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Marine spatial management requires accurate data on species and habitat distributions. For the deep sea, these data are lacking. Habitat suitability modelling offers a robust defensible means to fill data gaps, provided models are sufficiently reliable. We tested the performance of published models of 2 deep-sea habitat-forming taxa at low and high resolutions (~1 km and 200 m grid-cell size), across the extended exclusive economic zones of the UK and Ireland. We constructed new data-rich models and compared new and old estimates of the area of habitat protected, noting changes in the protected area network since 2015. Results of independent validation suggest that all published models perform worse than expected considering original cross-validation results, but model performance is still good or fair for Desmophyllum pertusum reef, with poorer performance for Pheronema carpenteri sponge models. High-resolution models using multibeam data out-perform low-resolution GEBCO-based models. Newly constructed models are good to excellent according to cross validation. New model spatial predictions reflect published models, but with a significant reduction in predicted extent. The current marine protected area network and the European Union ban on bottom trawling below 800 m protect 40 and 60% of D. pertusum reef-suitable habitat, respectively, and 11 and 100% of P. carpenteri-suitable habitat, respectively, within the model domain. We conclude that high-resolution models of D. pertusum reef distribution are a useful tool in spatial management. The poorer performing P. carpenteri model indicates areas for more detailed study. While low-resolution models can provide conservative estimates of percentage area-based conservation targets following the precautionary principle, high-resolution sea-floor mapping supports the development of better-performing models.

Context One risk factor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is postulated to be vitamin D deficiency. To better understand the role of vitamin D deficiency in the disease course of COVID-19, we undertook a retrospective case-control study in North West England. Objective To examine whether hospitalization with COVID-19 is more prevalent in individuals with lower vitamin D levels. Methods The study included individuals with test results for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) between April 1, 2020, and January 29, 2021, from 2 districts in North West England. The last 25(OH)D level in the previous 12 months was categorized as “deficient” if less than 25 nmol/L and “insufficient” if 25 to 50 nmol/L. Results The study included 80 670 participants. Of these, 1808 were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, of whom 670 died. In a primary cohort, median serum 25(OH)D in nonhospitalized participants with COVID-19 was 50.0 nmol/L (interquartile range [IQR], 34.0-66.7) vs 35.0 nmol/L (IQR, 21.0-57.0) in those admitted with COVID-19 (P Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency is associated with higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalization. Widespread measurement of serum 25(OH)D and treatment of insufficiency or deficiency may reduce this risk.

Background Detection of alcohol consumption in clients undergoing treatment for alcohol dependence can be difficult. The ethanol metabolites ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulphate are detectable for longer in urine than either breath ethanol or urine ethanol. Our aim was to develop a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for urine ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulphate for use in a routine clinical laboratory and define clinical cut-offs in a large population who had not consumed alcohol for at least two weeks. Methods Urine samples were diluted in 0.05% formic acid in HPLC grade water and then directly injected onto a Waters Acquity ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a Waters TQ Detector. Eighty participants were recruited who had not consumed alcohol for at least two weeks to define cut-offs for urine ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulphate. Samples and alcohol diaries were also collected from 12 alcohol-dependent clients attending a treatment programme. Results The assay was validated with a lower limit of quantitation of 0.20 mg/L for ethyl glucuronide and 0.04 mg/L for ethyl sulphate. Accuracy, precision, linearity and recovery were acceptable. Cut-offs were established for ethyl glucuronide, ethyl sulphate and ethyl sulphate/creatinine ratio (≤0.26 mg/L, ≤0.22 mg/L and ≤0.033 mg/mmol, respectively) in a non-drinking population. The validated cut-offs correctly identified clients in alcohol treatment who were continuing to drink alcohol. Conclusions A simple liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for urine ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulphate has been validated and cut-offs defined using 80 participants who had not consumed alcohol for at least two weeks. This is the largest study to date to define cut-offs for ethyl glucuronide, ethyl sulphate and ethyl sulphate/creatinine ratio.

