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Over the past century, numerous studies have proposed various organisms for the biomonitoring of aquatic systems, but only recently has zooplankton emerged as a promising indicator of water quality. The traditional identification methods, however, can be inefficient in the context of monitoring efforts, as they are often time consuming and costly. DNA metabarcoding offers a powerful alternative, providing a more efficient and reliable approach to monitor zooplankton communities. In this review, we assess the current state-of-the-art methodologies used to evaluate marine and brackish zooplankton communities through the DNA metabarcoding workflow. While several emerging approaches have been reported, no standardization has been achieved so far. The DNA extraction step has gained the most consensus, with the widespread use of commercial kits (DNeasy Blood & Tissue kit employed in ca. 25% of the studies), though there is still a significant variation in kit selection. Additionally, 18S and COI were the main molecular markers employed (ca. 61% and 54%, respectively) though the target region varied in the former. Moreover, many methodologies, particularly those used for processing zooplankton samples, lack practical validation. Some studies also fail to provide sufficient detail in their methodology descriptions hindering reproducibility. Overall, DNA metabarcoding shows great potential for the efficient monitoring of zooplankton communities, but further effort is needed to establish standardized practices and optimize the current approaches across the entire methodological pipeline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Substantial progress has been made to map biodiversity and its drivers across the planet at multiple scales, yet studies that quantify the evolutionary processes that underpin this biodiversity, and test their drivers at multiple scales, are comparatively rare. Studying most fish species, we quantify rates of body size evolution to test the role of fundamental salinity habitats in shaping rates of evolution at multiple scales. We also determine how four additional factors shape evolutionary rates. Location: Global. Time Period: Extant species. Major Taxa Studied: Actinopterygii. Methods: In up to 1710 comparisons studying over 27,000 species, we compare rates of body size evolution among five salinity habits using 13 metrics. The comparisons span a molecular tree, 100 supertrees, and 10 scales of observation to test for robust patterns and reveal how patterns change with scale. Then, three approaches assess the role of three non‐salinity factors on rates, and an alternative habitat scheme tests if lakes influence evolutionary rates. Results: Rates of size evolution rarely differ consistently between salinity habitats; rate patterns are highly clade‐ and scale dependent. One exception is freshwater‐brackish fishes, which possess among the highest size rates of any salinity, showing higher rates than euryhaline fishes in most groupings studied at most scales, and versus marine, freshwater and marine–brackish habitats at numerous scales. Additionally, species richness had the greatest potential to predict phenotypic rates, followed by branch duration, then absolute values of body size. Lacustrine environments were consistently associated with high rates of size evolution. Main Conclusions: We reveal the rate patterns that underpin global body size diversity for fishes, identifying factors that play a limited role in shaping rates of size evolution, such as salinity, and those such as species richness, age and lake environments that consistently shape evolutionary rates across half of vertebrate diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This data article describes the occurrences of the moon jelly Aurelia aurita medusae in the Gulf of Riga and Eastern Gotland Basin (Baltic Sea) between 1998 and 2023. All data are incidental observations obtained during Latvian national monitoring cruises. Gelatinous zooplankton is not a standard group in regional marine monitoring, and jellyfish are not intentionally monitored within the framework of national marine monitoring by many countries across the Baltic Sea region. Hence, the information about A. aurita medusae occurrences in the area is scarce, especially long-term. The data also describe the seasonal dynamics of A. aurita medusae presence. Most frequently, observations occur from August to October in the studied area. However, the earliest observation of A. aurita medusae was recorded in July and the latest observation was in late November. These data provide relevant contributions to comprehending the seasonal and long-term dynamics of gelatinous zooplankton, specifically A. aurita. Moreover, the data can be used as a baseline for future studies on the eastern Baltic Sea addressing climate change and anthropogenic forcing impacts.

ABSTRACTWater quality deterioration in the Main Ethiopian Rift Lakes is one of the problems affecting the health and socioeconomic development of the area. This study was aimed to develop a method to assess the water quality change of Lake Beseka using satellite image reflectance data and observed data. Multi-temporal Landsat imagery and three variables were used to assess the physicochemical environment: pH, EC, and TDS. Linear regression and correlation were accomplished between observed water quality parameters and surface reflectance of different band operations. The best-fitted linear regression equation for pH was found on SWIR1 while for EC and TDS, the blue/green band ratio was highly fitted. The Pearson coefficients of correlation for pH, EC, and TDS were − 0.79, 0.86, and 0.85, respectively. The RMSE and p-value for validation analysis were 0.25/0.005, 548/0.003, and 367/0.004 for pH, EC, and TDS, respectively. The estimated pH, EC, and TDS were higher in the central portion of the lake grouped under brackish water and lower in the southwestern, southern, and northeastern shores. The estimated EC and TDS for the years 2018 and 2021 were relatively lower than in 2007 and 2023. The spatiotemporal lake water variations were due to anthropogenic and geogenic factors including hot springs and groundwater discharge to the lake, water-level rise and depth variation, and evaporation. These findings are helpful for understanding linear regression equations that developed from surface reflectance and observed data, which are essential to estimating and monitoring water quality change in a cost-effective and time-saving manner.

In this article, I engage with the scholarship and praxis of Caribbean feminists and post-colonial scholars, using the term brackish (the place where salt and freshwater meet) as a metaphor, to (re)think Black Caribbean feminisms as ecologies that produce aliveness despite harsh regional conditions. I argue that over many decades, Caribbean feminists have built and sustained vibrant ecologies of thought and practice to address the ways in which we are all similarly and disparately impacted by social, political, economic, environmental, and other conditions within the region and by each other, and have adopted ethical ways to coexist. I posit that engaging with Caribbean feminist ecologies helps us to think about all the ways in which we are connected in this environment, whether literally or metaphorically, and how for Black, and specifically Black Caribbean people, our physical environment, and our relationships with living nonhuman or other-thanhuman beings can tell us much about what it means to create and sustain life generous and interspecies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pycnodont fishes were a successful clade of neopterygian fishes that are predominantly found in shallow marine deposits. However, throughout their long 180 million year reign (Late Triassic–end Eocene), they made multiple incursions into both brackish and freshwater environments. This fossil record mostly consists of fragmentary dental material, but articulated specimens are known from Early Cretaceous lacustrine localities in Spain. This review article aims to document all non-marine occurrences of Pycnodontiformes throughout most of the Mesozoic and early Paleogene. This review highlights two interesting trends in the history of non-marine habitat colonization by pycnodonts: (1) a huge spike in non-marine occurrences during the Cretaceous; and (2) that most occurrences in non-marine localities occurred at the latest Cretaceous period, the Maastrichtian. The high number of colonization events within the Cretaceous lines up with extreme climatic events, such as high temperatures resulting in high sea levels which regularly flooded continental masses, allowing pycnodonts easier access to non-marine habitats. The increased presence of pycnodonts in brackish and freshwater habitats during the Maastrichtian might have played a role in their survival through the K/Pg extinction event. Freshwater habitats are not as vulnerable as marine ecosystems to environmental disturbance as the base of their food chain relies on detritus. Pycnodonts might have used such environments as a refuge and began to occupy marine waters after the K/Pg extinction event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past century, numerous studies have proposed various organisms for the biomonitoring of aquatic systems, but only recently has zooplankton emerged as a promising indicator of water quality. The traditional identification methods, however, can be inefficient in the context of monitoring efforts, as they are often time consuming and costly. DNA metabarcoding offers a powerful alternative, providing a more efficient and reliable approach to monitor zooplankton communities. In this review, we assess the current state-of-the-art methodologies used to evaluate marine and brackish zooplankton communities through the DNA metabarcoding workflow. While several emerging approaches have been reported, no standardization has been achieved so far. The DNA extraction step has gained the most consensus, with the widespread use of commercial kits (DNeasy Blood & Tissue kit employed in ca. 25% of the studies), though there is still a significant variation in kit selection. Additionally, 18S and COI were the main molecular markers employed (ca. 61% and 54%, respectively) though the target region varied in the former. Moreover, many methodologies, particularly those used for processing zooplankton samples, lack practical validation. Some studies also fail to provide sufficient detail in their methodology descriptions hindering reproducibility. Overall, DNA metabarcoding shows great potential for the efficient monitoring of zooplankton communities, but further effort is needed to establish standardized practices and optimize the current approaches across the entire methodological pipeline.

