Towards a global core mycobiome of banana (Musa spp.) - Anna-Belle C. Clarke; Christine Rose Ansale; Loren Banayag; Sheryl Bayang; Sheryl Bothma; Khonesavanh Chittarath; Merlina Juruena; Georgina Karamura; Hazel R. Lapis-Gaza; Cesar Limbaga; Rebecca Lyons; Jiarui Sun; et al. (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Interaction effects and legacy effects of multiple environmental stressors on rice growth and the rhizosphere microbiome - Yifan Zhao; Shuxun Cheng; Rujiong Zeng; Zhiqi Hong; Dan He; Caixian Tang; Zhongmin Dai (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Dual roles of schwertmannite in co-mitigating arsenic and antimony accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) via stimulating microbial sulfate-reducing processes in paddy soils - Ru Wang; Shufan Chen; Nan Ge; Rongshuo Shang; Xiaomeng Wang; Guanyu Zheng (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Introduction of the twin ring method for collection of earthworms – Method study on seven agricultural sites across Germany - Thomas Middelanis; Larissa Feldmann; Peter Mueller; Martin Potthoff (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Microbially mediated mitigation of N2O and NH3 emissions under combined straw and organic fertilizer management in a wheat-maize rotation system - Haizhong Wu; Yubo Feng; Xiaobo Shen; Hongjing Zhao; Dengxiao Zhang; Xiaolei Jie; Daichang Wang; Shiliang Liu (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Effects of vegetation restoration on soil carbon pool and carbon fixation capacity of cbbL-type bacteria in eroded areas - Xiaopeng Wang; Man Zhou; Fangshi Jiang; Yue Zhang; Yanhe Huang; Jinshi Lin (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Effects of crusted straw or biochar incorporation on mineral-associated organic carbon dynamics: The roles of multitrophic interaction network - Xianlu Lai; Xiran Wang; Zhuoran Duan; Lijia Lu; Si Li; Tianyi He; Jie Wang (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Subsurface soil as a hotspot for iron-bound organic carbon loss driven by moisture and microorganisms during seasonal freeze-thaw period - Yuxin Tian; Maidinuer Abulaizi; Zailei Yang; Tianle Kou; Yuanbin Jia; YunPeng Hu; Mo Chen; Hongtao Jia (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Methane emissions under vegetation succession regulated by soil conditions and microbes in Yellow River Delta wetlands - Yunxuan Han; Linhui Ji; Yu Xin; Zihao Wang; Xia Gao; Lei Yu; Dufa Guo; Hongjie Di; Xiaoya Xu (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Editorial Board (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

A high-order bound-preserving finite difference multi-resolution WENO method for high-dimensional Richards equation - Xinyu Wu; Juan Cheng; Chi-Wang Shu (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Why modified Picard works: Mass-conservative and higher-order time integration for the Richardson–Richards equation - Huite P. Bootsma; Martine J. van der Ploeg; Albrecht H. Weerts (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Capillary pressure prediction in partially saturated porous media with a multicomponent lattice Boltzmann method - S. Joseph; H. Cheng; J. Harting; V. Magnanimo (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

H2 and CO2 underground storage: Do they share the same multiscale modeling challenges? - Siqin Yu; Ilenia Battiato (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Adhesive particle transport in idealized vegetated hyporheic zones: Pore-scale simulation and stochastic upscaling - Seonkyoo Yoon; Yuanqing Liu; Lian Shen; Judy Q. Yang; Peter K. Kang (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Two simplified analytical models considering skin effect on heat transfer in aquifer thermal energy storage systems - Chen Wang; Ching-Sheng Huang (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

The impact of flow randomization in chaotic mixing - Carla Feistner; Mónica Basilio Hazas; Barbara Wohlmuth; Gabriele Chiogna (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

A two-phase physics-informed hybrid deep learning model for flood forecasting: improving process learning and interpretability - Cheng Chen; Binquan Li; Yong Zhao; Kuang Li; Yongnan Zhu; Zhongmin Liang (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Exact solutions for transport of distributed colloids in porous media - L.I. Kuzmina; Y.V. Osipov; T.N. Kolokoltseva (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Potential evaporation and the Bouchet–Morton complementary relationship: A nondimensional atlas separating definition choices from land–atmosphere adjustment - J. Cory Pettijohn (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Semi-analytical analysis of chemo-hydro-mechanical coupled behavior in double-layered saturated clays with interfacial flow contact resistance - Jia-Hao Xie; Min-Jie Wen; Min Wang; Jia-Lei Wan; Yang Xu; Yan-Jun Du (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Hydraulic topology drives upstream migration: A spatial bioenergetic mechanism for fishway design based on the M2 criterion - Xiaoming Yan; Yang Shan; Carlo Gualtieri; Lijian Ouyang; Chenyang Cao; Shikang Liu; Qihao Meng; Dongqiu Li; Weiwei Yao (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Research on nonlinear seepage of full flow regimes in a rough single fracture using boundary layer theory and fractal geometry - Wenjie Yang; Yong Huang; Kehan Miao; Jie Zhang; Xiaochang Sun (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Impact of vortex ecohydraulic complexity on fish collective dynamics and behavioral diversity under varied obstacle geometries - Chenyang Cao; Xiyin Zheng; Shikang Liu; Zebin Zhang; Li Tian; Yike Li; Zhiyuan Yang; Jiabin Lu; Weiwei Yao (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Unsteady state capillary retention in porous media - Al Yaqathan Al Ghafri; Eric Mackay; Karl Stephen; Intisar Al Busaidi (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Impact of dead-end pores on the residual mass in miscible viscous displacement: A pore-scale perspective - Mamta Jotkar; David Santillán; Luis Cueto-Felgueroso (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Feasibility study of a tidal energy site in the Piscataqua River, New Hampshire, using large-eddy simulation - Mustafa Meriç Aksen; Mehrshad Gholami Anjiraki; Jonathan Craig; Jang-Geun Choi; Thomas Lippmann; Martin Wosnik; Ali Khosronejad (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Study on influence sensitivity of grain structure on permeability of porous media - Lijian Huang; Zifeng Chang; Ziyang Wang; Xixiang Li; Yanfeng Gong; Liping Chen; Congling Yuan (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Physics-informed neural network surrogate for reactive nitrate transport in groundwater - Alireza Arab; Traugott Scheytt; Thomas Nagel; Reza Taherdangkoo (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Conditional diffusion models for hydrogeologic parameter estimation from electrical resistivity tomography time-lapse data - Jose L Hernandez Mejia; Timothy C Johnson; Glenn E Hammond; Piyoosh Jaysaval (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Finite-depth seepage beneath stepped weirs with a step-located sheet pile - Rajesh K. Mahato; B.G. Rajeev Gandhi (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Non-linear colloidal flow and capture derived from Margules activity model - Nastaran Khazali; Thomas Russell; Chengyuan Xu; Gabriel Malgaresi; Pavel Bedrikovetsky (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Analytical solutions for seawater intrusion from pumping and sea-level rise in coastal aquifers with a general-head inland boundary - Wenyu Xu; Chunhui Lu; Jiazhi Sun; Xin Yang; Adrian D. Werner (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Resolution-aware multiscale 3D CNNs for permeability estimation in carbonate rocks: an architecture-agnostic transfer-learning framework - Iman Nabipour; Amir Raoof; Jafar Qajar (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Analytical and experimental study on boundary effects and parameter correlation in slug tests using multi-well collaborative inversion - Xiaosong Dong; Yanrong Zhao; Yong Huang; Haonan Wang; Shilong Mao; Wenjie Yang; Yuxing Zhang; Mingze Xie (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Dictionary Learning Methods for Brain Activity Mapping with MEG Data - Daniela Calvetti; Erkki Somersalo (Brain Topography, 2026)
A central goal in many brain studies is the identification of those brain regions that are activated during an observation window that may correspond to a motor task, a stimulus, or simply a resting state. While functional MRI is currently the most commonly employed modality for such task, methods based on the electromagnetic activity of the brain are valuable alternatives because of their excellent time resolution and of the fact that the measured signals are directly related to brain activation and not to a secondary effect such as the hemodynamic response. In this work we focus on the MEG modality, investigating the performance of a recently proposed Bayesian dictionary learning (BDL) algorithm for brain region identification. The partitioning of the source space into the 148 regions of interest (ROI) corresponding to parcellation of the Destrieux atlas provides a natural determination of the subdictionaries necessary for the BDL algorithm. We design a simulation protocol where a small randomly selected patch in each ROI is activated, the MEG signal is computed and the inverse problem of active brain region identification is solved using the BDL algorithm. The BDL algorithm consists of two phases, the first one comprising dictionary compression and Bayesian compression error analysis, and the second one performing dictionary coding with a deflated dictionary built on the output of the first phase, both steps relying on Bayesian sparsity promoting computations. For assessing the performance, we give a probabilistic interpretation of the confusion matrix, and consider different impurity measures for a multi-class classifier. Key words: Sparse coding, Bayesian approximation error, Matrix factorization, Impurity index, Bayesian hierarchical models