Aims The ethanol metabolites ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulphate (EtS) are detectable for longer in urine than breath ethanol or urine ethanol after alcohol intake. This study compared the performance of breath ethanol, urine ethanol, urine EtG and EtS to detect alcohol consumption in clients in community alcohol treatment. Methods Clients attending the community alcohol treatment programme were asked to provide an alcohol diary, breathalyser test and urine for ethanol, EtG and EtS measurement ( n = 42). Positive results were defined using the detection limits (breath ethanol and urine ethanol) or clinical cut-offs (EtG: 0.26 mg/L and EtS: 0.22 mg/L). The sensitivities and specificities of each marker to detect alcohol intake

Repeated cycles of glaciation have had major impacts on the distribution of genetic diversity of the Antarctic marine fauna. During glacial periods, ice cover limited the amount of benthic habitat on the continental shelf. Conversely, more habitat and possibly altered seaways were available during interglacials when the ice receded and the sea level was higher. We used microsatellites and partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 gene to examine genetic structure in the direct-developing, endemic Southern Ocean octopod Pareledone turqueti sampled from a broad range of areas that circumvent Antarctica. We find that, unusually for a species with poor dispersal potential, P. turqueti has a circumpolar distribution and is also found off the islands of South Georgia and Shag Rocks. The overriding pattern of spatial genetic structure can be explained by hydrographic (with ocean currents both facilitating and hindering gene flow) and bathymetric features. The Antarctic Peninsula region displays a complex population structure, consistent with its varied topographic and oceanographic influences. Genetic similarities between the Ross and Weddell Seas, however, are interpreted as a persistent historic genetic signature of connectivity during the hypothesized Pleistocene West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapses. A calibrated molecular clock indicates two major lineages within P. turqueti, a continental lineage and a sub-Antarctic lineage, that diverged in the mid-Pliocene with no subsequent gene flow. Both lineages survived subsequent major glacial cycles. Our data are indicative of potential refugia at Shag Rocks and South Georgia and also around the Antarctic continent within the Ross Sea, Weddell Sea and off Adelie Land. The mean age of mtDNA diversity within these main continental lineages coincides with Pleistocene glacial cycles.

We present the case of a 57-year-old patient who initially presented with a constellation of symptoms including intense pruritis, flushing and diarrhoea. Following several months clinical deterioration, the patient was investigated radiologically, where multiple hepatic tumours were identified. Liver biopsy confirmed the presence of a well-differentiated metastatic gastroenteropancreatic endocrine carcinoma with biochemical evidence of serotonin secretion. Over a period of six months, the clinical course of the patient's disease progressed whereby severe hypoglycaemia became the major manifestation. Subsequent biochemical investigations confirmed the diagnosis of an insulinoma. Extensive radiological investigation revealed a solitary primary pancreatic tumour, indicating the presence of a metastatic pancreatic endocrine tumour (PET) secreting both insulin and serotonin. The patient was treated with a chemotherapy regimen consisting of 12 cycles of 5-fluorouracil/oxaliplatin, responding clinically – improved World Health Organization performance score from 3 to 1, biochemically – significantly reduced plasma chromogranin A and cancer antigen 19-9 concentrations and improved liver function tests, and radiologically – reduced pancreatic and hepatic tumour size. This is the first report of a primary PET secreting insulin and serotonin. Due to the association of serotonin-secreting gastroenteropancreatic endocrine tumours (GEP-ETs) with multiple endocrine neoplasia type-1 (MEN1) and biochemical evidence of an insulinoma, MEN1 should also be considered in such cases. The case provides further evidence for the biological heterogeneity of GEP-ETs and the myriad secretory humoral products and resultant clinical syndromes arising from such tumours.

Many members of the benthic fauna of the Antarctic continental shelf share close phylogenetic relationships to the deep-sea fauna adjacent to Antarctica and in other ocean basins. It has been suggested that connections between the Southern Ocean and the deep sea have been facilitated by the presence of a deep Antarctic continental shelf coupled with submerging Antarctic bottom water and emerging circumpolar deep water. These conditions may have allowed ‘polar submergence’, whereby shallow Southern Ocean fauna have colonised the deep sea and ‘polar emergence’, whereby deep-sea fauna colonised the shallow Southern Ocean. A recent molecular study showed that a lineage of deep-sea and Southern Ocean octopuses with a uniserial sucker arrangement on their arms appear to have arisen via polar submergence. A distantly related clade of octopuses with a biserial sucker arrangement on their arms (historically placed in the genus Benthoctopus) is also present in the deep-sea basins of the world and the Southern Ocean. To date their evolutionary history has not been examined. The present study investigated the origins of this group using 3133 base pairs (bp) of nucleotide data from five mitochondrial genes (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, cytochrome c oxidase subunit III, cytochrome b) and the nuclear gene rhodopsin from at least 18 species (and 7 outgroup taxa). Bayesian relaxed clock analyses showed that Benthoctopus species with a high-latitude distribution in the Southern Hemisphere represent a paraphyletic group comprised of three independent clades. The results suggest that the Benthoctopus clade originated in relatively shallow Northern Hemisphere waters. Benthoctopus species distributed in the Southern Ocean are representative of polar emergence and occur at shallower depths than non-polar Benthoctopus species.