The current knowledge on the diversity of fossil tanaidacean crustaceans is reviewed. To date, three suborders, 10 families, 23 genera, and 27 valid species have been reported spanning from the Carboniferous (Visean) to the Neogene (Aquitanian). Among these 27 species, 14 have been discovered in amber. All specimens have been reported from countries in the Northern Hemisphere, namely, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Swiss Confederation, Spain, Germany, Hungary, France, Bulgaria, Morocco, Myanmar, the USA, and Mexico. Currently, there are no known records of fossil tanaidaceans in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study region: Lithium mine in Ostrobothnia, Western Finland. Study focus: Clear anomalous electrical conductivity horizons and high salinity (Cl, Na, Ca) of groundwater were identified in several exploration boreholes. As these could not be explained thoroughly with geological variations, further studies on the origin of the anomalies were suggested. It was speculated that the abrupt rise in electrical conductivity shows a horizon of waters of different ages, the lower being either old brine, or having ancient marine origin. To understand the processes controlling the hydrochemistry and the evolution of the salinity of the groundwater, the hydrogeochemistry and isotopic composition (δ2H, δ18O, 87 Sr/86 Sr, 3 H, 14 C, δ13C) was analysed in 13 boreholes, two lakes, a test pit and a stream. New Hydrological insights for the region: The isotope and geochemistry results indicate long residence times (up to 10,000 years BP), but no strong water-rock interaction and a typical Litorina SO4 layer is missing. The mismatching results could be explained by 1) the fact that even a small amount of ancient brine or ancient sea water mixing with fresh groundwater would affect water geochemistry, while the isotopic composition would stay immutable, or 2) the salinity originates from pre-Litorina SO4-poor brackish groundwater due to an earlier uplift from the Baltic Sea. Therefore, the groundwaters of the site are interpreted as a mixture of modern meteoric and fresh HCO3 water, brackish pre-Litorina subglacial groundwater, and glacial melt water.

Temporal variations in the primary production of the size-fractionated autotrophic plankton community were studied in coastal-estuarine waters of the eutrophic Gulf of Riga, Baltic Sea. The community was net-autotrophic during spring and summer and net-heterotrophic during autumn. The results of the present study clearly demonstrate strong covariation between net primary production (NPP) and

Simple Summary: Unicellular eukaryotes (organisms with a nucleus), or protists, are an extremely diverse group of organisms and inhabit almost all environments. In the world's oceans, they make up a large proportion of the overall diversity. Many heterotrophic protists feed on bacteria and, in this way, not only control bacterial abundance but also transport the bacterial-derived carbon to organisms at higher trophic levels in the food web. In recent years, many studies have focused on assessing the diversity of planktonic protists (organisms in the water column), but studies on seafloor dwelling (benthic) protists are much less frequent. So far, there are no extensive studies present that try to access the benthic protist communities in the Baltic Sea, one of Earth's largest brackish water environments. Within our study, we try to make a first assessment of this diversity using the molecular technique of metabarcoding, which allows the simultaneous identification of many organisms from one sample via the barcoding of nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA. To obtain an overview of how certain environmental factors such as salinity and water depth of the sediment may influence the community structure, we chose two regions of the southern Baltic. Heterotrophic protists are key components of marine ecosystems. They act as controllers of bacterial and microphytobenthos production and contribute significantly to the carbon flux to higher trophic levels. Still, metabarcoding studies on benthic protist communities are much less frequent than for planktonic organisms. Especially in the Baltic Sea, representing the largest brackish water environment on earth, so far, no extensive metabarcoding studies have been conducted to assess the diversity of benthic protists in this unique and diverse habitat. This study aims to give first insights into the diversity of benthic protist communities in two different regions of the Baltic Sea, Fehmarnbelt, and Oderbank. Using amplicon sequencing of the 18S rDNA V9 region of over 100 individual sediment samples, we were able to show significant differences in the community composition between the two regions and to give insights into the vertical distribution of protists within the sediment (0–20 cm). The results indicate that the differences in community composition in the different regions might be explained by several abiotic factors such as salinity and water depth, but are also influenced by methodological aspects such as differences between DNA and RNA results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish is an important source of protein in human meals around the world. However, the fish that we are eating may be contaminated with toxicants such as metals and metalloids (MMs), which may pose health risks to consumers. Information on MMs content in fishes and their potential spatial distribution scenarios would provide knowledge to the community to create strategies and protect human health. Hence, this study assessed and determined the health risk levels of MMs in both brackish and marine water fish (BMF) in Puerto Princesa City (PPC), Palawan Province, Philippines. PPC has an existing abandoned open mine pit near the PPC coastline called the "pit lake". The concentrations of As, Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Hg, and Zn in fishes were analyzed using portable Olympus Vanta X-ray Fluorescence (pXRF), and the spatial distribution of MMs concentrations in BMF was analyzed using a GIS (geographic information system). Fishes were sampled from fishing boat landing sites and nearby seafood markets. The results revealed that the concentration of MMs in marine fish was generally higher than the brackish water fish. It was recorded that the Hg concentration in marine water fish meat was higher than in brackish water fish meat. The Mn concentration in marine water fish exceeded the permissible limits set by international bodies. An elevated concentration of Mn in BMF was detected across the northern part of PPC, and an elevated concentration of Hg in marine fishes was recorded in the southeast area, where the fish landing sites are located. Ba was also detected in BMF across the southern part of PPC. Moreover, an elevated concentration of Cu was detected in MBF in the northeast and in marine fish in the southeastern area of PPC. Further, this paper elaborates the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of these fishes to the PPC population and tourists with respect to the MMs content in fish meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estuaries are productive systems with rapid changes in natural stressors, such as salinity, that make perturbation detection challenging. Amphipods are vital to estuarine assemblages and may serve as anthropogenic stress indicators. However, practical methods of monitoring species composition and abundance are lacking. This study aims to describe the spatial patterns of four Gammarus spp. in northwest Atlantic estuaries and to compare their compositions and abundances between collection methods using artificial substrates, macrophyte raking, light-baited traps, and species-specific quantitative PCR analyses from sediment environmental DNA (eDNA). Sampling occurred in upper, mid, and lower estuary zones within three estuaries of Prince Edward Island (Canada). G. tigrinus was rarely found in the upper zones with any method. G. mucronatus was predominant in the upper–mid zones across the physical methods, and its abundance declined with increasing salinity. G. lawrencianus was a dominant species across zones, but its abundance did not change with salinity. G. oceanicus was predominant in lower-zone artificial substrates. Species abundances generally correlated with physical collection methods. Sediment eDNA did not detect the spatial effects observed via the physical methods but was correlated with the mean counts of G. mucronatus. The Gammarus spp. assemblages are spatially partitioned in short estuaries, though the sampling method is critical when interpreting estuary patterns. Though multiple methods are ideal for compositional comparisons, abundance monitoring should employ light traps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from a bathymetric mapping project conducted in seven Israeli coastal micro-estuaries (Lachish, Sorek, Yarkon, Alexander, Hadera, Taninim, and Kishon) is presented. The data were collected by rowing a kayak along an S-shaped track through the estuaries. An echosounder equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit were mounted on the kayak. The data preparation consisted of a) manual removal of outliers, mostly caused by instrument echo in water depths below the instrument's 0.5 m minimum; b) correction of the measured water level to sea level; and c) interpolation of the sampling points into a regular grid using a terrain-following interpolation algorithm. For each of the estuaries, the raw measurements as a text (csv) file and the interpolated data both as a text (CSV) file and a GeoTiff file were produced.