Climatic niche stability, refugial dynamics and extinction risk in Irano–Turanian mountain geophytes under future climate change - Gulsauir Kurbaniyazova; Dilafruz Jamalova; Elmurod Tangirqulov; Jaloliddin To‘lishev; Sharofatxon Oʻroqova; Sirojiddin Jumayev; Ziyoviddin Yusupov (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)

Testing the linkages between participatory monitoring, perception and compliance as a pathway to conserve threatened species - Antoine O. H. C. Leduc; Nigel E. Hussey; Priscila F. M. Lopes; José Amorim Reis-Filho (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)

Utilization and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in China: a systematic review of genebanks and farmers’ seed systems - Qing Liu; Jinpeng Wang (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)

Environmental risks to useful and traditionally used tree and palm species in the Brazilian Amazonia - Inaê Vilhena de Souza; Vitor Hugo Freitas Gomes (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)
The Brazilian Amazonia supports exceptional biological and cultural diversity, including numerous tree and palm species used by Indigenous peoples and traditional communities. However, deforestation and climate change may reduce the environmental suitability and regional availability of these species. We modelled the distributions of 753 useful and traditionally used tree and palm species under historical, 2023, and integrated climate and deforestation scenarios for 2050. Mean modelled suitable area under the historical baseline was 2.35 million km², and mean species richness was 512 species per grid cell. By 2023, forest area had declined by 15%, while projected reductions reached 29% under the optimistic scenario and 53% under the pessimistic scenario. Mean modelled suitable area declined by 50.1% and 68.2%, and mean species richness by 42.4% and 62.9%, respectively. Indigenous Lands and sustainable-use protected areas retained proportionally more forest than the region as a whole but did not fully prevent projected richness losses. Among 846 initially compiled species, the most frequent broad categories were animal food/ecological function, materials, medicines, and human food. Nearly 46% of the modelled species had predominantly transboundary distributions. These findings reveal a mismatch between forest-cover retention and the persistence of suitable conditions for useful species, supporting conservation strategies that integrate deforestation control, climate adaptation, connectivity, and traditional knowledge.

Spatiotemporal patterns of bird diversity across China’s zoogeographical regions: An update from 1955 to 2023 - Qianyi Zhang; Minghao Ma; Canwei Xia (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)

Habitat perforation changes bat species composition and acoustic activity in forest remnants - Md Ashraf Ul Hasan; Tigga Kingston (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)
Agroforest perforation is a form of land-use change that introduces small clearings within otherwise continuous forests, often representing the initial stage of habitat fragmentation, and introducing edge effects. Despite its prevalence in protected landscapes, biodiversity responses to perforation remain poorly studied, limiting our understanding of how early structural changes shape species persistence before extensive forest loss. Bats are sensitive indicators of habitat modification and show ensemble and species-specific responses. We investigated how unmodified forest and a gradient of early (agroforest perforations) to advanced (tea plantations) habitat modification shape (1) bat species composition, (2) acoustic activity, and (3) the response of a widespread insectivorous species, Hipposideros lankadiva in three protected areas (PAs) in Northeast Bangladesh. We surveyed bats using mist nets and harp traps at two localities per land-use type and conducted acoustic monitoring along four replicated transects per land-use type in each PA. We captured 712 individuals across 16 species from five families. Mist nets primarily captured frugivorous and nectarivorous bats, whereas harp traps captured insectivorous bats that forage in the forest interior and forest gaps and edges. Recorded acoustic activity was highest in tea plantations, dominated by edge/gap and open space foragers. H. lankadiva exhibited comparable acoustic activity across land-use types, indicating generalist foraging behavior. Overall, perforations supported disturbance-tolerant ensembles and showed early compositional filtering by increased generalist fruit-eating bats and loss of forest interior specialists. These results emphasize that perforations introduce early compositional shifts and that unmodified forest remnants within PAs remain irreplaceable for protecting forest interior bat diversity.

