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The genus Caprella (Amphipoda: Caprellidae) has been recorded from all over the world oceans, whereas the species C. danilevskii Czerniavski, 1868 was only limited to southern parts of the Indian Ocean. Here, the occurrence of the genus Caprella and species C. danilevskii is described from the coastal waters of India for the first time, thus extending the distribution of this species to the northern Indian Ocean. The specimens of C. danilevskii were collected from macroalgae located at the rocky intertidal coast at Veraval, Gujarat, India. A detailed description of the specimen from the Indian region was provided, including explicit morphometric relations among the male and female sexes. Some abnormalities and special characters were observed in the population, which have not been discussed prior to this study. The species C. danilevskii could represent an introduction in the coastal waters of India; however it cannot be ignored that the species was present earlier or could have been overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the new find of Dactylophrya-stage of rare parasitic suctorian ciliate of genus Tachyblaston on harpacticoid copepod from Mumbai, India. The found specimen was identified as Tachyblaston reversum (Collin, 1909), n. comb. The redescription of T. reversum was provided. The refined diagnoses of genus Tachyblaston and included species, data on distribution of genus representatives, synonymy and comments on genus taxonomy are also presented.

Anthropogenic litter is a ubiquitous stressor in the global ocean, and poses ominous threats to oceanic biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. At the terrestrial-ocean interface, tropical mangrove forests are subject to substantial exposure to mismanaged litter from inland and marine sources. While the effects of litter in different marine ecosystems are well-documented, research on the ecological consequences of litter pollution on mangroves remain nascent stage. Here, we investigated anthropogenic litter concentration, composition, probable sources, and impact on coastal mangroves along the Central West coast of India. The mean concentration of trapped litter was measured 8.5 ± 1.9 items/m 2 (ranged 1.4 ̶ 26.9 items/m 2 ), and 10.6 ± 0.5 items/tree (ranged 0 ̶ 85 items/tree) on the mangrove floor and mangrove canopy, respectively. Plastic dominated 83.02 % of all litter deposited on the mangrove forest floor and 93.4 % of all entangled litter on mangrove canopy. Most litter comprised single-use plastic products across all surveyed locations. Mangrove floor cleanliness was assessed using several indices, such as Clean Coast Index, General Index, Hazardous Items Index, and Pollution Load Index, reiterating an inferior cleanliness status. The pollution load index indicates "Hazard level I" plastic pollution risk across the mangroves. Litter concentration differed markedly across all sites. However, a significantly higher concentration of stranded litter was detected in the densely populated urban agglomeration and rural areas with inadequate solid waste management. Probable sources of litter indicate land-based (local) and sea-originated (fishing). Supportive information on the transport and accumulation of marine litter is examined based on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Climate Forecast System (CFS) model version 2 reanalysis of surface wind and current pattern across the Arabian Sea followed by MIKE simulated tide-induced coastal current. Mangrove pneumatophores and branches were found to be damaged by entangled plastics. Hence, determining litter quantum and their probable input source is pivotal in mitigating anthropogenic litter impact on mangrove ecosystems and fostering mangrove conservation. Overall, results envisage that stringent enforcement, implementation of an integrated solid waste management framework, and general behavioral change of the public are crucial to mitigate litter/plastic pollution., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The article presents the description of a new species of the suctorian genus Rhabdophrya inhabiting the body surface (cuticle) of harpacticoid copepod from Navy-Nagar, Mumbai intertidal coralline region, west coast of India, the Arabian Sea. The diagnosis of the genus is refined, all other species diagnoses and identification keys are presented.

Three suctorian ciliate species, Paracineta livadiana (Mereschkowsky, 1881), Loricophrya bosporica Sergeeva Dovgal, 2014 and Acinetopsis lynni Baldrighi et al., 2020 are found as epibionts on meiobenthic nematodes in an oxygen minimum zone of the Arabian Sea. All three species are recorded here for the first time from the Indian Ocean.

Marine debris has become a major form of pollution and a serious ecosystem health concern. The present study evaluates the accumulation, origin, and fate of debris in intertidal coral habitats of Mumbai-one of the world's highly populated coastal cities on the west coast of India. Predominantly, seven hermatypic coral species belonging to seven genera and five families were identified and mainly represented by Pseudosidastrea, Porites, and Bernardpora. In terms of number, the mean density of marine debris was 1.60 ± 0.13 SE items/m 2 , which is higher than the global average. The mean density of plastic debris was 1.46 ± 0.14 SE items/m 2 . Approximately 9% of total coral colonies were in physical contact with debris, and 22% of these colonies showed visible signs of partial bleaching. Single use plastic bags and wrappers were dominant plastic debris. The study area was characterized as 'very poor cleanliness' according to the Beach Quality Indexes, which include the Clean Coast Index, General Index, and Hazardous Items Index. The numerical model indicates the influence of river discharge and probable areas of plastic accumulation with high tidal currents in this region, maneuvering the spatial advection of litter in the nearshore areas. Combined analysis of ground-truthing and model simulation implies that the possible contributing sources of litter were representatives of land-based and sea-originated. The overall results point to increasing anthropogenic stressors threatening coastal coral communities, including marine debris pollution. It is advocated to adopt an integrated coastal zone management approach supported by coordinated policy frameworks could guide the mitigation of the debris footprint in coastal environments., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The present article deals with the report of 7 suctorian epibiont species viz. Thecacineta calix, Actinocyathula homari, Loricophrya bosporica, L. cf. stresemanni, Acinetides gruberi, Trematosoma rotunda and Brachyosoma sp. on benthic meiofauna collected from the deep Arabian Sea (> 1000 m). The data on the distribution and host prevalence of found species are discussed. The finds of other deep-sea ciliate species are also mentioned.