Thallium (Tl) isotopes are an emerging tool for tracking the history of molecular oxygen in seawater. Use of Tl isotopes in this manner requires a thorough understanding of the modern Tl isotope cycle, especially within the anoxic settings that typified Earth's past oceans. To this end, we generated Tl concentration and isotope data for waters, particles, and sediments collected during three spring-summer-fall field seasons in Siders Pond, a salt-stratified and sulfide-rich ('euxinic') pond on Cape Cod (Massachusetts, USA). Over short timeframes (i.e., days to weeks), we observed a large degree of variability in the abundance (Tl diss = 9 pM–42 pM) and isotopic composition (ε205Tl diss = –3.9 ± 0.4; 2SD to –0.1 ± 0.7; 2SD) of dissolved Tl in pond surface waters. Thallium drawdown was common and favored removal of the lighter-mass Tl isotope. We surmise that biological Tl uptake plays a role in this phenomenon, but more work is warranted to confirm this hypothesis. Manganese oxides persisted in pond surface waters on many sampling days but had no obvious effect on Tl diss , only a slight effect on particulate ε205Tl values on the day of most prolific Mn oxide accumulation (driving ε205Tl part as high as +0.9 ± 0.8; 2SD). In euxinic waters below the oxycline, rapid drawdown of dissolved Tl was observed on all sampling days together with a complimentary increase in particulate Tl (up to Tl part = 21 pM). Strong associations between Tl and sulfide, and between Tl and other chalcophile metals (Mo and Cd), suggest that Tl is probably removed from euxinic waters in association with particulate sulfides, and seemingly with no resolvable isotopic fractionation effect despite non-quantitative Tl removal. The sediment data track the longer-term Tl cycle in the pond (i.e., across years) and reveal limited isotopic variability. Thallium isotope compositions leached from surface sediments match those predicted for contemporaneous waters, or nearly so, at all depths in the pond (above, within, and below the oxycline). Apparently, only a small fraction of the short-term Tl isotope variability found in the oxic surface waters of Siders Pond gets transferred to anoxic waters, and essentially none is transferred to sediments. Our results reaffirm the notion that Tl isotopes are uniquely capable of tracking long-term sedimentary Mn oxide burial – not mere Mn oxide formation. Our results also verify the ability of sediments formed under reducing conditions to capture the Tl isotope composition of contemporaneous waters. More broadly, the results of our investigation bolster our knowledge of the modern Tl isotope cycle and thereby permit more confident inferences of this cycle in Earth's past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extremozymes from halophiles that thrives in extreme hypersaline habitats have been the subject of extensive and expanding research owing to their value in a variety of industrial applications. Esterases and lipases are the most industrially applied enzymes due to their specific hydrolysis of ester bonds. In the present study, esterase and lipase producing extreme and moderate halophilic strains were isolated from brackish water lake Tso Kar of Ladakh in India. All the fifteen isolates were screened for esterase and lipase production. Among the fifteen isolates, two isolates, TKW1 and TKW12, having extracellular and intracellular esterase activity, and one isolate, TKW3, having intracellular lipase activity, were selected for identification using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and media optimization to determine the optimum production of esterase/lipase using a "one variable at a time" strategy. The cumulative effect of all the optimized conditions led to maximu m esterase production of about 82.59 U/ml, 136.9 U/ml after 48 hours and 36 hrs by TKW1 and TKW12, respectively, and maximum lipase of about 199.4 U/ml after 60 hrs by TKW3. These strains had marked hal-ophilic esterase and lipase properties, indicating wide potential applications in industrial biotechnology as salt-adapted haloalkaliphilic enzymes. This is the first report of the isolation and molecular identification of an esterase and lipase producing halo-philic bacterium from the Tso Kar brackish water lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inland waters in the endorheic basins of the arid zone are especially vulnerable to both climate-induced changes and anthropogenic influence. The North Aral Sea, which previously suffered a drastic shrinkage and partially recovered with the launch of the human-made Kokaral dam, is currently subject to significant inter-annual variability of its water volume. This study aimed to obtain insight into the modern water balance condition of the lake and to project the possible changes in it. A series of model simulation experiments were implemented based on three representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios with varying maximum lake surface levels, determined by the dam. Present-day dam conditions showed the possibility to retain the lake volume above 26 km 3 under the RCP 2.6 and 6.0 scenarios. Simulations under the RCP 8.5 scenario revealed significant instability of the lake volume and a well-shown decrease in the outflow amount. A possible human-made increase in terms of the lake surface level up to 48.5 m.a.s.l. may allow for the retention of the volume in the range of 48–50 km 3 in the RCP 2.6 case. The RCP 6.0 and 8.5 scenarios revealed a lake volume decrease and almost full cessation of the Kokaral outflow toward the end of the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudophilothrips ichini (Hood) (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) is a classical biological control agent used to control Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi, in Florida, USA. Brazilian peppertree is an invasive weed that threatens natural and agricultural environments, including sensitive habitats such as mangrove swamps. As P. ichini generally pupates in the soil and its host plant can occur in wet areas, it is important to investigate the effects of soil type, moisture, salinity, and immersion survival time on adult emergence. Five moisture contents (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) were used in factorial combination with three soil types (fine sand, sand, and muck) using fresh or brackish water. To simulate sporadic flooding, we also assessed larval and pupal survival after being immersed in fresh and brackish water for 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 16, and 32 h. A generalised mixed model logistic regression was used to analyse the data in both experiments. As soil moisture content increased, the proportion of P. ichini emerging as adults decreased across all soil types and water types. The survival of larvae and pupae immersed in either brackish or fresh water declined over time, with no survival at 32 h. There was a significant difference between water types for the survival of pupae and adult emergence of pupae and larvae, with higher survival in brackish water. The outcome of this study contributes to our understanding of P. ichini ecology and the estimation of thrips establishment success in a variety of habitats infested by Brazilian peppertree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Cyanobacteria are the major prokaryotic primary producers occupying a range of aquatic habitats worldwide that differ in levels of salinity, making them a group of interest to study one of the major unresolved conundrums in aquatic microbiology which is what distinguishes a marine microbe from a freshwater one? We address this question using ecogenomics of a group of picocyanobacteria (cluster 5) that have recently evolved to inhabit geographically disparate salinity niches. Our analysis is made possible by the sequencing of 58 new genomes from freshwater representatives of this group that are presented here, representing a 6-fold increase in the available genomic data. Results Overall, freshwater strains had larger genomes (≈2.9 Mb) and %GC content (≈64%) compared to brackish (2.69 Mb and 64%) and marine (2.5 Mb and 58.5%) isolates. Genomic novelties/differences across the salinity divide highlighted acidic proteomes and specific salt adaptation pathways in marine isolates (e.g., osmolytes/compatible solutes - glycine betaine/ggp/gpg/gmg clusters and glycerolipids glpK/glpA), while freshwater strains possessed distinct ion/potassium channels, permeases (aquaporin Z), fatty acid desaturases, and more neutral/basic proteomes. Sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon (photosynthesis), or stress tolerance metabolism while showing distinct genomic footprints between habitats, e.g., different types of transporters, did not obviously translate into major functionality differences between environments. Brackish microbes show a mixture of marine (salt adaptation pathways) and freshwater features, highlighting their transitional nature. Conclusions The plethora of freshwater isolates provided here, in terms of trophic status preference and genetic diversity, exemplifies their ability to colonize ecologically diverse waters across the globe. Moreover, a trend towards larger and more flexible/adaptive genomes in freshwater picocyanobacteria may hint at a wider number of ecological niches in this environment compared to the relatively homogeneous marine system.

