the sub-cosmopolitan species Galerina marginata, Galerina badipes and Galerina fallax, and their most closely related intraspecific genetic lineages were from northern Europe and North America. We found that these species probably host Antarctic-endemic intraspecific lineages. Furthermore, our dating analyses indicated that their Antarctic populations originated in the Pleistocene, a temporal frame that agrees with that proposed for the Antarctic colonization of plants such as the grass Deschampsia antarctica, mosses and some amphitropical lichens. Altogether, these findings converge on the same temporal scenario for the assembly of the most conspicuous terrestrial Antarctic plant and fungal communities.

In the present contribution we report, for the first time, records of the nudibranch Zelentia ninel from Norway. The species is previously known only from the Barents Sea coast in northern Russia where it was described for the first time in 2017. Records of Z. ninel from six different localities in northern Norway from 2019–2023 are presented and discussed. The identity of the specimens was determined by investigation of external and internal morphology as well as molecular analysis of preserved specimens. Photographs of live specimens and radulae of preserved specimens are presented, and species delimitation is confirmed by molecular phylogenetic analysis. In order to assess the biogeographic distribution of Z. ninel based on all available information, recent unanticipated genetic data supporting a putative occurrence of Z. ninel at the Aleutian Islands, Alaska is also discussed where we provide arguments in support of occasional anthropogenic transportation outside its natural range. The present records significantly expand the known natural range of distribution for Z. ninel and demonstrate that the species is not restricted to the Russian Barents Sea coast but that the range encompasses also at least northern Norway. These data can provide important insights to the understanding of natural ranges of marine invertebrates across biogeographical regions affected by rapid ongoing climatic change.

This study provides new species records (NRs) of macroalgal assemblages present in rocky habitats from the South Shetland Islands (SSI) and north-eastern Antarctic Peninsula (EAP), Weddell Sea. Surveys were conducted during the summers of 2013/2014 to 2017/2018 at Elephant, Deception, Half Moon and Vega islands. Data from the present study and those available in the literature from the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) were combined to provide an updated checklist, giving insights into macroecology and potential changes in thermohaline circulation patterns. A total of 48 macroalgal taxa were identified from our sampling, with eight representing NRs to the EAP sector of the Weddell Sea and five representing NRs to the SSI. Statistical differences among the assemblages from the SSI, WAP and EAP were identified. NRs, including opportunistic species and new information about the biogeographical distributions of species reported here, give insights into ecoregional connectivity and environmental changes. This study updates macroalgal diversity records in regions that are currently experiencing the impacts of climate change. Future and ongoing monitoring for conservation purposes is required to detect non-native species, new dispersal pathways and patterns related to thermohaline anomalies in Antarctic waters.