The ʻuaʻu, or Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma sandwichensis, is an endangered seabird endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Genetic, morphometric, and behavioural differences have previously been found between different island populations of the species. Understanding the breeding phenology of different populations of ʻuaʻu is therefore vital for conservation actions targeting the species. To assess breeding phenology of ʻuaʻu on the islands of Kauaʻi and Lānaʻi, two main techniques were used over a 12-year period: direct burrow monitoring and burrow cameras. The breeding phenology of the ʻuaʻu is described based on this data. On Kauaʻi, breeding birds arrive in the middle of April, undergo an exodus of approximately one month, and return to lay in the beginning of June. Incubation continues until early August, followed by chick-rearing, which ends on average two weeks before the chick fledges. Fledging starts in mid-October, peaks in mid-November, and ends in the third week of December. Lānaʻi birds arrive two weeks earlier and fledge one week earlier than on Kauaʻi. On both islands breeding was asynchronous with a 68-day (Kauaʻi) and 48-day (Lānaʻi) gap between first and last fledging birds. Considering phenology data across its entire Hawaiian range, ʻuaʻu first arrive on east Maui, then Lānaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island, and Kauaʻi in that order. These differences in timing presumably reflect and/or reinforce genetic differentiation between subpopulations of the species. The utility of this information is discussed in terms of directing management actions towards key periods of vulnerability to introduced predators, including peak incubation, chick emergence, and chick exercise periods. Description of island-specific phenologies is also critical to inform efforts to rescue fledglings disoriented by artificial light, mitigate powerline collisions, and refine existing monitoring and restoration projects. Future work using acoustic monitoring and data collected at social attraction sites is recommended for assessing the phenology of non-breeders at colonies.

Feather stars (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) are known to host a diversified associated fauna. Surprisingly, very few accounts on the crinoid epiphytic communities from the coasts of the India are available. The present contribution reports for the first time the crinoid-associated scale worm Paradyte crinoidicola (Potts, 1910) from Gujarat coastline, India. The species has been so far recorded from the southern part of Indian subcontinent, the Lakshadweep Islands as its first record from Indian coastline. Further research and documentation of these species will contribute to enhance our understanding of the diverse associations and complex interactions within Indian marine ecosystems. This highlights the necessity for more thorough field surveys and ongoing monitoring, as the region remains surprisingly underexplored.

A specimen of Prionotus punctatus was caught in Bahía Engaño, Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina. This extends the known distribution by 900 km and a 5.5° further south from its previous southernmost record. This record increases the number of species of the genus Prionotus and the fish diversity of central Patagonia. The presence of P. punctatus along with other recent reports of fish of tropical and subtropical lineages in central Patagonia adds new evidence on the ongoing tropicalization of the Patagonian Sea.

Providing nursery habitats to a number of marine fish larvae that recruit after prolonged pelagic larval duration, has been identified as one of ecosystem services rendered by estuaries and protected inshore water bodies like mangroves, mudflats, swamps, and marshes. Larval fish congregation and survival are largely dependent on abiotic and biotic potential of such systems and many migrant marine fishes are adapted to them. However, occurrences of larval forms of tropical reef-associated vagrant species which are known for extensive range adaptations generate considerable academic interest. The present study provides the first report of ontogenic habitat utilization of yellow fin surgeon fish, Acanthurus xanthopterus Valenciennes 1835 in a tropical microtidal positive estuary, the Vembanad lake, South India. Surface plankton collections from the downstream part of the estuary revealed considerable proportions of acanthurid larvae in post monsoon (mean 354 ± 180 numbers/100 m3) and pre monsoon (mean 217 ± 120 numbers/100 m3) while they were absent in monsoon season. These acronurus larval forms were morphologically identified and sorted before being subjected for DNA barcoding. Mitochondrial DNA COI sequences developed from morphologically characterized acronurus larvae exhibited genetic congruency to sequence of A. xanthopterus which was evident from phylogram (bootstrap support of 100) and genetic distance data (intraspecific distance of 0%). The study indicates that Acronurus larvae of A. xanthopterus, after extensive cross-habitat dispersal, utilize the estuarine habitat to promote potential growth.