Viruses infecting archaea play significant ecological roles in marine ecosystems through host infection and lysis, yet they have remained an underexplored component of the virosphere. In this study, we recovered 451 archaeal viruses from a subtropical estuary, identifying 63 that are associated with the dominant marine order Poseidoniales (Marine Group II Archaea). Phylogenetic analyses of a subset of complete and nearly-complete viral genomes assigned these viruses to the order Magrovirales, a lineage of Poseidoniales viruses, and identified a novel group of viruses distinct from Magrovirales. Utilising demarcation criteria established for the classification of archaeal tailed viruses, we propose two families within the order Magrovirales: Apasviridae (magrovirus group A), comprising the genera Agnivirus and Savitrvirus, and Krittikaviridae (magrovirus group E) encompassing the genus Velanvirus. Additionally, we propose a new order, distinct from Magrovirales, named Adrikavirales, which includes the genus Vyasavirus. Our detailed genomic characterisation of the new viral lineages revealed genes involved in viral assembly and egress, such as those responsible for creating holin rafts to lyse host cell membranes, a feature predominantly known from bacteriophages. Furthermore, we identified a broad spectrum of auxiliary metabolic genes, suggesting that these viruses can modulate host metabolism. Collectively, our findings substantially enhance the current understanding of the diversity and functional potential of Poseidoniales viruses., (© 2025 The Author(s). Environmental Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Abstract A small assemblage of 22 otoliths was identified from the historical collection of Bluntschli and Peyer gathered in 1912 on the Itaya riverbank at Iquitos, Peru (Amazonia), from the Pebas Formation. The Pebas Mega-Wetland System in western Amazonia during the Miocene represented a unique, albeit short-lived, biotope characterized by a pronounced endemic evolution with gigantism in some vertebrate groups (e.g., turtles, crocodylians). Thus far, fishes have mainly been recorded based on isolated skeletal remains and teeth. Here, we describe the first well-preserved otolith assemblage from the Pebas Formation. This otolith assemblage adds a new facet to the fauna by complementing the skeletal bony fish data, primarily with species of the Sciaenidae and, to a lesser extent, Ariidae and Cichlidae. The sciaenids and ariids indicate that migration must have occurred between the marginal marine environments to the north and the Pebas Wetland System. The otoliths also indicate the likelihood of endemic developments of adapted marine immigrants to the Pebas Wetland System, some of which have become extinct (Pogonias, Umbrina), while others now represent typical South American freshwater fish groups (Plagioscion). Six new species are described based on otoliths, one in the Cichlidae—Cichlasoma bluntschlii n. sp., one in the Ariidae—Cantarius ohei n. sp., and four in the Sciaenidae—Pebasciaena amazoniensis n. gen. et n. sp., Plagioscion peyeri n. sp., Pogonias tetragonus n. sp. and Umbrina pachaula n. sp. ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D05A3AA4-8F8E-4510-A07E-816C75790163. https://zoobank.org/4FE4BC4E-0EFC-4A32-A40F-CF561B98375F .

