For the bioassessment of tropical marine ecosystem, a survey of protozoa colonizing artificial substrate was conducted in the coastal waters of northern Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. Protozoan samples were collected using glass slides from 1 and 2 m water depths at time intervals of 3, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28 days during winter and monsoon seasons. Thus, the colonization processes of protozoa were assigned into three stages namely the initial (3 days), transitional (7 days), and equilibrium stages (10–28 days) at two depths in two seasons. Regression analyses demonstrated that the colonization dynamics of protozoa were well fitted to the MacArthur-Wilson model and logistic equation. Species richness reached equilibrium after 10–14 days and species abundance was maximum at a depth of 1 m. These results suggest that samples of protozoa can be collected at 1 m depth in winter season for monitoring the ecological health of tropical marine ecosystems.

The alvinocaridid shrimp Shinkaicaris leurokolos Kikuchi and Hashimoto, 2000, is an evolutionarily important deep-sea species in hydrothermal vents of north-western Pacific. A genome survey of S. leurokolos was carried out in order to provide a foundation for its whole-genome sequencing. A total of 599 Gb high-quality sequence data were obtained in the study, representing approximately 118× coverage of the S. leurokolos genome. According to the 17-mer distribution frequency, the estimated genome size was 5.08 Gb, and its heterozygosity ratio and percentage of repeated sequences were 2.85 and 87.03%, respectively, showing a complex genome. The final scaffold assembly accounted for a total size of 9.53 Gb (32,796,062 scaffolds, N50 = 597 bp). Repetitive elements nearly constituted 45% of the nuclear genome, among which the most ubiquitous were long interspersed nuclear elements, DNA transposons and long-terminal repeat elements. A total of 12,121,553 genomic simple sequence repeats were identified, with the most frequent repeat motif being di-nucleotide (70.27%), followed by tri-nucleotide and tetra-nucleotide. From the genome survey sequences, the mitochondrial genome of S. leurokolos was also constructed and 71 single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified by comparison with previous published reference. This is the first report of de novo whole-genome sequencing and assembly of S. leurokolos. These newly developed genomic data contribute to a better understanding of genomic characteristics of shrimps from deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems, and provides valuable resources for further molecular marker development.

Water is a vital resource essential for both sustaining life and a healthy environment as well as being a critical hazard in the form of floods or droughts which can destroy people’s livelihoods and property. This gives rise to a multi-faceted set of concerns and issues that affect everybody. For example, when contaminated with pathogens, wastewater can carry and rapidly transmit disease. The global distribution of freshwater is uneven and the problems this creates are likely to get worse due to climate change and the uncertainties associated with changing rainfall patterns and the emergence of more extreme weather events. Water has been described as the “new oil,” with potential conflicts arising out of disputed access to scarce water resources in the rest of this century. Billions of people around the world still do not have access to adequate safe water supplies or basic sanitation facilities, so in bringing basic water services to all there is much still to be done.

Despite holding the accolade as the largest animal ever to live on planet earth and ubiquitously inhabiting the world's major oceans, an acute paucity of information surrounds the geographical distribution and migration phenology of the endangered blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) in the northeast Atlantic. Current migration and distribution information derived from robust scientific studies is required to ensure the formulation and implementation of successful conservation measures with a vision to support the ongoing recovery of the northeast Atlantic population. At 10:21 (UTC) on the 9th of November 2020, two blue whales were observed at position 55°13.99′N, 01°13.62′W, 18 km off the coast of the UK in the central North Sea just north of Newcastle at a water depth of 76 m. This is the first paper that has confirmed an account of live blue whales frequenting shallow waters of the central North Sea and represents a new area of occurrence within the accepted range of the northeast Atlantic population, an area in which sightings are extremely rare and may provide insight into the intricacies of migration routes and behaviour.

The tragic Andrée balloon expedition of 1897 serves as a haunting reminder of the dangers posed by ice drift during polar exploration. This paper examines Andrée’s initial decision after his balloon flight to march towards Cape Flora in Franz Josef Land, despite its much greater distance compared to the Sjuøyane archipelago. The rationale behind this choice remains unclear, but potential factors include stored supplies, the demonstrated winter survival in Franz Josef Land and the scientific interest in unexplored regions. By analysing historical accounts and employing scenario analyses, this study contributes to a better understanding of Andrée’s perception of ice drift and its impact on their ill-fated journey. The paper explores major forces affecting ice drift, reviews the historical development of understanding ice drift in the area, and presents an analysis of Andrée’s understanding and decision-making. The overall conclusion is that Andrée probably was unaware of the substantial deflection to the right of the direction of the wind that ice drift in the Arctic on average is characterised of due to the Earth’s rotation (the Coriolis effect). Without this deflection, the decision to march towards Cape Flora would have made sense under the assumption of continued northerly winds.

The frigid geographical environment in the Arctic has shaped the exploration attribute of the polar cruise shipping network. In this study, the typical characteristics and special structure of the Arctic adventure cruise shipping network are investigated by using the network analysis method based on the data of 172 adventure cruise itineraries in the Arctic. It is found that the Arctic adventure cruise itineraries are dominated by 8–17 days of medium itineraries, and the ratio of one-way itineraries to round-trip itineraries is about 1:1. There are differences in the centrality of different ports, forming two core ports Reykjavík and Longyearbyen and a sub-core port Kangerlussuaq. The overall contact strength of the Arctic adventure cruise shipping network is low. Under the joint influence of such factors as centrality and contact strength, the Arctic constitutes the dual-core clusters of Iceland and Svalbard Islands and a sub-core cluster of Greenland.

The Arctic region is commonly seen as a territory of international dialogue and cooperation. This perception is largely due to the science diplomacy efforts that are largely being contributed by universities, scientific centres, research teams and individual scholars. This paper discusses the Arctic science diplomacy initiatives proposed by Russia’s northernmost federal university. Of particular interest is the case of establishing in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation of national biological monitoring network – the initiative supported by the government-funded mega-grant programme. Our analysis suggests that two pillars of science diplomacy – “science for diplomacy” and “diplomacy for science” – can be successfully combined within the framework of one project. Evidence is provided of the pursuit of national interests being not a limiting factor but rather a driver in the process of promoting diplomatic collaborations in science, serving as a third science diplomacy pillar. Significant progress towards ensuring peace and harmony in the Arctic and sustaining international dialogue on science-based responses to global challenges has been achieved through science diplomacy initiatives proposed by Northern (Arctic) Federal University (NArFU). The authors confirm that most effective tools for establishing good neighbourly relations in the Arctic and promoting international cooperation are offered by scientific discussion.

The move towards unlimited financial penalties in the UK for sewerage systems that do not operate in line with their discharge permits (and the even more extreme suggestion that there should be a financial penalty every time an overflow spills) sets a challenge to whether our existing sewerage models are accurate enough to provide certainty of avoiding those penalties. This article sets out proposed improved practice in the preparation of urban drainage models to improve their accuracy and usefulness and identifies areas where research, particularly into machine learning techniques, could deliver further improvements.