Native American ivory carving in Bali and the international back-and-forth trade in walrus ivory and bones between Indonesia and the USA - Vincent Nijman; Paige Kei Lee; Abdullah Abdullah; I Nyoman Aji Duranegara Payuse; Or Oi Ching; Erly Sintya; Desak Ketut Tristiana Sukmadewi; Jessica Chavez (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)
The trade in ivory draws global attention and much of this is focussed on elephant ivory. Here we focus on the international trade in, and carving of, ivory, as well as bones, from walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus ), particularly concerning the back-and-forth trade between the USA and Indonesia. The trade in walrus parts is regulated through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In the USA walrus is a protected species, but native Alaskans are allowed to carve, use and trade their parts. We report on a large-scale commercial trade where raw, uncarved walrus ivory and bones are (illegally) exported to the Indonesian island of Bali where highly skilled craftsmen carve this into native American motifs (e.g., cowboys and Indians, polar bears, migrating salmon) as well as Hawaiian fishhooks (Makau; only observed after the release of the Disney motion picture Moana). These carved items are re-exported and marketed as being carved in the USA by native Alaskan or Hawaiian craftsmen. Our observations and discussions in Indonesia (50 surveys between 2013 and 2025) and CITES records show this USA-Indonesia-USA trade has been ongoing since the 1990s. Export, re-export and import data from the USA and Indonesia do not align, suggesting a substantial illegal international trade in especially walrus ivory, in the order of 4 to 40 times the legal trade. Addressing this requires increased vigilance in Indonesia, better liaison between CITES Management Authorities in the USA and Indonesia, and a closer look by the US authorities into the sale of ‘indigenously-carved’ walrus ivory.

Exploring stakeholders’ apprehensions and perceptions of subterranean biodiversity monitoring in Europe - Anna Biró; Claire A. Chauveau; Olivier Collard; Teo Delić; Jean-François Flot; Catalina Haidău; Gábor Herczeg; Sanda Iepure; Anja Kos; Enrico Lunghi; Oana Teodora Moldovan; Orest Sambor; et al. (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)
In an era of biodiversity crisis, monitoring habitats and species is essential to track their changes, understand conservation priorities, and guide management decisions. In the European Union, the Habitats Directive mandates the monitoring of different habitat types. However, the quality and frequency of monitoring and conservation efforts vary across habitats. One neglected habitat group is subterranean habitats including caves. Using a questionnaire distributed across all relevant stakeholder groups, complemented by experts’ opinions, we aimed to (i) identify the current status and future vision of subterranean habitat monitoring, and (ii) understand general knowledge of, and the possibilities and impediments to develop a standardised protocol. We received 78 responses from all targeted stakeholder groups. The results revealed that, generally, there is a good level of understanding of the Habitats Directive’s obligations and of the general concepts of biodiversity monitoring, while knowledge on subterranean-habitat-specific topics is substantially lower. The answers also revealed considerable differences in institutional background and used methodology across countries and, at times, within countries. Our research highlights the importance of educating stakeholders and creates a roadmap for the priorities and pitfalls in developing a standardised protocol that can be adjusted to meet specific needs and country specific administrative and management structure.

Over-representation of rare species at high diversity sites: insight from the seven forms of rarity on species richness patterns - Grant L. Vagle; Christy M. McCain (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)
Biodiversity is closely linked to rarity. The seven forms of rarity (the interaction of range size, local abundance, and habitat specialization) have informed much work on rarity, and each component is integral to a hypothesized mechanism maintaining or generating diversity. Besides studies of individual components, the seven forms of rarity have typically been considered at large scales, but these forms could also have important implications for differing species richness at local scales. Here, we examined the compositions of the seven forms of rarity across sites in two mountain ranges in Colorado and three taxonomic groups: ants, carrion beetles, and small mammals. We classified species into the seven forms of rarity by mountain range. Then we explored patterns of species counts in each form across sites by species richness, using null models and simulations for comparison. In both mountain ranges, ant species rare or common in all three components were significantly overrepresented, but carrion beetles and small mammals did not differ from expectation. When compared with the mountain range scale, most sites showed significant overrepresentation of common species, and none showed significant overrepresentation of rare species. However, rare species accumulated faster than common species with increasing species richness. Thus, consistently across all three taxa and both mountain ranges, we detected a disproportionate representation of rare species at sites with high richness. This pattern indicates accumulating multi-form rarity as a potential biodiversity mechanism. Whatever the specific role, rarity in multiple forms deserves deeper consideration for conservation prioritization as a potential biodiversity mechanism.

Evaluating seasonal beta diversity patterns of fish communities through environmental DNA in the urban stream network - Yujin Kang; Yonghwan Kim; Youngkeun Song (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)
Beta diversity provides critical insights into ecosystem dynamics by capturing biodiversity changes across heterogeneous environments. To examine these dynamics in urban streams, we analyzed seasonal beta diversity of fish communities in the Anyang Stream network (South Korea) using eDNA metabarcoding and complementary beta diversity frameworks. We examined whether season shifts in beta diversity were associated with spatial environmental and biotic factors, and whether the relative contributions of richness differences and species replacement differed between summer and fall. We also expected that upstream, less urbanized sites and sensitive species would make relatively high contributions to community distinctiveness. In addition, we expected that stream morphology and urbanization would show different associations with the replacement and richness-difference components of local contribution to beta diversity (LCBD). The Baselga-family decomposition revealed that richness differences dominated overall, particularly in summer, while species replacement increased in fall. The variance-based approach further identified upstream reaches and the sensitive species Phoxinus oxycephalus as consistent drivers of site and species uniqueness. The secondary contributors varied seasonally, with Zacco platypus shaping uniqueness in summer and the invasive Micropterus salmoides in fall. Analyses also indicated that sensitive species sustained site uniqueness, whereas dominant and non-native species promoted species replacement, especially in downstream reaches. Environmental drivers of LCBD varied across seasons, but upstream, less-urbanized habitats recurrently supported distinctive communities. These findings underscore the conservation importance of protecting upstream habitats while managing invasive species in downstream reaches. Our results also demonstrate that integrating eDNA metabarcoding with complementary beta-diversity frameworks can improve the assessment of seasonal differences and longitudinal structuring of fish communities in urban aquatic ecosystems.

A comprehensive assessment of Australia’s terrestrial invertebrate pet trade across physical and online marketplaces - Charlotte R. Lassaline; Adam Toomes; Erinn P. Fagan-Jeffries; Thomas Swearingen; Phillip Cassey (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)
The terrestrial invertebrate trade in Australia is both poorly researched and largely exempt from regulation, despite numerous conservation and biosecurity risks. To determine the extent and implications of this trade, we conducted systematic monitoring of domestic invertebrate sales between 2019 and 2025, spanning online and physical marketplaces. Platforms surveyed included social media groups, pet store websites, public classifieds, insect trading expositions, and pet stores across all Australian state and territory capital cities. Using a combination of automated web-scraping and manual field surveys, we recorded 12,839 advertisements involving at least 568 invertebrate species from 410 genera and 138 families, as well as 121 undescribed ‘pseudo-taxa’. Of the described species, 537 were native and 33 were non-native. Comparison with a previous Australian snapshot study revealed substantial species turnover, including new emerging taxa and species no longer observed in trade since 2020. Thirty-five advertised species are listed under the IUCN Red List, CITES, or Australia’s EPBC Act, including one Critically Endangered species ( Thersites mitchellae ) for which trade is strictly prohibited. We document a substantial diversity of species not previously reported in wildlife trade and provide the first survey to concurrently monitor trade within expositions, pet stores, the surface web, and social media. Our findings highlight the scale, diversity, and conservation significance of Australia’s terrestrial invertebrate trade, and demonstrate the need for improved monitoring and regulation to mitigate conservation and biosecurity risks.

