The current study records a new distributional range for Elysia cf. leucolegnote Jensen, 1990, which was previously reported only from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India. The collection was carried out in the mangroves of Kali Estuary situated in Karnataka (14°50ʹ55.27″N, 74° 9ʹ44.04″E & 14°50ʹ16.36″N, 74°10ʹ8.81″E), southwest coast of India. Prior studies had documented the distribution of this species in the tropical West Pacific and East Indian Oceans; this study reports the first record of E. cf. leucolegnote in the Northwestern Indian Ocean, expanding its documentation of a wider distribution range. The species was first discovered in Hong Kong and described in 1990. It was identified by its distinctive morphological characteristics, which featured black eyes situated proximally at the base of the rhinophores and a flattened, generally green body with a distinct white border line along the rhinophores and parapodia.

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.

From December 2023 to November 2024, regular surveys were conducted to document finfish bycatch in the trawl fishery landing at Veraval Fishing Harbour, northeastern coast of the Arabian Sea. As an outcome of this exploration, three male specimens of Callionymus gardineri and five (four males and one female) specimens of C. omanensis were collected. Both species were recorded for the first time from the north-western Arabian Sea, coastal waters of India, accompanied by a new maximum length record for C. omanensis (Lmax = 122.1 mm standard length). Callionymus omanensis was originally described based on a single male specimen, whereas the description of female C. omanensis was interpreted. While the exact justification for their distribution in this new locality remains unknown, both dragonet species likely moved eastwards from their native habitats along the western Arabian Sea coast. This strongly suggests a significant research gap in our understanding of low-value deep-sea trawl bycatch, necessitating further exploration to improve biodiversity assessments. Herein, the detailed meristic counts and morphometric measurements are compared, and updated distributional information is collated.

Ex ante, my primary concerns were about implementation across the wide expanse of federal applications, supporting the supplemental use of distributional weighting, trying to find a supportable middle ground on discounting using the expected value of bounds and a more consistent scope of analysis. Ex post, I felt heard if not followed, perhaps not uncommon for reviewers.

A single specimen of the Australian stargazer, Xenocephalus australiensis, was recently collected from the southwest coast of India, Arabian Sea. Since its original description, from northwest Australia, there have been no detailed reports on the species occurrence. The present study documents the first geographical record of X. australiensis in the Arabian Sea, Western Indian Ocean. Morphological characters are enumerated and compared with the voucher specimens from the original description. A detailed description of the specimen is provided, contributing valuable insights into the characteristics of X. australiensis in the Indian waters along with major distinguishing characters of the species in the genus Xenocephalus. This study extends the known geographic range of the species from northwest Australia, Eastern Indian Ocean, to the Arabian Sea, Western Indian Ocean.

What gives the benefit principle its moral appeal as an idea of tax justice? And what can count as a benefit for that purpose? My claim is that we can trace the moral force of various versions of the principle to five ideas: individual justification, causal feedback, reciprocity, opposable valuation and non-objectionable baseline. I develop those ideas into an account of the moral permissibility of benefit-based taxation, and explain how that account addresses problems about the quantification and valuation of benefits and the relationship between benefit and the justice of the background distribution.

Neurology faces prolonged wait times in Canada, with delays worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. As neurological disease prevalence rises, ensuring adequate access to care is essential. This study analyzes the distribution and migration patterns of neurologists in Canada from 1971 to 2022, using data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Neurology remains male-dominated (female-to-male ratio of 0.6), and only Ontario and British Columbia have per capita neurologist levels comparable to high-income countries. Despite stabilized migration to the USA since 2003, regional disparities persist, underscoring the need for strategies to improve retention, integrate foreign-trained professionals and enhance access across Canada.

The fortune jack (Seriola peruana), a pelagic fish typically found along the Tropical Eastern Pacific, has been recorded in the northernmost Gulf of California (GC) region. The first record in the Upper Gulf and habitat expansion of S. peruana is reported based on the meristic, morphometric, and biological data of three specimens caught by local artisanal fishermen in April 2024. The lack of commercial value likely explains the region's absence of records for this species. The increased presence of S. peruana distribution in the Upper GC could have significant ecological implications, which warrants further fish habitat use and climate change research.

This study on distribution of Ophiothrix savignyi was carried out from 2017 to 2022 in the Iranian waters of the Persian Gulf. Nineteen locations were sampled from coastal waters, including 16 newly reported areas. O. savignyi was epizoic, associated mostly with sponges, sea urchins, and soft corals. This survey shows O. savignyi as the most common and widespread brittle star in the northern and eastern Persian Gulf. In this study, O. savignyi, has been described again from the Persian Gulf.

The diogenid hermit crab, Calcinus morgani Rahayu & Forest, 1999, is reported from the Andaman Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean. It was previously recorded as Calcinus gaimardii (H. Milne Edwards, 1848) from the Nicobar Islands, south of the Andaman Islands, in 1865 about 160 years ago, but there were no additional records of the species in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The diagnosis of C. morgani is provided on the basis of the present specimens for helping the identification. A key to species of the genus Calcinus known from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is also provided.