The UK and Ireland, in common with most other European states, are in the middle of a period of rapid expansion in the number of marine protected areas (generally as Special Areas of Conservation, SACs, to meet the EU Habitats Directive). This level of activity will dominate the future of marine protected areas in Irish waters, presenting opportunities for marine conservation and potentially bringing wider benefits to society. The success of SACs is likely to depend heavily on the attitudes and engagement of people that use protected sites (`stakeholders¿). This article reports on a stakeholder workshop where the potential benefits, achievement of potential and possible improvements in marine protected areas were discussed. A lack of baseline data and inefficient communication of existing information were felt to restrict the perceived success of some existing reserves. Improvements seem possible in legislative coherence, public engagement and in the science base. Resources for monitoring and managing protected areas are always likely to be stretched. Ways have to be found to make use of whatever data are available, potentially leading to public access web sites for each SAC where stakeholders can upload information. There appeared to be a broad consensus on many points in the day¿s discussions. In keeping with the workshop format, individual participants were invited to emphasize areas of omission, disagreement or consensus in comments that follow the main body of this article. peer-reviewed

The richness and turnover of coastal larval pools set upper limits for biodiversity in coastal systems. For particular local systems, such as embayments, the characteristics of the local larval pool are determined by the relative contributions of locally produced and external larvae. The balance between these sources partially reflects the extent of tidal exchange and is hence related to system size and flushing time. Larvae of benthic marine invertebrates were sampled from 8 bays along the Irish coast to investigate the effect of coastline configuration on the characteristics of the larval pool. Flushing time explained 34.5% of the variability in species richness from a series of daily samples. Many of the potentially relevant environmental variables are correlated, limiting the poten- tial for individual variables to be examined in isolation. We therefore used a principal components analysis to describe the major patterns in environmental variability across bays. The second principal component separated bays along a gradient of increasing depth, salinity, tidal range and flushing time. Scores along this component were generally better predictors of the larval pool than single vari- ables, explaining as much as 61.2% of the variation in species richness, diversity and similarity between dates. Deeper bays, with more saline water and longer flushing times, tended to have richer and more diverse larval pools, with a greater consistency in species composition between sample dates. No relationship was found between environmental variables and larval abundance. Our results suggest that flushing time, particularly when in combination with topographic variables, chlorophyll, tidal range and salinity, may be a useful predictor for the richness and turnover of local larval pools.

The reproductive biology of two species of endemic Southern Ocean octopods was investigated around the sub-Antarctic islands of South Georgia and Shag Rocks. The females of both the species produce few, large eggs. This appears to be governed by phylogenetic constraint. No evidence was found for ontogenetic migration or seasonality associated with gonad maturation. Based on oocyte length frequency distributions and observations of oocyte development within the ovary, it is possible that both species could have either a single or multiple-batch spawning strategy. Pareledone turqueti ovaries contained fewer larger oocytes than those of Adelieledone polymorpha, which may help to reduce competition for resources immediately after hatching.