When foundation species become islands: how stand attributes of mulga (Acacia aneura) influence their insect communities - Lewis T. Loncar; Gerasimos Cassis; Chris Reid; Lisa E. Schwanz (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)
Foundation species play essential roles in their ecosystems owing to their high abundance and importance as a reliable resource for affiliated organisms. Despite their historical abundance, many foundation species are declining and effectively fragmenting into islands within a landscape. Yet we know little about how fragmentation of previously contiguous foundation species influences the assemblages of affiliated organisms. Here, we aim to understand how size and isolation of fragmented patches of a foundation tree species, mulga (Acacia aneura ), influences the populations of affiliated insects. We examined whether the assemblages of insects on mulga: (a) differed from those on associated (non-mulga) plants; and (b) were related to mulga stand attributes (stand size, canopy cover, ground cover and stand isolation). We found that the insect assemblages on mulga differed from those on associated plants, with a much greater proportion of psyllids and much smaller proportion of heteropterans. Species richness and Shannon Diversity increased with increasing stand size and decreased with increasing isolation distance from other stands, consistent with island biogeography predictions. Overall insect abundance increased with mulga stand size or decreased with isolation depending on the major taxonomic group considered. Moreover, insect assemblages varied across stand sizes, with large variation among small stands, indicating that a variety of mulga-affiliated insect species subsist, at least temporarily, within very small stands of trees. However, these patterns were inextricably linked to the increased number of trees sampled in larger stands. Our findings suggest that fragmentation of mulga stands negatively affects the richness and diversity of insect taxa affiliated with mulga, highlighting the importance of the conservation of contiguous stands of mulga trees.

Transboundary conservation effectiveness: a global analysis of research priorities and practice-based determinants - Huaxian Liu; Zhaoping Yang; Cuirong Wang; Yuxi Fan (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)

Contrasting effects of protected areas on understory plant diversity in broadleaved deciduous forests - Lorenzo Ricci; Jonas Geldmann; Nicola Alessi; Anna Rita Frattaroli; Jacob Heilmann-Clausen; Francesco Maria Sabatini; Alessandro Chiarucci; Fabio Attorre; Gianmaria Bonari; Michele Di Musciano (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)
Protected areas are essential for preserving forest ecosystems and maintaining their ecological integrity. Nonetheless, their role in conserving understory plant species in Italy remains understudied. We analysed 5,423 vegetation plots sampled in Italian broadleaved deciduous forests between 1980 and 2020. Using propensity score matching, we controlled for potential confounding factors such as elevation, climate, proximity to roads, and plot size, enabling an unbiased assessment of the effect of protection status on understory plant diversity. We compared alpha and gamma diversity between protected and unprotected areas, considering both the total number of species and separately for understory plant species associated with forest- or open-habitats. Differences in alpha diversity were assessed using generalized linear models, while gamma diversity was evaluated by quantifying the number of species exclusive to protected areas, exclusive to unprotected areas, and shared between the two. Protected areas generally tended to support higher levels of both alpha and gamma diversity, although patterns varied among habitat types. Alpha diversity was generally higher within protected areas, with statistically significant differences observed only in some habitats. Similarly, forest-associated species showed higher gamma diversity within protected areas than outside across all habitat types, whereas patterns for open-habitat species were more variable and did not consistently differ between protected and unprotected areas. Overall, our results suggest that Italian protected areas represent an important portion of understory plant diversity, particularly for forest-associated species. However, the presence of habitat-specific assemblages suggests that additional conservation efforts may still be needed beyond protected areas boundaries.

Expansion of avocado monoculture threatens the habitat of conifer species in central Mexico - Jesús E. Sáenz-Ceja; J. Trinidad Sáenz-Reyes; Diego R. Pérez-Salicrup (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)

Wild insect flower visitor assemblages and resource use in tropical gardens: driven by floral offer, modulated by honeybees - Nathan Cyrille; Yann Lelièvre; Eddy Dumbardon-Martial; Ilona Kespy; François Bretagnolle; Marie-Jeanne Perrot-Minnot (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)
Assessing how gardens’ floral offer influences flower visitors is essential to enhancing gardens’ capacity to sustain flower visitors under anthropogenic change, especially in biodiversity hotspot regions experiencing rapid urban expansion, such as the Caribbean islands. In this context, floral offer and plant-insect interactions were monitored monthly over one year in eight tropical garden sites in Martinique, Lesser Antilles, where spontaneous plants, ornamentals, and plants grown for consumption coexisted. Additionally, plant and wild insect traits were measured and nectar sugar evenness among insect-visited plants was quantified. Using structural equation modelling, we investigated how garden floral offer shapes wild insect assemblages and their resource use. Unlike ornamentals, the floral density of spontaneous plants enhanced wild insect species richness, indirectly promoting flower-wild insect trait matching and resource partitioning among wild insects. Greater plant species richness density and floral density from plants grown for consumption increased the interaction abundance of the managed super-generalist honeybee, which in turn constrained resource partitioning among wild insects and reduced their interaction abundance. Sugar evenness among visited plants also promoted honeybee interaction abundance but concurrently buffered its negative effect on wild insect interaction abundance. Although some plant traits acted as guild-specific drivers, the functional diversity of the floral offer had no overall effect on flower visitors. Finally, wild insect flower visitors peaked in the wet season when the floral density of spontaneous plants was lowest, limiting gardens’ support when demand was highest. Our results emphasise the importance of garden management in shaping flower visitor assemblages and resource use.

Small-scale, diverse horticultural systems and semi-natural grasslands support complementary pollinator populations - Jutta Crois; Kris Verheyen; Ivan Meeus; Louella Buydens; Maxime Eeraerts (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)

Retraction Note: Statistical Analysis of Deposition of Aerosol Particles in Human Lungs - Alok Dhaundiyal (Aerosol Science and Engineering, 2026)

A systematic review of intelligent wireless sensing architectures for AI-enabled maize disease monitoring in 5G and 6G networks - Kayombo Sakachiva; Jackson Phiri; Mayumbo Nyirenda (Discover Networks, 2026)

Differences in communities of anemones, anemonefish, and other associated species between two bays under different levels of anthropogenic impacts in Viet Nam - Hai-Thanh Thi Nguyen; Mackenzie Stoeltje; Viet Do Hung Dang; James Davis Reimer (Discover Oceans, 2026)

Climate change and ocean management shape marine biomass resilience in the Marine Corridor of the Eastern Tropical Pacific - Juliano Palacios-Abrantes; Tayler M. Clarke; Andrés Beita Jiménez; Raquel Romero-Chaves; Fresia Villalobos-Rojas; Cristina Sánchez-Godínez; César Viteri-Mejía; Damián Martínez-Fernández; Nicolas Moity; Jorge Ramírez; William W. L. Cheung (Discover Oceans, 2026)