A betaproteobacterial chemolithotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacterium designated APG5T was isolated from supralittoral sand of the Edmonds City Beach, WA, USA. Growth was observed at 10–35 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 5–9 (optimum, pH 8) and ammonia concentrations as high as 100 mM (optimum, 1–30 mM NH4Cl). The strain grows optimally in a freshwater medium but tolerates up to 400 mM NaCl. It is most closely related to ‘Nitrosomonas ureae’ (96.7% 16S rRNA and 92.4% amoA sequence identity). The 3.75-Mbp of AGP5T draft genome contained a single rRNA operon and all necessary tRNA genes and has the lowest G+C content (43.5%) when compared to the previously reported genomes of reference strains in cluster 6 Nitrosomonas. Based on an average nucleotide identity of 82% with its closest relative (‘N. ureae’ Nm10T) and the suggested species boundary of 95–96%, a new species Nitrosomonas supralitoralis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Nitrosomonas supralitoralis is APG5T (= NCIMB 14870T = ATCC TSD-116T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Local biodiversity has traditionally been estimated with taxonomic diversity metrics such as species richness. Recently, the concept of biodiversity has been extended beyond species identity by ecological traits determining the functional role of a species in a community. This interspecific functional diversity typically responds more strongly to local environmental variation compared with taxonomic diversity, while taxonomic diversity may mirror more strongly dispersal processes compared with functional metrics. Several trait‐based indices have been developed to measure functional diversity for various organisms and habitat types, but studies of their applicability on aquatic microbial communities have been underrepresented. We examined the drivers and covariance of taxonomic and functional diversity among diatom rock pool communities on the Baltic Sea coast. We quantified three taxonomic (species richness, Shannon's diversity, and Pielou's evenness) and three functional (functional richness, evenness, and divergence) diversity indices and determined abiotic factors best explaining variation in these indices by generalized linear mixed models. The six diversity indices were highly collinear except functional evenness, which merely correlated significantly with taxonomic evenness. All diversity indices were always explained by water conductivity and temperature–sampling month interaction. Taxonomic diversity was further consistently explained by pool distance to the sea, and functional richness and divergence by pool location. The explained variance in regression models did not markedly differ between taxonomic and functional metrics. Our findings do not clearly support the superiority of neither set of diversity indices in explaining coastal microbial diversity, but rather highlight the general overlap among the indices. However, as individual metrics may be driven by different factors, the greatest advantage in assessing biodiversity is nevertheless probably achieved with a simultaneous application of the taxonomic and functional diversity metrics.

Fish is an important source of protein in human meals around the world. However, the fish that we are eating may be contaminated with toxicants such as metals and metalloids (MMs), which may pose health risks to consumers. Information on MMs content in fishes and their potential spatial distribution scenarios would provide knowledge to the community to create strategies and protect human health. Hence, this study assessed and determined the health risk levels of MMs in both brackish and marine water fish (BMF) in Puerto Princesa City (PPC), Palawan Province, Philippines. PPC has an existing abandoned open mine pit near the PPC coastline called the “pit lake”. The concentrations of As, Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Hg, and Zn in fishes were analyzed using portable Olympus Vanta X-ray Fluorescence (pXRF), and the spatial distribution of MMs concentrations in BMF was analyzed using a GIS (geographic information system). Fishes were sampled from fishing boat landing sites and nearby seafood markets. The results revealed that the concentration of MMs in marine fish was generally higher than the brackish water fish. It was recorded that the Hg concentration in marine water fish meat was higher than in brackish water fish meat. The Mn concentration in marine water fish exceeded the permissible limits set by international bodies. An elevated concentration of Mn in BMF was detected across the northern part of PPC, and an elevated concentration of Hg in marine fishes was recorded in the southeast area, where the fish landing sites are located. Ba was also detected in BMF across the southern part of PPC. Moreover, an elevated concentration of Cu was detected in MBF in the northeast and in marine fish in the southeastern area of PPC. Further, this paper elaborates the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of these fishes to the PPC population and tourists with respect to the MMs content in fish meat.

Möller-Raid, T.; Torn, K.; Herkül, K.; Taevere, T.; Martin, G.; Paalme, T., and Schubert, H., 2024. Temporal dynamics of the quantity and composition of beach wrack: a monthly analysis in an urban sandy beach in the NE Baltic Sea. In: Phillips, M.R.; Al-Naemi, S., and Duarte, C.M. (eds.), Coastlines under Global Change: Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2024 (Doha, Qatar). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 113, pp. 488-493. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Sandy beaches are important for tourism and therefore the beaches are often managed, which also includes beach cleaning and the removal of excessive beach wrack. At the same time sandy beaches are fragile environments and often need conservation to maintain their ecological function. The beach management decisions need to be based on the local circumstances, however the information on beach wrack communities is utterly scarce for the northern Baltic Sea. The study was carried out at Kakumäe in Tallinn, Estonia, NE Baltic Sea. Kakumäe sandy beach is popular among both tourists and locals. The amount of beach wrack (areal coverage and volume per 100 m long beach section) and its composition (all marine- and land-origin species) was studied monthly in 2019-2020. The beach wrack coverage varied from a few patches to 50 %, and the volume of beach wrack varied from 0.1 to 50 m3. The amounts were the largest in the period from October to December and lowest in March. Altogether 128 biomass samples were collected and analysed. A total of 112 taxa (64 invertebrates and 48 species of plants and algae) were described within the beach wrack. Land-based invertebrates (37 taxa) and sea-based plants and algae (40 taxa) dominated in the beach wrack composition. The beach wrack provides a food source and shelter to invertebrates, thereby increasing the biological diversity of sandy beaches. Dominant algal species in the Kakumäe beach wrack were Fucus vesiculosus, Furcellaria lumbricalis, Ceramium tenuicorne, Vertebrata fucoides, Battersia arctica, Cladophora glomerata and from higher plants Zostera marina and Stuckenia pectinata, reflecting the heterogeneity of nearby benthic habitats. Faunal species represented the phylums Mollusca and Arthropoda, about 20% of the found species can be regarded as occasional encounters. The study emphasizes the significance of beach wrack in the region and examines the impact of beach management on the coastal community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cyanobacteria are the major prokaryotic primary producers occupying a range of aquatic habitats worldwide that differ in levels of salinity, making them a group of interest to study one of the major unresolved conundrums in aquatic microbiology which is what distinguishes a marine microbe from a freshwater one? We address this question using ecogenomics of a group of picocyanobacteria (cluster 5) that have recently evolved to inhabit geographically disparate salinity niches. Our analysis is made possible by the sequencing of 58 new genomes from freshwater representatives of this group that are presented here, representing a 6-fold increase in the available genomic data. Results: Overall, freshwater strains had larger genomes (≈2.9 Mb) and %GC content (≈64%) compared to brackish (2.69 Mb and 64%) and marine (2.5 Mb and 58.5%) isolates. Genomic novelties/differences across the salinity divide highlighted acidic proteomes and specific salt adaptation pathways in marine isolates (e.g., osmolytes/compatible solutes - glycine betaine/ggp/gpg/gmg clusters and glycerolipids glpK/glpA), while freshwater strains possessed distinct ion/potassium channels, permeases (aquaporin Z), fatty acid desaturases, and more neutral/basic proteomes. Sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon (photosynthesis), or stress tolerance metabolism while showing distinct genomic footprints between habitats, e.g., different types of transporters, did not obviously translate into major functionality differences between environments. Brackish microbes show a mixture of marine (salt adaptation pathways) and freshwater features, highlighting their transitional nature. Conclusions: The plethora of freshwater isolates provided here, in terms of trophic status preference and genetic diversity, exemplifies their ability to colonize ecologically diverse waters across the globe. Moreover, a trend towards larger and more flexible/adaptive genomes in freshwater picocyanobacteria may hint at a wider number of ecological niches in this environment compared to the relatively homogeneous marine system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying new areas of colonisation by alien species is important for early detection and management. Door-knocker species pose problems for traditional predictive models because of lacking presence–absence data, but habitat suitability modelling might overcome this. We here identify the most likely areas for introduction and first establishment of the invasive round goby Neogobius melanostomus to Norway, where it has not yet been registered. We implemented knowledge on dispersal pathways and the species' biology in a simplified suitability model based on spatial data representing the most relevant environmental variables: distance to international harbours in Norway, distance to the closest population in neighbouring country, salinity, wave exposure, depth and water temperature. The results suggest that there are many potential localities for introduction and first establishment and reveal several hotspots of such areas, especially in less-exposed coastal brackish areas of southern Norway. Especially the region around the Oslo Fjord stands out as being associated with higher risk. Our results could guide future monitoring programmes and increase the chance of early detection of this potential new invader. The study illustrates how spatial analyses can be used to identify the most likely areas for future invasion by an aquatic door-knocker species despite lacking presence–absence data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change predictions indicate global changes in salinity with negative implications for plankton food webs; an important baseline for functioning of marine ecosystems. Current understanding of how salinity change will impact plankton communities is mostly limited to the salinization of freshwater environments, with little known about the effects of changing salinity in marine systems. In this study, we investigate the effect of salinity change on zooplankton communities under different salinity change scenarios of the Baltic Sea. Projections for future salinity change derived from regional physical-biogeochemical models were used to set-up an outdoor mesocosm experiment in the coastal area of the Gulf of Finland. Each mesocosm was inoculated with natural plankton using a mixture of both marine and freshwater communities, mimicking the natural influx of freshwater species from rivers into the Baltic Sea. Zooplankton diversity and composition changed possibly due to different salinity tolerances among the species. Among zooplankton, rotifers dominated in low salinities (74%) and cladocerans and copepods (69%) in high salinities. Our results suggest that the zooplankton community will shift to a rotifer dominated community in areas with declining salinity due to the intolerance of other zooplankton groups to freshening.