1. One of the goals for Natura 2000, a key European Community programme of nature conservation, is to produce a network of protected areas. An analysis of the Natura 2000 marine sites proposed in the most recently agreed list for the Atlantic region (northern Portugal to Denmark, n=298) was used to characterize the network in terms of site areas and inter-site distances. Sites were considered as part of the network when they included any of the marine Natura 2000 Annex I habitat types found in the Atlantic region (excluding lagoons). 2. The median size of individual sites was 7.6 km2 with a median separation among neighbouring sites of 21 km (range 2–138 km). 3. A connectivity analysis was used to identify the potential reliance of species on areas of habitat outside the proposed network. This analysis was based on the assumptions that: (a) species with low dispersal capacity will persist in sites when local reproductive effort sustains the resident population and (b) greater dispersal scale will link sites in the network, but implies a greater loss of recruits from the local population. For intermediate dispersal scales (2–20 km), at least half of the proposed sites are likely to be both too small and too isolated to support populations in the network. The conservation of intermediate dispersers in such sites may therefore be more dependent on habitat outside the network than is the case for other dispersal capabilities. Species with both dispersal scales above 20 km and low habitat specificity may have a metapopulation structure with exchange of dispersing individuals occurring among protected sites. Species with increasing degrees of habitat specificity will need dispersal scales greater than 20 km to avoid dependence on areas outside the proposed network. 4. Most sections of the Atlantic region coastline contain proposed Nature 2000 sites. An analysis of site area and average isolation at the 1° latitude by 1° longitude scale indicated that relatively well designated sections (in terms of area and site spacing) of the coast were interspersed with less well designated sections. Analyses of overall habitat availability and population genetic studies are required to assess the significance of varying levels of protection at this scale. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Recent trawling in the Southern Ocean has yielded an unusual and relatively large collection of deep-sea octopods, comprising four species in two genera. Several deep-sea genera, which are inadequately characterised, have been reported previously from the Southern Ocean. Within this paper, all the relevant historical type material has been examined and a full revision has been undertaken. Species previously considered to be representative of the genus Bentheledone have either been moved to Thaumeledone or are considered nomen dubium. A revised diagnosis of Thaumeledone is provided together with redescriptions of its Southern Ocean species as well as a description of a new species. A new genus has been erected to accommodate the remainder of the new specimens.

1. As many species of marine benthic invertebrates have a limited capacity for movement as adults, dispersal mode is often considered as a determinant of geographical ranges, genetic structure and evolutionary history. Species that reproduce without a larval stage can only disperse by floating or rafting. It is proposed that the colonization processes associated with such direct developing species result in spatial distributions that show relatively greater fine scale patchiness than the distributions of species with a larval dispersal stage. This hypothesis was tested by collecting molluscs at different spatial scales in the Isle of Man. 2. Spatial distribution patterns supported the predictions based on dispersal mode. Estimated variance components for species with larval dispersal suggested that the majority of the spatial variation was associated with variation between shores. In comparison, there was relatively more variability within shores for abundance counts of species with direct development. 3. Multivariate analyses reflected the univariate results. An assemblage of direct developers provided a better discrimination between sites (100 m separation) but the group of species with larval dispersal gave a clearer separation of shores (separated by several km). 4. The fine scale spatial structure of direct developing species was reflected in higher average species diversity within quadrats. Species richness also reflected dispersal mode, with a higher fraction of the regional species pool present for direct developers in comparison to species with larval dispersal. This may reflect the improved local persistence of taxa that avoid the larval dispersal stage.

Samples of the Antarctic octopus Pareledone turqueti were taken from three locations on the Scotia Ridge in the Southern Ocean. The genetic homogeneity of these populations was investigated using isozyme electrophoresis. Whilst panmixia appeared to be maintained around South Georgia (F ST = 0) gene flow between this island and Shag Rocks, an island only 150 km away but separated by great depths, was extremely limited (F ST = 0.74). These results are examined with respect to the discontinuous distribution of P. turqueti throughout Antarctica. An estimate of effective population size was also calculated (N e = 3600).

Confusion abounds regarding the relative generic status of many member species of the squid family Loliginidae. A taxonomie reorganisation within the family has been proposed in whichLoligo species from the Indo-Pacific possessing photophores on the ink sac, includingLogligo edulis andLoligo chinensis, are removed to the newly created genusPhotololigo. This system of classification has not however gained general acceptance, and some authors have continued to refer to these species asLoligo. Here biochemical genetic data gathered using allozyme electrophoresis are presented supporting the assertion thatL. edulis andL. chinensis should indeed be positioned in a genus distinct from that characterised by the type speciesLoligo vulgaris vulgaris. Cluster analysis of allele frequency data from 22 putative enzyme-coding loci suggests thatL. edulis andL. chinensis are as genetically distant fromL. vulgaris vulgaris as are members of the confamilial generaAlloteuthis, Uroteuthis andSepioteuthis, and as such warrant separate generic status. We conclude that the genusPhotololigo is valid.