A security control recommender approach with human in the loop for cybersecurity compliance auditing - Jerusalem Mesfin Tasew; Pradyum Samal; Puya Pakshad; Marwan Omar; Maurice E. Dawson (Discover Networks, 2026)

A portrait of changing community composition in three urban wetlands of the Salt River, Phoenix AZ USA - Luke Ramsey-Wiegmann; Heather L. Bateman; Daniel L. Childers; Heather Green; Elizabeth Makings (Discover Ecology, 2026)

Seasonal variations in phytoplanktonic community structure at the northern side of Lake Manzala, Egypt - Mohamed Deyab; Fatma Ward (Discover Ecology, 2026)

Reassessing the climate mitigation benefits and environmental risks of coastal seaweed farming - Yingxu Wu; Yanmei Liu; Di Qi (Discover Oceans, 2026)

Environmental variation drives fine-scale genetic differentiation in the brooding coral Porites panamensis across a marine protected area in the southern Gulf of California - Laura E. Dennis; Fabio Favoretto; Eduardo F. Balart; Adrian Munguia-Vega; Carlos Sánchez-Ortiz; David A. Paz-García (Discover Oceans, 2026)
Genetic differentiation plays a key role in the resilience of reef-building corals under increasing environmental stress. In marine systems, patterns of genetic structure are often shaped by geographic distance and environmental heterogeneity, commonly described as isolation by distance (IBD) and isolation by environment (IBE). Here, we examined patterns of mitochondrial genetic differentiation in the brooding coral Porites panamensis across a marine protected area (MPA) and surrounding reefs in the southern Gulf of California. Using multivariate multiple regression on distance matrices (MMRR), we evaluated the relative effects of along-water geographic distance and environmental differences among sites. At fine spatial scales (≤ 20 km), environmental variation, quantified as Bray–Curtis dissimilarity in benthic community composition, was a significant predictor of genetic differentiation (β_env = 0.100, p = 0.018), whereas geographic distance was not. In contrast, at broader spatial scales (≤ 50 km), genetic differentiation increased with along-water geographic distance (β_geo = 0.0032, p = 0.015), consistent with isolation by distance. These results reveal a scale-dependent pattern of genetic structure, with environmental variation associated with genetic differentiation at finer spatial scales and geographic distance becoming more important at broader scales. Because this study is based on a single mitochondrial marker, the observed patterns reflect mitochondrial lineage differentiation and should be interpreted cautiously with respect to contemporary gene flow. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of spatial scale and environmental heterogeneity in structuring genetic variation within marine protected areas.

Organ-specific bioaccumulation of trace elements in commercial marine finfish from the South Andaman Islands and associated human health risk assessment - Ajit Kumar; Akshatha Soratur; Sumit Kumar; Ankit Sarkar; S. Sai Sri Krishna; R. Kiruba-Sankar; Dilip Kumar Jha; Balu Alagar Venmathi Maran (Discover Oceans, 2026)

Seasonal dynamics of Cassiopea spp. jellyfish species in a Caribbean mangrove system - Ramón D. Morejón-Arrojo; Marta Mammone; André C. Morandini; Leandro Rodríguez-Viera (Discover Ecology, 2026)

A framework for non fungible tokens using blockchain technology - Jhuma Dutta; Nisha Yadav; Ayan Pal; Subhas Barman; Matangini Chattopadhyay; Samiran Chattopadhyay (Discover Networks, 2026)
A Non-Fungible Token (NFT) is a digital asset representing ownership or proof of authenticity of a unique digital item. NFTs are used for various purposes, including digital art, collectibles, virtual real estate, and tokenizing unique digital or physical items, and have introduced new dimensions to digital ownership and enabled individuals to tokenize unique digital assets using blockchain technology. Although NFTs offer exciting opportunities, they suffer from interoperability, high energy consumption, piracy, ownership control, and security issues. In this paper, an idea has been proposed in which any image, pdf file, or video file can be converted to an NFT and owned. We have used the ERC-721 standards, the PoS consensus protocol, and a smart contract to address the challenges. The proposed framework provides a step-by-step guide to create, list NFTs and maintain secure ownership where metadata are stored on IPFS, which generates a unique URL. This URL is then logged on the blockchain, saving time and costs. The created NFTs are interoperable among various applications and frameworks. Smart contract has been formally verified using Slither and tested against vulnerability using Smart Contract Weakness Classification (SWC) standards. Performance of the proposed system has been measured in terms of execution cost, latency, and throughput including statistical indicators like variance and confidence intervals. Minting cost has been compared with the similar network condition.

Nine quick tips for graph theory in systems biology - Roberto Pagliarini; Davide Chicco (Discover Networks, 2026)
Graph theory is a branch of mathematics that models data as networks, where a node represents a data element and an edge between nodes signifies a relationship between elements. Due to the properties of graph theory, it can be particularly useful for modeling and representing complex biological systems. Each biological phenomenon can indeed be represented as a network, and graph theory offers effective mathematical and computational tools to analyze and interpret this type of data. However, applying network science to biology can be tricky and, if done poorly, may lead to common mistakes and problems in scientific analysis. These issues, in turn, can result in misleading conclusions and wrong outcomes. To avoid these common pitfalls, we present nine quick recommendations for using graph theory to analyze the interactions among the components of biological systems in an accurate and efficient way. While we originally designed our guidelines for beginners, we believe they should also be considered by experts.

Seasonal variations of heavy metals contamination in sediment, water and crab at a vital fish sanctuary connected to the Bay of Bengal and health risk assessment - Md. Bokthier Rahman; Sagorika Smriti; Monayem Hussain; Farhana Yasmin; Mohajira Begum; Hadayet Ullah; Harunur Rashid (Discover Oceans, 2026)

Inadequate in situ observations make the northern Bay of Bengal a blind spot for models - Md Masud-Ul-Alam; Md. Ashif Imam Khan; Khandaker Estiyak Zaman Turjo (Discover Oceans, 2026)

Snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) feeding efficiency on pest channeled apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata) increases in rice fields with ‘natural’ and artificial perches - Denis Mosquera; Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza; Robert J. Fletcher; Jorge Galindo-González; Juan Carlos Noa-Carrazana; Diana Pérez-Staples (Discover Ecology, 2026)

Climate resilience of Atlas cedar: habitat suitability modeling for climate action and life on land - Hichem Chenaker; Rami Khoucha; Ayad M. Fadhil Al-Quraishi; Mohamed A. Atalla; Heba Bedair (Discover Ecology, 2026)