This data article presents the composition of selected physico-chemical water parameters, phytoplankton, flora and fauna in Sungai Kertih, Terengganu, Malaysia. Sungai Kertih is surrounded by mangrove forest and located nearby to a coastal hill namely Bukit Labohan that supports vast biological resources to its adjacent inhabitants. Therefore, a biodiversity and environmental assessment was conducted in Sungai Kertih from 19–21 August 2019 to document the biodiversity and physico-chemical water parameters of the river. The dataset show that Sungai Kertih is occupied by 14 tree mangrove species, 43 phytoplankton species, 21 bivalve species, 10 crustacean species, five amphibian species and eight reptilian species. The obtained physico-chemicals water parameters data were the value of pH, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity and electrical conductivity. Understanding the influence of physical and chemical properties on biological resources in coastal ecosystem is one of important in river conservation and management practices. Thus, this baseline dataset can be utilized for further reference and monitoring the health of the environment in the mangrove ecosystem.

Continued human population growth and the associated development of coasts lead to dramatic effects on marine coastal ecosystems altering food resources and habitats for several species and resulting in novel species interactions. The Bay of the Seine, located in the eastern part of the English Channel, is one of the most anthropized sea in the world. Here, we report an observation of the European herring gulls (Larus argentatus) feeding on the nonindigenous species (NIS) Rangia cuneata in the Bay of the Seine. Observations of otter prints (Lutra lutra) and excrements were also found near the bivalves, suggesting that this species also feed on the NIS bivalve. Our study suggests that the spread of NIS in coastal marine ecosystem is expected to drive changes in the foraging behavior of top predators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Continued human population growth and the associated development of coasts lead to dramatic effects on marine coastal ecosystems altering food resources and habitats for several species and resulting in novel species interactions. The Bay of the Seine, located in the eastern part of the English Channel, is one of the most anthropized sea in the world. Here, we report an observation of the European herring gulls (Larus argentatus) feeding on the nonindigenous species (NIS) Rangia cuneata in the Bay of the Seine. Observations of otter prints (Lutra lutra) and excrements were also found near the bivalves, suggesting that this species also feed on the NIS bivalve. Our study suggests that the spread of NIS in coastal marine ecosystem is expected to drive changes in the foraging behavior of top predators.

A small assemblage of 22 otoliths was identified from the historical collection of Bluntschli and Peyer gathered in 1912 on the Itaya riverbank at Iquitos, Peru (Amazonia), from the Pebas Formation. The Pebas Mega-Wetland System in western Amazonia during the Miocene represented a unique, albeit short-lived, biotope characterized by a pronounced endemic evolution with gigantism in some vertebrate groups (e.g., turtles, crocodylians). Thus far, fishes have mainly been recorded based on isolated skeletal remains and teeth. Here, we describe the first well-preserved otolith assemblage from the Pebas Formation. This otolith assemblage adds a new facet to the fauna by complementing the skeletal bony fish data, primarily with species of the Sciaenidae and, to a lesser extent, Ariidae and Cichlidae. The sciaenids and ariids indicate that migration must have occurred between the marginal marine environments to the north and the Pebas Wetland System. The otoliths also indicate the likelihood of endemic developments of adapted marine immigrants to the Pebas Wetland System, some of which have become extinct (Pogonias, Umbrina), while others now represent typical South American freshwater fish groups (Plagioscion). Six new species are described based on otoliths, one in the Cichlidae—Cichlasoma bluntschlii n. sp., one in the Ariidae—Cantarius ohei n. sp., and four in the Sciaenidae—Pebasciaena amazoniensis n. gen. et n. sp., Plagioscion peyeri n. sp., Pogonias tetragonus n. sp. and Umbrina pachaula n. sp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ichnofossils are still not used in paleoecological studies, even though they are a valuable proxy for paleoecology. This study focused on a semi-quantitative approach to a number of ichnofabric variables, i.e. ichnofossil association, bioturbation index (BI), ichnodiversity (ID), number of behaviors (NB), penetration depth (PD), and burrow diameter (DM). It was proved that the scores of those variables were low to medium because of the paleoecological fluvial-marine transition depositional processes in the Serravallian-Tortonian interval in Kutai Basin, Indonesia. This paper contributes an ichnofabric model that is visualized as histograms. One histogram shows the most common ichnofossil associations found in ichnofabric units, i.e., Ophiomorpha, Skolithos, Paleophycus, Planolites, Thalassinoides, and Chondrites. The other histograms describe the ichnofabric variables scores for BI, ID, NB, PD, and DM. The variables represent low to medium scores, a characteristic of a brackish paleoecology at basin-scale, a unique indicator for the fluvial-marine transition depositional system.