The assemblage of marine invertebrates associated with floating macroalgal rafts may potentially be structured by ecological interactions and the characteristics of the rafts themselves. Alternatively, the assemblages might reflect a random process of colonization and loss from fragments, such that there is no systematic variation in assemblage structure with raft type. Analyses of 51 rafts collected from Irish coastal waters found no evidence for consistent patterns in the occurrence of species with raft size or algal composition. The observed patterns could not be distinguished from the predictions of a model with random allocation of individuals to rafts. Invertebrate species richness increased with raft size, but a multivariate test showed that this pattern was not associated with consistent changes in the identities of species found. Macroinvertebrate species assemblages were not significantly structured by the different species of algae in the raft. In contrast, the environmental variables at the point of raft collection, along with location data, were associated with variation in the species composition of rafts. The absence of any systematic structure related to raft size or composition in the sampled rafts suggests that, for the region studied, processes of raft break-up and coalescence obscure any potential effects of ecological interactions on individual rafts. The location-related variation in rafting invertebrate populations may reflect spatial variation in source populations or environmental factors that alter species compositions independently of raft type.

Repeated cycles of glaciation have had major impacts on the distribution of genetic diversity of the Antarctic marine fauna. During glacial periods, ice cover limited the amount of benthic habitat on the continental shelf. Conversely, more habitat and possibly altered seaways were available during interglacials when the ice receded and the sea level was higher. We used microsatellites and partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 gene to examine genetic structure in the direct-developing, endemic Southern Ocean octopod Pareledone turqueti sampled from a broad range of areas that circumvent Antarctica. We find that, unusually for a species with poor dispersal potential, P. turqueti has a circumpolar distribution and is also found off the islands of South Georgia and Shag Rocks. The overriding pattern of spatial genetic structure can be explained by hydrographic (with ocean currents both facilitating and hindering gene flow) and bathymetric features. The Antarctic Peninsula region displays a complex population structure, consistent with its varied topographic and oceanographic influences. Genetic similarities between the Ross and Weddell Seas, however, are interpreted as a persistent historic genetic signature of connectivity during the hypothesized Pleistocene West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapses. A calibrated molecular clock indicates two major lineages within P. turqueti, a continental lineage and a sub-Antarctic lineage, that diverged in the mid-Pliocene with no subsequent gene flow. Both lineages survived subsequent major glacial cycles. Our data are indicative of potential refugia at Shag Rocks and South Georgia and also around the Antarctic continent within the Ross Sea, Weddell Sea and off Adélie Land. The mean age of mtDNA diversity within these main continental lineages coincides with Pleistocene glacial cycles.

Cephalopods play a key role in marine environments as food resources for top predators such as marine mammals and seabirds. However, detailed information on their trophic relationships with Antarctic seals is scarce. The aim of the present study was to examine the cephalopod portion of the diet of adult and subadult Weddell seals, Leptonychotes weddellii, at Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula, through the analysis of scats collected during three consecutive summers (2003, 2004 and 2005). Cephalopods occurred in almost 45% of the 217 samples collected during the whole period of study. A total of 662 beaks (358 upper and 304 lower) were removed from scats containing cephalopod remains (n = 93). Octopods were largely dominant in comparison with teuthoids constituting in numerical abundance over 95% of the cephalopod prey. The octopod Pareledone turqueti was the most frequent and dominant prey species representing, respectively, 57.9 and 71.1% in numbers and biomass of cephalopods consumed. Species belonging to the group of papillated Pareledone were second in importance. The results were compared with information from previous dietary studies of L. weddellii at other localities of Antarctica. Based on the examination of the cephalopod prey taxa identified in this study, it is suggested that during the study period Weddell seal individuals foraged mainly on benthic prey resources close to the coast, in inshore waters where octopods were dominant in comparison with pelagic squid. © 2011 Springer-Verlag. Fil: Daneri, Gustavo Adolfo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; Argentina Fil: Carlini, A. R.. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; Argentina Fil: Negri, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; Argentina Fil: Allcock, A. L.. University of Ireland; Irlanda Fil: Corbalán, A.. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; Argentina

Beak shapes in nine species of Southern Ocean octopodids were measured using seven size-standardized ratios. The results were analysed using principal component analysis and discriminant function analysis and show that beak shape may be used as a taxonomic character to distinguish between genera, but not between species. Stepwise discriminant function analysis indicated that all seven ratios were required to maximize discrimination between beaks. A phenogram constructed from a matrix of Mahalanobis distances differed from a dendrogram produced from genetic data. This suggests that, although useful for discrimination, beak morphology is probably not suitable for constructing phylogenies.

