Reliable age information is vital for effective shark fisheries management, yet traditional ageing has some limitations. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was investigated as an alternative approach using vertebrae from the great hammerhead and the spot-tail shark, the ages of which were validated to 10 years. NIRS successfully predicted their ages, is rapid and could be used to age large numbers of sharks quickly.

The effects of typhoons upon freshwater ecosystem remain unclear. We analysed a 2-year time series of phytoplankton responses with typhoon events and found a significantly increased phytoplankton response both during the typhoon periods and during the non-typhoon periods occurring between two typhoons. Given that phytoplankton plays an important role in assimilating CO₂ and contributes to the sinking of atmospheric CO₂ to the bottom of the water column, typhoon-induced phytoplankton blooms may additionally serve to mitigate local warming under climate change.

Lack of tidal influence in estuarine habitats is predicted to increase globally but we do not yet understand the associated ecological consequences. Gut chlorophyll levels of a fiddler crab showed that feeding dynamics vary with season, time of day and between sexes in a non-tidal mangrove habitat. These results provide insight into the response of macrobenthos to environmental change.

Sandy beaches and their surf-zones are the most common coastal habitat and are inhabited by diverse fauna, including economically important species. The present study described the small swimming-area fauna of two Ecuadorian sandy beaches and found that their communities varied most strongly between beaches, and less so between seasons, potentially due to the influence of adjacent rivers and oceanic currents. Our results suggest that despite the environmental stability often portrayed for tropical environments, Ecuadorian surf-zone fauna are spatially and temporally variable.

The occurrence of Squalus megalops in the Gulf of Gabès (central Mediterranean Sea) is recently confirmed; life cycle of this shark is crucial for its conservation. Thus, growth, longevity, natural mortality and size and age at maturity of, are reported. The data approve that S. megalops have a k-strategy in its life history.

Pomacanthus paru is one of the most exported species in the Brazilian aquarium trade and is caught by traps as bycatch. This species was gonochoristic, exhibited size dimorphism and the size at maturity of females was 23.30 cm. At the spawning stage, females may be more vulnerable to trap fishing. Management measures should consider implementing trap-free areas in spawning grounds.

The coral Alveopora japonica in Jeju Island, South Korea, has increased in number over past decades and has encroached upon the macroalgal substrates affecting both the presence of macroalgae and abalone populations, which feed on macroalgae. To assess the dynamics the population increase, population-ecology studies of this coral was conducted from two locations at north and south of the Island. Population-age and -size structures at both sites reflected a healthy status and indicated a local stability, with a stationary size structure allowing population maintenance over time. The present study provided data to develop population-dynamics models to predict the potential outcomes of A. japonica populations to alternative management scenarios in Jeju Island.

Coral degradation is a major threat toward coral-reef ecosystems, a factor that is likely to be problematic for species that exhibit specific habitat preferences. The ability of juvenile coral reef fishes to identify poor habitats, namely degraded coral and the presence of crown-of-thorns starfish, through smell was investigated. Whereas the crown-of-thorns elicited a limited response (unless feeding), the smell of degraded coral was actively avoided, such reactions are important for predicting ecosystem alterations resulting from environmental change.

Studies of marine life increasingly use sea-surface temperature from satellites assuming it represents conditions in the water column, yet this assumption has rarely been tested. We compared satellite and water column temperatures spanning a wide geographic range across southern Australia and found they were generally similar, but can differ considerably depending on local conditions. Therefore, although satellite temperatures should be adequate for many broad-scale studies, they should be validated prior to using in finer-scale studies.

Oceanic fronts are often considered as sites of enhanced biological production, influencing fish stocks and the global carbon cycle. We evaluated zooplankton biomass and grazing across a latitudinal gradient in the South-west Atlantic Ocean, and found that subtropical and subpolar frontal areas have higher zooplankton activity than surrounding waters. Our results suggest that these frontal systems have a significant effect on zooplankton, ultimately affecting deep-water carbon sequestration.

Demersal chondrichthyan assemblages were compared in four geographical subareas established by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean in the western Mediterranean. Present study revealed two assemblages related to depth, with similar bathymetric ranges in all subareas, namely continental shelf and slope. However diversity, abundance and biomass values were different between subareas which reflects the effects of the distinct fishing and oceanographic parameters.

Australian artesian springs are hot spots for aquatic diversity but data deficiency hinders conservation efforts. This study compared existing study methods for sampling the diversity and abundance of macro-invertebrates in springs and found that diversity can be sampled rapidly and with little bias, yet abundance measures are sensitive to method. This means we can pool existing disparate data sources pertaining to diversity at a national scale, and offer an optimised strategy for all taxa encountered.

Disease affects not only the biological function of coral, but it may also affect the ability of corals to compete with other species in their environment. This study evaluated the effect of growth anomalies (GAs) on the susceptibility of the coral M. capitata to algal overgrowth. The relationship between GA and algal overgrowth was weak, implying that other factors (e.g. environmental conditions) are driving this interaction.

Few studies have accounted for morphology when comparing interspecific differences in the isotopic values of corals. In this study we show that the δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values of Porites lobata and P. solida have few differences across reefs and depths. This suggests that resource partitioning among corals is mostly driven by resource acquisition, rather than being inherently species-specific.

Physical barriers in streams and rivers can deny fish access to habitat and food beyond these structures. This study identified a total of 3748 bridges, culverts and causeways in Australia’s Wet Tropics region that could potentially be barriers to fish passage. This inventory provides a first step in the prioritisation of potential barriers for removal and remediation to improve native fish movement and fisheries production.