This study utilized well logs and core data to evaluate facies architecture and depositional environment of G-field in the Greater Ughelli Depobelt of the Niger Delta area in Nigeria. The study revealed five lithofacies unites, namely, Bioturbated Sandstone Facies (BSF), Coarse to Pebbly Sandstone Facies (CPSF), Mudsone Facies (MF), Very Fine Grained laminated Sandstone Facies (FGLSF), and Wavy- to Flaser-Bedded Facies (WFbF). The lithofacies were grouped into Two (2) Facies Assemblages that where established from the five mentioned lithofacies A-E. The Facies Assemblages are Open-marine Facies Association, Brackish-water Marginal-marine Facies Association and Tidal Flat Association. Gamma Ray (GR) logs within the cored interval defined an aggrading deposit. These assemblages were used to infer the various environments responsible for the deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local biodiversity has traditionally been estimated with taxonomic diversity metrics such as species richness. Recently, the concept of biodiversity has been extended beyond species identity by ecological traits determining the functional role of a species in a community. This interspecific functional diversity typically responds more strongly to local environmental variation compared with taxonomic diversity, while taxonomic diversity may mirror more strongly dispersal processes compared with functional metrics. Several trait‐based indices have been developed to measure functional diversity for various organisms and habitat types, but studies of their applicability on aquatic microbial communities have been underrepresented. We examined the drivers and covariance of taxonomic and functional diversity among diatom rock pool communities on the Baltic Sea coast. We quantified three taxonomic (species richness, Shannon's diversity, and Pielou's evenness) and three functional (functional richness, evenness, and divergence) diversity indices and determined abiotic factors best explaining variation in these indices by generalized linear mixed models. The six diversity indices were highly collinear except functional evenness, which merely correlated significantly with taxonomic evenness. All diversity indices were always explained by water conductivity and temperature–sampling month interaction. Taxonomic diversity was further consistently explained by pool distance to the sea, and functional richness and divergence by pool location. The explained variance in regression models did not markedly differ between taxonomic and functional metrics. Our findings do not clearly support the superiority of neither set of diversity indices in explaining coastal microbial diversity, but rather highlight the general overlap among the indices. However, as individual metrics may be driven by different factors, the greatest advantage in assessing biodiversity is nevertheless probably achieved with a simultaneous application of the taxonomic and functional diversity metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity, a key property of watermasses, is difficult to reconstruct in paleodepositional systems, and errors in assigning salinity facies to epicratonic and marginal-marine deposits may be common. In this study, we evaluate the salinity conditions of mudstones of the Arroyo Malo Formation (AMF), spanning the Triassic-Jurassic transition (TJT) of the Neuquén Basin, Argentina. Although the AMF has long been considered marine based on its fossil fauna, we find that three elemental salinity proxies (B/Ga, Sr/Ba, S/TOC) are consistent in indicating dominantly freshwater influence, with occasional excursions to low-brackish conditions. In this context, the sparse, fragmented, and poorly preserved assemblage of bioclasts in the AMF do not accurately represent its salinity facies. We infer that, during the TJT, the Neuquén Basin was largely isolated from the Panthalassic Ocean, or perhaps intermittently weakly connected to it. The same elemental salinity proxies indicate low-brackish conditions in a Lower Jurassic unit previously assumed to be marine and fully marine conditions in Lower Cretaceous mudstone formations of the Neuquén Basin. This trend documents the gradual establishment of open communication with the Panthalassic Ocean, with fully marine conditions prevailing by the Middle to Late Jurassic. Standard redox proxies show that the AMF watermass was not markedly reducing, demonstrating that the impoverishment of the fossil biota was not due to unfavorable redox conditions. These findings demonstrate that inferences of marine conditions based on fossil content are potentially erroneous, and they emphasize the general need to make use of salinity proxies in analysis of deep-time depositional systems. • New assessment of salinity in Mesozoic strata of Neuquén Basin of Argentina • Triassic-Jurassic transition shales yield freshwater values for B/Ga, Sr/Ba and S/TOC • Freshwater interpretation challenges previous assumption of marine conditions • Intermittent connection of basin to Panthalassa during Triassic-Jurassic transition • Fossil content alone can yield incorrect interpretations of marine salinity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Maugean skate, Zearaja maugeana, is endemic to two isolated western Tasmanian (Australia) estuaries. The species' persistence in one of these estuaries (Bathurst Harbour) is uncertain, while the other estuary (Macquarie Harbour), potentially the remaining stronghold for the species, is an anthropogenically impacted system.Key life‐history parameters were studied to inform conservation actions for this species. Reproductive information was obtained using non‐lethal methodologies, circulating concentrations of sex steroids and ultrasonography. Growth and age parameters were estimated based on vertebral sections from a small sample of individuals.Females and males reached 870 and 760 mm total length, respectively. The species reached a maximum age of at least 10 years. Females and males attained 50% sexual maturity at 665 and 633 mm total length, respectively, probably maturing somewhere between four and six years of age. Females displayed an asynchronous, discontinuous reproductive cycle, being able to reproduce throughout the year, with a probable decline in reproductive activity during summer. No egg cases were observed in‐utero. Males produce sperm all year round, with a peak in testosterone production during spring–autumn.Conservation strategies for Z. maugeana will need to focus on reducing anthropogenic impacts on the environmental health, the primary impacts being altered river flows associated with the production of hydroelectricity and increased nutrient load associated with salmonid aquaculture. There is a need to better understand how reproductive success, egg survival and recruitment are affected by these environmental challenges if the future well‐being of this species is to be secured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sawfishes (Family: Pristidae) are one of the most imperilled fish families worldwide. There is an increasingly urgent need to better understand the biology, ecology, and population status of the five sawfish species to develop more effective conservation measures. The dwarf sawfish, Pristis clavata, is one of the least researched members of the pristids, with literature limited to analysing disparate datasets or collations of rare encounters in northern Australia.This study examined the spatial ecology of dwarf sawfish using targeted surveys and acoustic telemetry to determine its habitat use in a macrotidal estuary in northern Australia. Seventeen dwarf sawfish were tagged with acoustic transmitters and monitored in the Fitzroy River estuary and adjacent King Sound (Kimberley, Western Australia) between August 2015 and November 2017.Dwarf sawfish observed within the Fitzroy River estuary and King Sound were juveniles, ranging between 740 and 2,540 mm in total length. Catch per unit effort of dwarf sawfish in the late dry season was relatively high in the estuary, with the catch rate in 2015 being one of the highest reported for any sawfish species.Acoustic detections revealed a distinct seasonal pattern in the use of different parts of the estuary and King Sound, which was found to be driven by salinity. Dwarf sawfish predominately occupied a single large pool near the terminus of the tidal limit in the late dry season (August–November), before transitioning to regions in closer proximity to the river mouth or in King Sound in the wet and early dry seasons (December–July).Given the high abundance and residency of dwarf sawfish in the Fitzroy River estuary, this area is an important nursery for the species during the late dry season and should be formally recognized as a habitat protection area for the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Colorado River Delta is one of the most impacted wetland systems in the world and has experienced massive habitat loss owing to severe restrictions in freshwater inflow as a result of dam construction and diversion of water for irrigation. However, the delta still offers nesting and foraging habitats for waterbirds, although the habitats available are highly fragmented and limited. Stable isotope ratio (SIR) analysis was used to assess quantitatively isotopic niche width of gull-billed terns (Gelochelidon nilotica), laughing gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla) and snowy egrets (Egreta thula) that nest at an inland and coastal location. The variance in carbon and nitrogen SIR of egg albumen indicated that inland colonies have a much broader isotope niche width (range 2.9 to 23.9) than coastal colonies (