Shared responsibility of earthworms and microbes in leaf litter decomposition in temperate forest soil - Gaeun Kim; Florent Noulèkoun; Heejae Jo; Minyoung Kwon; Doy Kim; Asia Khamzina; Choonsig Kim; Ender Makineci; Woo-Kyun Lee; Yowhan Son (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Linking anaerobic digestate application to soil microbial and nematode community structure, diversity, and functionality in maize cultivation - Magkdi Mola; Charitini Nikolaidou; Maria-Chiara Valerin; Stefano Campanaro; Effimia M. Papatheodorou; Ioannis Mylonas; Vassilis Aschonitis; Nikolaos Monokrousos; Panagiotis G. Kougias (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Plants shape soil bacterial community structure via soil pH modulation but show marginal effects on fungal community structure - Xueting Li; Mengli Li; Xinyu Zhu; Fengqun Meng (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Decreasing light availability inhibits the nitrogen fixation of biological soil crusts in dryland ecosystems - Junru Chen; Bo Xiao; Daniel Revillini (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Microbial mechanisms driving soil CO2 emissions under long-term straw mulching and N fertilization in a wheat–maize rotation system - Pengfei Li; Yikai Zhao; Afeng Zhang; Hangyu Xiao; Zihan Shan; Yan Wang; Jialu Gong; Qaiser Hussain; Jianbin Zhou; Zhujun Chen; Xudong Wang (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Nitrogen addition reduces the non-additive effects of litter mixture on soil multifunctionality from a Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forest - Youchao Chen; Qinxi Liu; Zihui Cai; Xuyang Lu; Yanjiang Cai (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Effect of short-term warming on total and potentially active prokaryotic communities in Arctic soil - Gabriele Tosadori; Frances Rose Gilman; Daan Blok; Carsten Suhr Jacobsen; William Holben; Anders Michelsen; Bo Elberling; Anders Priemé; Jana Voříšková (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

The impact of antibiotics on the microbiome of edible plants and its implications for consumer health - Agnieszka I. Piotrowicz-Cieślak; Agnieszka Klimkowicz-Pawlas; Lidia Piechowicz; Aleksandra Ukalska-Jaruga; Anna Gałązka; Magdalena Krupka; Lidia Wolska (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Synergistic organic amendments show broad potential for context-specific regulation of soil available iron in croplands - Hongyu Yu; Bingyue Yu; Erxu Xue; Chen Fu; Jing Chen; Ruiqi Yao; Pengfei Liu; Binggan Lou; Qingxu Ma; Li Chen; Kuan Xu; Jiuzhou Chen; et al. (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Response of soil nutrient pools and microbiomes to recurrent wildfire disturbance and varying burn severities in a mixed conifer forest - Alejandro Gutierrez; Marie E. Kroeger; Adam Killebrew; Eric R. Moore; Rodman Linn; Adam L. Atchley; L. Turin Dickman (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Reshaping soil phosphorus cycling under organic substitutions: Microbial mechanisms and functional network responses - Nan Jiang; Dongqi Jiang; Wenjing Huang; Qi Wang; Jiaoyang Xu; Yulan Zhang; Zhenhua Chen; Lijun Chen (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Integrating microbial community composition with abiotic drivers enhances prediction of soil respiration in managed Scots pine forests - Daniela Guasconi; Marleen Pallandt; Tijana Martinović; Jūratė Aleinikoviene; Dorian Behling; Sara Filipek; Aleksi Lehtonen; Raisa Mäkipää; Boris Ťupek; Petr Baldrian; Stefano Manzoni (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Genus-level microorganisms as the optimal taxonomic level for assessing microbial health in paddy soil: A microbial relative abundance-fertility functions synergy analysis - Yinan Xu; Jing Sheng; Jianwei Zhang; Zhi Guo; Hongjiang Liu (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Topsoil sampling depth impacts on soil microbial communities in cover-cropped perennial tree systems - Adesuwa Sylvia Erhunmwunse; Emma Dawson; Sarah L. Strauss (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Corrigendum to “Land use is reliably predicted by soil burst respiration profiles” [Applied Soil Ecology 214 (2025) 106315] - Jeremiah Daniel Vallotton; Louis-Pierre Comeau; Claudia Goyer; Cameron Wagg; Adrian Unc (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Acidobacteria taxa mediate the biphasic temperature sensitivity of soil organic carbon in restored ecosystems - Man Cheng; Weiqi Feng; Minggang Xu; Shaoshan An; Lichao Fan; Katharina Maria Keiblinger; Shanping Wan; Zonglin Shi; Yongli Wen; Dong Liu (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Scale-dependent effects of fungicide seed coating on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: from spore germination to field performance - Selim Walliser; Raphaël Boussageon; Alain Valzano-Held; Marcel G.A. van der Heijden; Stefanie Lutz (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Transforming iron ore tailings into technosols: Highly biodegradable plant mulch accelerates mineral weathering and organo-mineral association - Lachlan M. Robertson; Songlin Wu; Fang You; Narottam Saha; Gordon Southam; Ting-Shan Chan; Longbin Huang (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Soil properties shape rhizosphere fungal communities in ginger cultivation systems - Chao-Ling Ting; Cheng-Ruei Lee; Shu-Yi Yang (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Crop type modulates the reorganization of soil microbial functions induced by long-term fertilization - Guangren Zheng; Xiaozeng Han; Xinchun Lu; Xu Chen; Wenxiu Zou (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Green manure (Vicia villosa)-mediated modulation of soil microbiota and leaf metabolome alleviates nicosulfuron stress in potato - Yuhe Yang; Wanqiu Jing; Wansheng Yang; Kejia Chen; Honghao Cui; Ping Lu (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Synergy of thiencarbazone-methyl isoxaflutole and nitrogen fertiliser reduces soil microbial nutrient cycling functions: Mitigation strategies - Shiliang Zhu; Yonglu Wang; Fengsong Zhang; Lida Wang; Liyun Zhang; Ying Lan; Zihao Li; Guixiang Zhang; Lixia He (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Interactive effects of climate change and grazing history on soil microbial diversity in Mediterranean agroforestry systems - María T. Domínguez; Marta Gil-Martínez; Eduardo Gutiérrez; Layla M. San-Emeterio; J. Antonio González-Pérez; María Socorro Serrano; Álvaro Gaytán; Ignacio M. Pérez-Ramos (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