We study the last exit time that a spectrally negative Lévy process is below zero until it reaches a positive level b, denoted by $g_{\tau_b^+}$. We generalize the results of the infinite-horizon last exit time explored by Chiu and Yin (2005) by incorporating a random horizon $\tau_b^+$, which represents the first passage time above b. We derive an explicit expression for the joint Laplace transform of $g_{\tau_b^+}$ and $\tau_b^+$ by utilizing a hybrid observation scheme approach proposed by Li, Willmot, and Wong (2018). We further study the optimal prediction of $g_{\tau_b^+}$ in the $L_1$ sense, and find that the optimal stopping time is the first passage time above a level $y_b^{\ast}$, with an explicit characterization of the stopping boundary $y_b^{\ast}$. As examples, Brownian motion with drift and the Cramér–Lundberg model with exponential jumps are considered.

Rapid advances in species distribution modelling have been facilitated by open availability of ‘big data’ and powerful statistical methods. A key consideration remains the time window over which field recorded occurrence data are sampled to develop a baseline species distribution. Too narrow, and distributions are incomplete and affected by sampling bias, too broad and distributions may fail to meet an assumption of equilibrium, having been affected by dynamic change across a range of different predictors. Lichens are a case in point; being diverse, functionally important and the subject of bioclimatic modelling for conservation assessment, they are nevertheless a specialist taxonomic group that is comparatively less well recorded compared to birds, mammals or vascular plants, for example. In this study, we examined the distribution of the ‘hair-lichen’ Bryoria fuscescens, based on UK record data. We partitioned records into sub-decadal periods (1970s, 1990s, 2010s), and accounting for recording effort, we compared these distributions to three predictors: an historical reconstruction of two different pollutants (sulphur dioxide and nitrogen deposition), and the climate (minimum mean temperature). We asked whether the strength of evidence for the effect of environmental predictors on Bryoria fuscescens distribution varied among the different decades, while also considering a potential for lag-effects. We show that a Bryoria fuscescens distribution that appears static, is dynamic when referenced against patterns of field recording effort. Climate was consistently important in explaining Bryoria fuscescens distribution, which was also affected by the changing pattern of pollution over time. This included a lag-effect of peak sulphur dioxide in the 1970s, and accrued effects of nitrogen deposition that strengthen over time. Overall, we conclude that Bryoria fuscescens has undergone a long-term decline in extent over the last six decades, caused by complex multivariate effects of air pollution, probably combined with climate warming. The ability to resolve these trends for assessment against future conservation targets depends critically on maintaining field identification skills and a sufficiently robust recording effort.

Urban areas are increasingly recognized as important centers of biodiversity. Nonetheless, invasive species can reduce this biodiversity, and cities can be hubs for alien plant invasions, highlighting the need to monitor urban biodiversity and problematic alien species. The goal of our study was to assess the distribution of wild chervil [Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffm.] and anise [Myrrhis odorata (L.) Scop.] in green spaces of Reykjavík, Iceland. This information is necessary to implement the city’s biodiversity strategy regarding invasive species. Both of these alien plants are spreading throughout Iceland, and Reykjavík’s high-latitude location (≥63°N) and remoteness make it an ideal case study to assess alien plant introductions and invasions in subarctic urban areas. We surveyed four green spaces (Laugarnes, Vatnsmýri, Elliðaárdalur, and Ægisiða) from May to October 2017 using AllTrailsPro and ArcGIS mobile applications. ANOVA and Bonferroni correction (post hoc test) were used to compare the distribution and patch sizes of A. sylvestris and M. odorata among the study sites. We found that A. sylvestris covered at least 10% (15.5 ha) of the total area surveyed (158 ha), while M. odorata only covered ≤1 ha. Both plants were abundant near buildings, pathways, riversides, and streams, and they are expanding their distribution in Reykjavík’s green spaces. While A. sylvestris is clearly more established and widespread with larger patches (>100 m2), the distribution of M. odorata is more localized, occurring mainly in smaller patches (<100 m2). We recommend long-term monitoring to further assess M. odorata’s invasive potential, as well as testing and adopting integrated weed management strategies via adaptive management to control the distribution of A. sylvestris and that of other problematic alien plants. These actions, which are applicable to other subarctic cities, will help foster more proactive management encouraging urban biodiversity.

The current study represents the first records of elusive cardinalfish, Apogon fugax Gon et al., 2020 and twinbar cardinalfish, Apogonichthyoides sialis (Jordan and Thompson, 1914) from the Gujarat coast, northwestern India. During February 2024, regular fishing surveys were conducted to document a bycatch species assemblage. In the course of this study, a total three specimens of A. fugax and a single specimen of A. sialis were procured from Veraval Fishing Harbour, Gujarat, India. Apogon fugax is reported for the first time from Indian waters, while A. sialis is recorded for the first time from northwestern India. Herein, detailed meristic counts, morphometric measurements and the distribution of the species are described.