The role and the future of calcifying marine organisms recently became of major interest in the context of global climate change. In the temperate environment, many biocalcifying species are common and abundant on rocky shores. This paper estimates their CO₂ production both via calcification and respiration. The high values calculated show that calcifying organisms should be considered when studying and modelling the processes that influence the CO₂ cycle.

Sampling gear and different sampling approaches pose difficulties for comparative analyses of surf-zone fish communities. Comparing two different sampling strategies using the same beach seine indicated that catch structure and composition varied, and seasonal components also influenced the catch. The traditional parallel row appears to be more effective, and results may not be comparable between strategies.

Catches of striped marlin in the Western and Central North Pacific Ocean have been declining for two decades. An integrated population dynamics model estimated that declining catches were the result of declining levels of adult biomass and recruitment. Rebuilding the population will depend on the relative roles that adult biomass and the environment play in the recruitment process.

Ocean beaches contain highly-adapted invertebrates thought to be structured almost exclusively by waves, tides and sediments. Here we show that such ‘physical control explanations‘ need to include the effects of variations in sea-surface temperature and incorporate effects of human disturbance. More complex models of biological structure on sandy beaches may need to be developed for these highly dynamics ecosystems.

The life-history characteristics of red cod, Pseudophycis bachus, were investigated to assess the intrinsic resilience of this important prey species to increased predation pressure by a range of high trophic-level predators. The results revealed that red cod have a particularly fast growth rate, which coupled with a reproductive strategy characterised by early maturity and high fecundity, suggests that the species is relatively resilient. However, red cod is short lived, which exposes populations to large shifts in biomass, therefore, harvesting of this species by predators, particularly during years of poor recruitment, may be significant in shaping the dynamics of red cod populations.

The ascidian Styela plicata is a global invader, arriving in Australian waters as early as 1878 and spreading among harbours in the region. We examined mitochondrial diversity of invasive populations in Australia and New Zealand and compared them to global patterns. Australian genetic diversity is similar to global patterns for this species, but highly reduced diversity in New Zealand suggests a recent bottleneck.

The method used to select sites for ecological monitoring can have a major bearing on inferences drawn regarding the characteristics and health of ecosystems regionally or nationally. This study compared three sampling network designs for wadeable stream monitoring, and concludes that deriving reliable extent estimates requires a clear definition of the resource of interest, accounting for the probability of selecting a site, and ensuring spatial representation.

The knowledge of the early life history of coastal intertidal fishes is scarce in the eastern boundary of South Pacific. Two larval gobiesocids, Gobiesox marmoratus and Sicyases sanguineus, showed differences in their growth rates and both hatch associated to different lunar cycles. Both features may increase coastal retention and self-recruitment of these species in advective environments.

The topography-flow interaction may contribute to the transport of nutrients into the euphotic layer. The spatial variability of oceanographic characteristics as well as interrelationship between production levels and environmental characteristics were investigated. The main observed features were an uplifting of the isotherms and isohalines and a step-wise gradient in vertical temperature profiles, providing evidence of seamount-induced perturbation.