The family Dendrophylliidae comprises a genus of azooxanthellate corals, Tubastraea (also known as ‘sun corals’ or ‘cup corals’), native from the Indo-Pacific and introduced into the Atlantic Ocean in the early 1940s. In Brazil, Tubastraea colonies were first registered on oil platforms on the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro state (22°S) in the late 1980s. Two decades later, these corals were for the first time identified in the Todos-os-Santos Bay (Bahia state, 13°S), a warmer environment with diverse marine ecosystems including estuaries, mangroves, and coral reefs. Intending to describe the biological cycle of exotic dendrophylliids from the Brazilian northeastern coast, histological analyses revealed three new reproductive structures for Scleractinia: (1) a mucin layer composed of acid glycoproteins surrounding immature sun coral oocytes, (2) trophonema or specialized cells connecting the oocyte to the adjacent gastrodermis, and (3) nucleolini, small condensations in nucleoli.

We investigated Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis avoidance of powerlines and their pylons by assessing the spatial distribution of Skylark territories. We mapped territory centres in a central German agricultural landscape during 2020 and used Bayesian logistic regression models to test if distances from powerlines and pylons are predictive of the presence of territories. We also tested other possible predictors, namely, nearest distances from roads, vertical structures, wind energy plants, settlements, as well as the nearest pylon type and vegetation. Distances from the nearest road and settlement were positively correlated with the probability of territory occurrence. However, distance from powerlines and pylons were not significant predictors. Skylarks were also more likely to establish territories in areas where winter grain is present. We conclude that powerlines are unlikely to lead to significant habitat reduction for the Skylark that would impact local populations. We can, however, confirm avoidance behaviour towards roads and settlements, as well as a preference for areas with winter grain because the crop’s growth period coincides with the start of the breeding season, initially providing vegetation of a suitable height and coverage.

This paper reports one mytiloid species, Amygdalum anoxicolum P. G. Oliver, 2001 from the summit of a seamount located in the eastern Arabian Sea. This species was encountered from the core of the Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone at a depth of 340 m and possessed several adaptations to low-oxygen concentration. This paper presents the first-ever DNA barcodes for this species.

The magnificent shrimp, Ancylomenes magnificus (Bruce, 1979), is a sea anemone associated marine ornamental organism exploited from Indo-Pacific waters, for the marine aquarium trade, as it has attractive coloration. However, there are no reports available yet on its population and reproductive characteristics (population structure, length–weight relationship, fecundity, sexual dimorphism, sex ratio and maturity stages). The present investigation provides information for the first time on the population and reproductive parameters of A. magnificus. In this study, a total of 158 individuals were collected from the intertidal regions of the Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu, India from August 2021 to April 2022, out of which 61.4% (97 individuals) were females and 38.6% (61 individuals) were males. The estimated mean size (CL ± SD) of females was 4.93 ± 0.78 mm, while that of males was 3.22 ± 0.56 mm. The estimated mean body weight was 0.091 and 0.219 g in males and females, respectively. The study indicated strong sexual dimorphism in this species and considerable variation appeared in the carpus and chela of the second major pereopod, carapace and total length. The carapace length and weight showed a negative allometric relationship with a significant coefficient. Fecundity was relatively lower and embryo volume increased with size groups. Interestingly, the study revealed year-round breeding activity with a peak in the post-monsoon (January to March) and monsoonal period (October to December) for this species. The present investigation provides the first baseline information on the population and reproductive parameters of A. magnificus.

At a time of increasing environmental changes and geopolitical tensions, the need for collaboration in the Arctic is greater than ever. Top-down initiatives such as the Arctic Council have contributed to important increased collaboration and science diplomacy. Similarly, bottom-up initiatives have also played a major role in establishing diplomacy among researchers with spin-offs at government levels. We track the rise of science diplomacy achieved by INTERACT. In 2021, this was a network of 90 research stations in 18 countries (including all Arctic nations). It aims to improve the wellness of Indigenous Peoples, other Arctic residents and the global community by facilitating environmental monitoring and research. It supports scientists from around the world and facilitates environmental monitoring for more than 150 international/global networks. INTERACT contributed to science diplomacy until spring 2022 when the invasion of Ukraine by Russia completely changed its pan-Arctic networking over a couple of months. This decrease in INTERACT science diplomacy was due entirely to external constraints related to the current geopolitical circumstances and poses a new reality for INTERACT and its important contributions to environmental monitoring and research in a region where changes have global implications.