How much confidence do you have in your digital droplet PCR assays for root and soil samples? - Miranda M.Hart; Emily Payne; Cassandra Bruce; Joylea Carson Austin; Joana Larrère; Caitlyn Mulvey; Jérémie Poitras; Brontë Shelton; Selina Spence; Kuselah Tayaban; Diego Yusta Belsham (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Engineering synthetic microbial communities in the crop rhizosphere to advance agricultural systems - Jiayuan Wang; Ruixi Lin; Jiahui Gong; Kun Han; Bingyin Peng; Kai Liu; Binghai Du; Chengqiang Wang (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Conservation agriculture buffers the impact of irrigation on soil nematodes: a case study in Southern France - Charlotte Biryol; Claire Wittling; Juan David Dominguez-Bohorquez; Sidy Diakhate; Stephan Hättenschwiler; Grégoire T. Freschet; Jean Trap (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Freeze-thaw damaged soil microbes but also triggered anti-stress recovery with more abundant functional genes and CO2 emissions - Huinan Ma; Yaxian Hu; Chongzheng Ye; Xianwen Li; Xiaorong Wei (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Heavy metal contamination alters soil bacterial community structure around cement factories - Ve Van Le; Sungjin Jung; Eun Bin Joa; Sang-Ah Lee (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Decoupling predictors of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal α- and β-diversity: Plant phylogeny versus functional traits in an alpine artificial grassland of Three-River Source Region - Guoxi Shi; Yingli Ma; Ning Wu; Meiling Guo; Xinchuang Wang; Yongjun Liu; Huyuan Feng; Huakun Zhou; Buqing Yao (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Habitat fragmentation shifts soil microbial composition but not alpha diversity - N.W. Fickling; C. Cando-Dumancela; T. Davies; R. Hodgson; K.N. Kiesewetter; C. Liddicoat; J.M. Robinson; A.F. Taylor; M.F. Breed (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Root exudate-mediated bacterial networks enhance particulate and mineral-associated carbon sequestration in grass-covered citrus orchards - Ludan Chen; Xiubin He; Yuhai Bao; Qiao Wu; Jiaorong Lv (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Impact of heavy metal remediation by soil washing with EDTA on carbon turnover - closing the functional link between microorganisms and microarthropods by 13C fatty acids analysis - Andrea Watzinger; Christoph Noller; Janet Wissuwa; Wolfgang Friesl-Hanl (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Behavioural responses of Agriotes lineatus and Agriotes litigiosus wireworms to natural substances, synthetic volatile organic compounds and entomopathogenic fungi: Implications for sustainable pest management - Abdalhadi M.A. Abulebda; Eva Praprotnik; Sara Ruschioni; Massimo Zaccardelli; Expedito Olimi; Gabriele Berg; Paola Riolo; Jaka Razinger (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Research on the mechanism of Eucalyptus tannins inhibiting soil respiration - Xinya Li; Miaoling Wang; Gairen Yang; Zhifeng Xie; Shiqi Wei; Lisha Li; Yusong Deng; Huili Wang (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Synergistic acceleration of woody debris decomposition by nitrogen deposition and mycorrhizal network disruption in a temperate forest - Zhongjie Sun; Yaxuan Cui; Zixuan Wang; Yipu Wu; Yaru Nie; Mingming Cui; Zahoor ul Haq; Mohsin Khan; Shijie Han; Feirong Ren; Junqiang Zheng (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Long-term integration of Chinese milk vetch and controlled-release urea enhances rice yield stability by improving nutrient use efficiency and soil quality - Haoliang Yuan; Jianglin Zhang; Peng Li; Jun Nie; Weidong Cao; Yanhong Lu; Yulin Liao (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Environmental RNA and DNA metabarcoding of soil fauna reveal complementary insights into biodiversity and limited effect of nitrification inhibitors - Rumakanta Sapkota; Yuan Pan; Vid Naglič; Lea Ellegaard-Jensen; Paul Henning Krogh; Anne Winding (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Functional shift in soil nitrification from AOB to AOA–Comammox facilitates the self-reinforcing invasion of Solidago canadensis - Xiaocui Pan; Fazhao Qi; Jiaxin Wang; Kangsheng Guo; Ming Xiao; Junmin Pei; Ming Guan (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

The protective shade alters prokaryotic community dynamics on sandstone biofilm: Evidence from DNA and RNA-based high-throughput sequencing for heritage conservation - Yong Zhang; Fasi Wu; Zengyang Han; Penghui Guo; Xinghua Ding; Dongpeng He; Xiaobo Liu; Pengfei Hu; Ji-Dong Gu; Huyuan Feng (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Thresholds within a soil moisture gradient drive abrupt transitions in microbial community structure resulting in distinct carbon utilization patterns - Jing Yuan; Jacquelyn C. LaReau; Beth Lawrence; Madeleine Meadows-McDonnell; Blaire Steven; Itamar A. Shabtai (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Dynamic decreases of cadmium accumulation in wheat plants under exogenous selenium fertilization: Antagonism and physiological regulation mechanisms - Ziwei Wang; Tao Lu; Shen Zheng; Hengliang Huang; Shuxin Tu; Chengshuai Liu; Guohong Qiu (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Soil origin shapes root-associated fungal communities and plant growth in myrtaceous species used in riparian revegetation - Vicky Waymouth; Rebecca E. Miller; Sabine Kasel; Gayle Philip; Fiona Ede; Cristina Aponte (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Soil management legacy drives the short-term response of the soil microbiome to compost application - Halima Malal; Gregg T. Stephenson; Cristina Lazcano; Katharine R. Watts; Ashraf M. Tubeileh (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Cross-domain microbial interactions mediate soil multifunctionality during crop growth stages - Guo Chen; Chao Chang; Zihan Yan; Hao Wang; Qingwei Zhang; Jian Wang; Ming Li; Wei Zheng; Ding He; Biao Zhu (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Microbial community adaptation in biosolid-based engineered soils - Diana P. Wehrendt; Leandro D. Guerrero; Anabella Tobler; Pedro R. Viera Farina; Patricia L. Fernandez; Paula Fontana; Melisa Altina; Rodrigo Pontiggia; Filipe Behrends Kraemer; Leonardo Erijman (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Perspective on plant growth-promoting microbes: interaction between soil, microbe and plants; genetic and epigenetic regulation in plants; and current strategies - Geethanjali Dhayanithy; Madhuree Kumari; Subathra Radhakrishnan; Catherine Ann Martin; Ritu Dixit; Jayabaskaran Chelliah (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Forest succession enhances vertical stratification of oribatid mite communities between litter and soil layers in subtropical forests - Yuhui Ding; Yannan Chen; Jun Chen (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Potential biodegradation of plastics through probiotic microbial consortia inoculated during vermicomposting (Eisenia fetida) of microplastic-spiked biowaste - Z.E. Blesa Marco; Jose A. Sáez; Jesús Salinas; Victor Carpena-Istan; Macarena M. Jurado; F.C. Marhuenda-Egea; E. Martínez Sabater; L. Orden; F.J. Andreu-Rodríguez; M.A. Bustamante; M.J. López; R. Moral (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Confounding effects of bioturbation on the bait-lamina test: Mitigating the “terrible table manners” of earthworms - Evgenii L. Vorobeichik; Igor E. Bergman (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Source tracking of antibiotic resistance genes emitted via livestock aerosols: A case study of a pig farm - Chu Peng; Xinling Wang; Mengxi Li; Ting Cai; Junjie Zhang; Jiao Wang; Chunguang Liu; Lei Wang; Hongwen Sun (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Low abundance microorganisms enhance soil multifunctionality by emphasizing fungal roles as mediated by plant biomass - Ze-Ying Zhao; Xiao-Bin Xiong; Peng-Yang Wang; Jia-Cheng Guo; Yinglong Chen; Hong-Yan Tao; Nan Chang; Cheng-Rui Bi; Yun-Lu Chen; Yuan Song; You-Cai Xiong (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Distinct dose-response patterns between methane production and oxidation to urea or (NH4)2SO4 input in Chinese paddy fields - Wang-ting Yang; Bing-jie Ren; Si-le Wen; Yi-zhu Zhu; Jiang-bing Xu; Li-dong Shen; Wei-qi Wang; Jordi Sardans; Josep Peñuelas (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Phosphorus-laden biochar modulates soil microbial communities and promotes phosphorus cycling in acidic soils - Zeinab El-Desouki; Yehia Abouseif; Jiyuan Wang; Muhammad Qasim; Saba Babar; Xiaoyang Xia; Xiangling Wang; Cuncang Jiang (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Perennial intermediate wheatgrass: A game-changer for mycobiome diversity - Edyta Deja-Sikora; Marcin Gołębiewski; Marcin Sikora; Frank Rasche; Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Multiomics reveals microbial-metabolic rewiring in electrokinetic-enhanced phytoremediation of petroleum soil - Chang Liu; Shihao Liu; Yiting Chen; Di Guo (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Long-term fertilization alters soil phosphorus pools and microbial P-cycling mechanisms across soil depths in acidic paddy soil - Keyao Zhu; Meng Xu; Fang Gao; Bowen Yang; Shaojun Shi; Shuotong Chen; Wenhai Mi (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Modulating soil enzyme functions: The role of aggregate structure in arsenic-contaminated soils under dry-flood cycle - Hui Huang; Ziquan Wang; Peimei Guan; Rongyu Mu; Chuanyou Wang; Mallavarapu Megharaj; Haixia Tian; Wenxiang He (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Biochar mediated microbial responses to organic contaminants in soil environments: From mechanisms to ecological implications - Hao Zhu; Sami Ullah; Yuting Xu; Muhammad Salam; Silvia Celletti; Nadeem Iqbal; Muhammad Mohsin Raza; Babar Hussain; Palanisamy Vasudhevan (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Microbial regulation of the molecular succession of dissolved organic matter in paddy soils across rice phenological stages - Xueying Feng; Xiaomin Wang; Meng Wu; Xiaofang Ma; Linhao Liang; Yumeng Zhang; Xiaoyuan Yan; Jun Shan (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Plant domestication influences the distribution and host-location behavior of entomopathogenic nematodes - Monique J. Rivera; Albrecht M. Koppenhöfer; Cesar Rodriguez-Saona; Rubén Blanco-Pérez (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Soil fertility and crop residue type mediate microbial assimilation of crop residue carbon within aggregates - Yingde Xu; Chao Liang; Jiubo Pei; Xiaodan Gao; Liangjie Sun; Jingkuan Wang (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Diversity and plant growth-promoting activity of rhizospheric and endospheric microbiomes from Cyperus rotundus L. in sugarcane fields of Guangxi, China - Haili Huang; Tao Zheng; Jingbo Li; Weisheng Li; Wei Zheng; Yonglin Ma; Meisha Qiu; Wenwei Tang; Yanhui Wang (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Contrasting responses of bacterial-mediated soil organic phosphorus transformations to varying rates of nitrogen addition in a Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation - Xiang Zhang; Qiong Zhao; Li-Man Wei; Lin-Hui Wu; Xiang-Min Fang; Yong-Hong Ma; Fu-Sheng Chen (Applied Soil Ecology, 2026)