Reliable population DNA molecular markers are difficult to develop for molluscs, the reasons for which are largely unknown. Identical protocols for microsatellite marker development were implemented in three gastropods. Success rates were lower for Gibbula cineraria compared to Littorina littorea and L. saxatilis. Comparative genomic analysis of 47.2 kb of microsatellite containing sequences (MCS) revealed a high incidence of cryptic repetitive DNA in their flanking regions. The majority of these were novel, and could be grouped into DNA families based upon sequence similarities. Significant inter-specific variation in abundance of cryptic repetitive DNA and DNA families was observed. Repbase scans show that a large proportion of cryptic repetitive DNA was identified as transposable elements (TEs). We argue that a large number of TEs and their transpositional activity may be linked to differential rates of DNA multiplication and recombination. This is likely to be an important factor explaining inter-specific variation in genome stability and hence microsatellite marker development success rates. Gastropods also differed significantly in the type of TEs classes (autonomous vs non-autonomous) observed. We propose that dissimilar transpositional mechanisms differentiate the TE classes in terms of their propensity for transposition, fixation and/or silencing. Consequently, the phylogenetic conservation of non-autonomous TEs, such as CvA, suggests that dispersal of these elements may have behaved as microsatellite-inducing elements. Results seem to indicate that, compared to autonomous, non-autonomous TEs maybe have a more active role in genome rearrangement processes. The implications of the findings for genomic rearrangement, stability and marker development are discussed.

Coleoid cephalopods show flexibility in their reproductive strategies or mode of spawning, which can range from simultaneous terminal spawning over a short period at the end of the animal’s life to continuous spawning over a long period of the animal’s life. Although a simultaneous terminal spawning strategy is typical of shallow water temperate octopuses, it is not known whether deep-sea octopods would have the same reproductive strategy. The reproductive strategies and fecundity were investigated in nine species of deep-sea incirrate octopuses: Bathypolypus arcticus, Bathypolypus bairdii, Bathypolypus ergasticus, Bathypolypus sponsalis, Bathypolypus valdiviae, Benthoctopus levis, Benthoctopus normani, Benthoctopus sp., and Graneledone verrucosa (total n = 85). Egg-length frequency graphs and multivariate analysis (principal components analysis) suggest that B. sponsalis has a synchronous ovulation pattern and therefore a simultaneous terminal spawning strategy. Although a simultaneous terminal spawning strategy is most likely for B. levis and B. normani, the egg-length frequency graphs and multivariate analysis also suggest a greater variation in egg-lengths which could lead to spawning over an extended period.

A long-synonymized species Benthoctopus normani (Massy 1907) (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae) is redescribed from material collected over 30 years by the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton and the National Museums of Scotland. It can be distinguished from other octopodid specimens found in deep waters of the Northeast Atlantic by its biserial suckers, lack of ink sac, and simple ligula, which lacks transverse ridges. Examination of the collections led to the identification of a new species of Benthoctopus from the Northeast Atlantic, which is described herein.

Until recently, all papillated specimens of Pareledone were ascribed to the species Pareledone charcoti (Joubin, 1905), of which P. aurorae (Berry, 1917) was considered a junior synonym. Re-examination of the papillated type material of Pareledone, coupled with extensive fishing over several years off the Antarctic Peninsula, has led to a revision of this position. Seven new species of papillated Pareledone are identified from the Antarctic Peninsula region. They are identified by subtle taxonomic characters, such as the morphology and placement of their papillae, although traditional indices often fail to separate the species. Whilst apparently sympatric, there is some evidence of niche separation of these species with respect to depth. A key is provided for their identification. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 143, 75−108.

The phylogenetic relationships of eight species of incirrate octopodid from western Antarctica were investigated using molecular sequence data from the mitochondrial 16s ribosomal RNA gene. The genus Pareledone, which is endemic to the Antarctic, was found to be polyphyletic. On the basis of this and previous morphological studies, it is suggested that species that are morphologically similar to Pareledone polymorpha should be removed from the genus. This simplifies the diagnosis of Pareledone: a new diagnosis is given. The subfamilies Eledoninae and Graneledoninae were also found to be polyphyletic. The applicability of using the presence of an ink sac as a taxonomic character to define the subfamilies is discussed. Loss of an ink sac is almost certainly an adaptation to depth and use of this character has produced an artificial classification with no evolutionary significance. As the other two subfamilies, Octopodinae and Bathypolypodinae, are also separated by this character, it is probable that all the subfamilies of the Octopodidae are polyphyletic. The use of subfamilies should therefore be discontinued until our understanding of the evolution of the family Octopodidae increases.