In the present study we update the distributional, bathymetric ranges and taxonomic characters of the carnivorous sponge Asbestopluma (Asbestopluma) magnifica Lopez, Bravo & Hajdu, 2011 providing new records for Argentinian jurisdictional waters in the SW Atlantic Ocean, including the Marine Protected Area Namuncurá/Burdwood Bank. The shallowest bathymetric range is now changed to the upper bathyal (289 m depth). We also amend the original description after re-examination of type materials, when markedly different micrometric values were observed for their subtylostyles and acanthotylostrongyles. We noticed a remarkable similarity between Asbestopluma (Asbestopluma) sarsensis Goodwin, Berman, Downey & Hendry, 2017 and A. (A.) magnifica and we suspect they may be synonymous, but we refrain from taking a formal decision pending revision of all materials reported for the younger taxon or a genetic analysis.

Through compositional inclusion or exclusion, the photograph can assert and communicate what belongs in a picture, in a landscape, in an ecosystem. It can illuminate what we deem conservation-worthy, or, on a larger scale, which extinctions are attention-worthy. Photographic practice helps to illuminate the active nature of extinction, and our choices as actors and witnesses within that process. Here, researchers from the University of Leeds’ Extinction Studies Doctoral Training Programme present individual reflections on interdisciplinary practice-led research in the Scottish Small Isles. We consider how photography, as a form of praxis, can generate new forms of knowledge surrounding extinction: its meanings, representations, and legacies, particularly through visual representation. We offer seven perspectives on contemporary image-making, from disciplines including philosophy, conservation biology, literature, sociology, geology, cultural anthropology, and palaeontology. Researchers gathered experiential, ethical, even biological meanings from considering what to include or exclude in images: from the micro to the macro, the visible to the invisible, the aesthetic to the ecological. We draw conclusions around meaning-making through the process of photography itself, and the tensions encountered through framing and decision-making in a time of mass ecological decline.

Understanding the population structure and genetic diversity of green turtles is crucial for effective conservation. This study investigated the occurrence, genetic composition, and potential origins of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Potiguar Basin, northeastern Brazil, based on stranding data from 2010 to 2019. Analysis revealed that 87.36% of the population consisted of juveniles, primarily females with a curved carapace length (CCL) between 30 and 59.9 cm. Genetic analysis of the mtDNA control region (481 bp, n = 39) revealed eight haplotypes, with CM-A8 (48.7%) and CM-A5 (30.8%) being the most common. This may be related to the geographic position of the Potiguar Basin, located in the ‘corner’ of the South American continent. High haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity were observed, consistent with other Brazilian foraging grounds. Mixed stock analysis identified Ascension Island as the primary source population, followed by Guinea-Bissau and Surinam. The results highlight the importance of the Potiguar Basin as a foraging area for green turtles and emphasize the need for comprehensive conservation strategies to protect this vulnerable population.

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.

Land-use changes are considered one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. Agricultural intensification, pastoral abandonment, and changes in forest management have led to the homogenisation of landscapes. In particular, the encroachment of grasslands and the densification of forests that are no longer pastured threaten species that require multiple habitats to nest and forage, such as the European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus. Whereas previous studies have focused on understanding factors influencing the decrease of nightjars at regional or national scales, here, we aimed to assess fine-scaled habitat selection by nightjars within nesting and foraging sites based on high-resolution GPS tracking data. Vegetation structure and composition were quantified in the field. In the nesting habitat, nightjars prefer open forests with a low percentage of trees and where the ground is not covered by more than 40% of grass and crawling bushes (dwarf bushes such as Juniperus species). In contrast, when foraging, nightjars select open grasslands and biodiversity-friendly managed vineyards, both richly structured, i.e. interspersed or surrounded by other land-use types such as hedges or isolated trees. Both the nesting and foraging habitats are currently threatened, either by the abandonment of forest management, which makes stands denser and more homogeneous, or through agricultural intensification, which reduces land-use diversity. Clear habitat-specific management recommendations and political incentives are needed to simultaneously preserve and/or restore these critical habitats, which are important for nightjars that use complementary resources for nesting and foraging.