Gnorimosphaeroma oregonense (Dana, 1852) is revised, a male neotype is designated, photographed, and illustrated; the species occurs from Vancouver British Columbia to the central California coast. 16S-rDNA sequences (~650 bp) for all available ethanol preserved species of Gnorimosphaeroma were used to hypothesize their relationships. Our analyses revealed a sister taxon relationship between the fully marine G. ore- gonense and the brackish to freshwater species, G. noblei. The oyster associated and introduced G. rayi is sister to a previously not recognized or identified, but genetically distinct, Gnorimosphaeroma sp. collected at two sites in San Francisco Bay. Gnorimosphaeroma sp. is probably also a western Pacific species based on its genetic relationship to G. rayi. Photographic comparisons are offered for G. oregonense (marine), G. noblei (freshwater), G. rayi (introduced), G. sp. (presumably introduced), and G. insulare (San Nicolas Island). Records of the holdings at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History are summarized. Without material available north of Vancouver through Alaska, the range of G. oregonense could not be genetically verified. This review includes a diagnosis and description of the genus Gnorimosphaeroma Menzies, 1954. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ichnofossils are still not used in paleoecological studies, even though they are a valuable proxy for paleoecology. This study focused on a semiquantitative approach to a number of ichnofabric variables, i.e. ichnofossil association, bioturbation index (BI), ichnodiversity (ID), number of behaviors (NB), penetration depth (PD), and burrow diameter (DM). It was proved that the scores of those variables were low to medium because of the paleoecological fluvial-marine transition depositional processes in the Serravallian-Tortonian interval in Kutai Basin, Indonesia. This paper contributes an ichnofabric model that is visualized as histograms. One histogram shows the most common ichnofossil associations found in ichnofabric units, i.e., Ophiomorpha, Skolithos, Paleophycus, Planolites, Thalassinoides, and Chondrites. The other histograms describe the ichnofabric variables scores for BI, ID, NB, PD, and DM. The variables represent low to medium scores, a characteristic of a brackish paleoecology at basin-scale, a unique indicator for the fluvial-marine transition depositional system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of sea‐level rise (SLR), coastal anchialine pool habitats will be lost in some locations and will expand inland into low‐lying areas in others. New and existing habitats may risk additional SLR‐related degradation from non‐native species transmission, groundwater pollution, and increased contact with human infrastructure. Despite a worldwide distribution, anchialine ecosystems and biota have been largely omitted from SLR risk assessments for coastal ecosystems.Anchialine pools and caves are composed of brackish groundwater that connects to the marine environment through porous rocky substrate but have no overland connection to the ocean. They support unique endemic biota.The goal of this study was to develop methods to assess potential impacts to anchialine pools from future coastal flooding, using the island of Hawai'i as a case study. Flood predictions incorporated pool surveys, groundwater‐level measurements, and statistical analysis of flood frequencies observed in tide gauges combined with regional scenario‐based projections of future sea levels. High‐resolution geospatial models were then generated to predict anchialine pool location, density, and risk factors for the next 60 years.Along 40 km of coastline, up to 80% of current anchialine pools will be lost by 2080 as pools merge with ocean habitats; however, as groundwater flooding occurs more frequently and new habitats are created inland, the total pool counts will rise from 509 in 2018 to 1,000 by 2080. As a result of extreme water‐level events, non‐native fishes are predicted to disperse into 42% of pools by 2030. Based on current conditions, development and cesspool risks are quite low for anchialine pools in the study area.Outcomes from this study are guiding conservation actions, including habitat restoration, non‐native fish removal, and development planning decisions in coastal areas. This study illustrates methods that can be used to assess the effects of SLR on anchialine pool habitats worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estuarine and coastal ecosystems are of high economic and ecological importance, owing to their diverse communities and the disproportionate role they play in carbon cycling, particularly in carbon sequestration. Organisms inhabiting these environments must overcome strong natural fluctuations in salinity, nutrients, and turbidity, as well as numerous climate change-induced disturbances such as land loss, sea level rise, and, in some locations, increasingly severe tropical cyclones that threaten to disrupt future ecosystem health. The northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) along the Louisiana coast contains dozens of estuaries, including the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River outflow, which dramatically influence the region due to their vast upstream watershed. Nevertheless, the microbiology of these estuaries and surrounding coastal environments has received little attention. To improve our understanding of microbial ecology in the understudied coastal nGoM, we conducted a 16S rRNA gene amplicon survey at eight sites and multiple time points along the Louisiana coast and one inland swamp spanning freshwater to high brackish salinities, totaling 47 duplicated Sterivex (0.2-2.7 µm) and prefilter (>2.7 µm) samples. We cataloged over 13,000 Amplicon Sequence ariants (ASVs) from common freshwater and marine clades such as SAR11 (Alphaproteobacteria), Synechococcus (Cyanobacteria), and acI and Candidatus Actinomarina (Actinobacteria). We observed correlations with freshwater or marine habitats in many organisms and characterized a group of taxa with specialized distributions across brackish water sites, supporting the hypothesis of an endogenous brackish-water community. Additionally, we observed brackish-water associations for several aquatic clades typically considered marine or freshwater taxa, such as SAR11 subclade II, SAR324, and the acI Actinobacteria. The data presented here expand the geographic coverage of microbial ecology in estuarine communities, help delineate the native and transitory members of these environments, and provide critical aquatic microbiological baseline data for coastal and estuarine sites in the nGoM.IMPORTANCEEstuarine and coastal waters are diverse ecosystems influenced by tidal fluxes, interconnected wetlands, and river outflows, which are of high economic and ecological importance. Microorganisms play a pivotal role in estuaries as "first responders" and ecosystem architects, yet despite their ecological importance, they remain underrepresented in microbial studies compared to open ocean environments. This leads to substantial knowledge gaps that are important for understanding global biogeochemical cycling and making decisions about conservation and management strategies in these environments. Our study makes key contributions to the microbial ecology of estuarine and coastal habitats in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Our microbial community data support the concept of a globally distributed, core brackish microbiome and emphasize previously underrecognized brackish-water taxa. Given the projected worsening of land loss, oil spills, and natural disasters in this region, our results will serve as important baseline data for researchers investigating the microbial communities found across estuaries., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.