The design and synthesis of new materials are two of the key steps in the advancement of technology. Significant advances in nearly all fields of advanced technology depend almost completely on the rate at which useful new materials can be devised and synthesized. One of the most promising approaches to the development of new materials that combine the advantages of organic polymers with those of inorganic solids is to devise polymers that have a backbone of inorganic atoms to which are attached organic or organometallic groups. Some inorganic-organic Polymer systems are discussed.

Submarine canyons are large geomorphological features that incise continental shelves and slopes around the world. They are often suggested to be biodiversity and biomass hotspots, although there is no consensus about this in the literature. Nevertheless, many canyons do host diverse faunal communities but owing to our lack of understanding of the processes shaping and driving this diversity, appropriate management strategies have yet to be developed. Here, we integrate all the current knowledge of one single system, the Whittard Canyon (Celtic Margin, NE Atlantic), including the latest research on its geology, sedimentology, geomorphology, oceanography, ecology, and biodiversity in order to address this issue. The Whittard Canyon is an active system in terms of sediment transport. The net suspended sediment transport is mainly up-canyon causing sedimentary overflow in some upper canyon areas. Occasionally sediment gravity flow events do occur, some possibly the result of anthropogenic activity. However, the role of these intermittent gravity flows in transferring labile organic matter to the deeper regions of the canyon appears to be limited. More likely, any labile organic matter flushed downslope in this way becomes strongly diluted with bulk material and is therefore of little food value for benthic fauna. Instead, the fresh organic matter found in the Whittard Channel mainly arrives through vertical deposition and lateral transport of phytoplankton blooms that occur in the area during spring and summer. The response of the Whittard Canyon fauna to these processes is different in different groups. Foraminiferal abundances are higher in the upper parts of the canyon and on the slope than in the lower canyon. Meiofaunal abundances in the upper and middle part of the canyon are higher than on adjacent slopes, but lower in the deepest part. Mega- and macrofauna abundances are higher in the canyon compared with the adjacent slope and are higher in the eastern than the western branch. These faunal patterns reflect the fact that the Whittard Canyon encompasses considerable environmental heterogeneity, related to a combination of organic matter trapping, current regimes (due to focused internal tides) and different substrates. We conclude that coordinated observations of processes driving faunal patterns are needed at a fine scale in order to understand the functioning of communities in this and other submarine canyons.

The South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf (SOISS) Marine Protected Area (MPA) was the first MPA to be designated entirely within the high seas and is managed under the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). To assist with research and monitoring of the MPA, an international expedition (‘SO-AntEco’) was undertaken in the austral summer of 2016 to contribute towards a better understanding of selected benthic habitats within the region. The benthic assemblages of the SOISS MPA region were found to be strongly correlated with the texture of the seafloor, where hard substrates hosted a greater number of individuals, taxa and biomass with a dominance of filter feeding vulnerable marine ecosystem (VME) taxa, and soft sediments were dominated mostly by deposit feeders. Substantial differences in the abundance of VME taxa were found between sampling gears (shallow underwater camera system and Agassiz trawl). We conclude that camera systems may be more suitable for VME assessments, but additional trawling is advisable for collecting all faunal types and for higher taxonomic resolution. The designation of VME locations based purely on large scale geomorphic classification is not advisable, due to small scale variation in substrate and other local physical influences.

The South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf (SOISS) Marine Protected Area (MPA) was the first MPA to be designated entirely within the high seas and is managed under the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). To assist with research and monitoring of the MPA, an international expedition (‘SO-AntEco’) was undertaken in the austral summer of 2016 to contribute towards a better understanding of selected benthic habitats within the region. The benthic assemblages of the SOISS MPA region were found to be strongly correlated with the texture of the seafloor, where hard substrates hosted a greater number of individuals, taxa and biomass with a dominance of filter feeding vulnerable marine ecosystem (VME) taxa, and soft sediments were dominated mostly by deposit feeders. Substantial differences in the abundance of VME taxa were found between sampling gears (shallow underwater camera system and Agassiz trawl). We conclude that camera systems may be more suitable for VME assessments, but additional trawling is advisable for collecting all faunal types and for higher taxonomic resolution. The designation of VME locations based purely on large scale geomorphic classification is not advisable, due to small scale variation in substrate and other local physical influences.