Identifying cryptic species and juveniles in the Ophiuroidea has always been a challenge. However, post-larval developmental studies have the potential to uncover the identity of these cryptic species and juveniles, as they offer valuable information that is not often found in adults. Although the importance of studying growth series is well-known in ophiuroids, it is difficult to obtain and identify the juvenile stages. For this reason, most studies are restricted to brooding species and information is lacking for many species, including those of the genus Ophiocoma. In this study, a growth series was developed to show the main differences during the development of two similar species of Ophiocoma: Ophiocoma echinata and Ophiocoma trindadensis. Using morphometry and scanning electron microscopy, we describe in detail the juveniles, intermediate stage, and adults of O. echinata and O. trindadensis. Differences in the shape of the ventral arm plate and dorsalmost arm spines, the number of tentacle scales, and the presence of granules ventrally were highlighted in the separation and identification of juveniles of both species.

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.

This work focuses on the study of three pelagic fish species of the same genus, caught from the south-western coasts of the Mediterranean. It concerns lipid content, fatty acid profile and nutritional quality (atherogenic index, thrombogenicity index, ratio between hypocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic fatty acids and n6-to-n3 ratio) of Trachurus trachurus, Trachurus mediterraneus and Trachurus picturatus. Lipid extraction and esterification were carried out on the flesh of each species, and fatty acid methyl esters were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The obtained results show that lipid content mean values vary between 2.87 and 5.06%, saturated fatty acids contents range from 37.51 to 53.23%, monounsaturated fatty acids content range from 29.24 to 37.65% and polyunsaturated fatty acids content range from 9.11 to 33.24% according to species. Also, the different mean values of indexes describing the nutritional quality vary significantly depending on species. That confirms the good quality of studied species and their importance for human nutrition and health, hence the urgent need to preserve their stocks.

The present study described and illustrated the larval morphology of the three first zoeal stages (zoea I–III) of Synalpheus fritzmuelleri and compared with the previous described larvae of this species. The results pointed out a variety of differences among the descriptions, most of them related to the type and number of setae and articulation of appendages. The first zoea demonstrates similarities shared with the zoea I within the genus besides the diagnostic described characteristics. Other incongruences were also found such as the lack of information about some structures, such as the maxillule in the zoea I, and the use of ambiguous terms do designate type of setae. Moreover, the more advanced the zoea, additional differences were found among the previous and the current descriptions. Due to that, the necessity to review and also add new descriptions for Synalpheus larvae proves imminent to establish a standardization in the morphological description that will strengthen the comparative relationship in the genus.

The Japanese flying squid, Todarodes pacificus, is distributed mainly in the northwest Pacific and the Japan Sea. The present study was conducted for a better understanding of the mechanisms behind its migration routes. The ratios of strontium to calcium (Sr:Ca) in the statoliths can be associated with the water temperatures the squid experienced in the sea. Using specimens collected in the northern Japan Sea in summer and Lagrangian backward tracer experiments, a strong negative correlation was obtained between the Sr:Ca in the statoliths and the empirical water temperatures estimated through a regional ocean model. These backward tracer experiments were continuously conducted at depths of 6, 15, and 30 m. The greatest determination coefficient of the regression expression appeared for a nearshore tracer group of the experiment at a depth of 15 m. In addition, the regression expression provided reasonable lifetime empirical water temperature variations of the squids collected in the sea areas east of Tsushima Island and west of the Goto Islands in winter. The combination of Ca:Sr analytical chemistry and tracer experiments with the ocean dynamic model used in this study improved our understanding of the migration path of T. pacificus.