Corrigendum to “Late Holocene coastal sand-drift events and long-term socio-ecological resilience (Béniguet Island, Western France)” [Aeolian Res. 76 (2026) 101048] - Gillian Stéphan; Pierre Stéphan; Guillaume Guérin; Serge Suanez; Yvan Pailler; Clément Nicolas; Myriam Ribeyre; Marylise Onfray; Hugues Malservet (Aeolian Research, 2026)

Editorial Board (Aeolian Research, 2026)

Identifying dust-emitting geomorphic units in lower Mesopotamia and Kuwait using multi-high-resolution satellite and wind data - Jasem A. Albanai; David S.G. Thomas; Giles F.S. Wiggs (Aeolian Research, 2026)

Late Holocene coastal sand-drift events and long-term socio-ecological resilience (Béniguet Island, Western France) - Gillian Stéphan; Pierre Stéphan; Guillaume Guérin; Serge Suanez; Yvan Pailler; Clément Nicolas; Myriam Ribeyre; Marylise Onfray; Hugues Malservet (Aeolian Research, 2026)

Long-term assessment of soil wind erosion and dust emissions in China from 2000 to 2023 using an improved erodibility factor - Yawei Fan; Heqiang Du; Shengfei Yang; Yongjie Liu; Changzhen Yan; Xiao Zheng (Aeolian Research, 2026)

Automatic extraction of Martian dune crestlines under complex conditions: A comparative study of image processing, terrain analysis, and deep learning - Ying Luo; Yi Zhou; Chao Li; Guoqiang Peng; Zhibao Dong (Aeolian Research, 2026)

Microtextural analysis of silt grains as a tool to determine the source of the Saharan dust – a case of an extreme dust storm over the Iberian Peninsula (March 2022) - Martyna E. Górska; Alberto Molinero-García; Barbara Woronko (Aeolian Research, 2026)

Editorial Board (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

The structure of gravity currents flowing around a wall-mounted vertical circular cylinder - Giovanni Di Lollo; Claudia Adduce; R.M.L. Ferreira; A.M. Ricardo (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Matching criteria and deep flow regulation mechanism for water control of expandable graphite in deep fractured reservoirs - Dongfang Lv; Kanghui Du; Ning Yang; Linsen Liao; Caili Dai; Guang Zhao; Yifei Liu (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

A closed-form, dynamical model for reactive oxygen diffusion, pyrite oxidation, and vertical contaminant transport in rainfall-leached homogeneous mine spoils - Amirhosein Riahi; Saeed Bahrami; Faramarz Doulati Ardejani; Hosseinali Ghari; Hossein Mahmoodi Darian; Richard LaDouceur (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Comparison of CFD and autonomous sensor measurements during weir passage for over- and undershot conditions - Linus Kaminski; Carsten Thorenz; Roman Weichert; Jeffrey Tuhtan; Boris Lehmann (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Semi-analytical solution for two-dimensional transient groundwater flow associated with dewatering of excavations involving a suspended waterproof curtain and river - Jiangwei Zhang; Yue Fan; Yue Ma; Xiuyu Liang (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Interplay of fracture roughness and wettability on immiscible displacement under favorable conditions: A lattice Boltzmann simulation with an improved wetting treatment - Han Huang; Yi-Feng Chen; Zhibing Yang; Ran Hu; Jia-Qing Zhou (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

A novel analytical solution for quantifying seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers embedded with a cutoff wall - Jiazhi Sun; Wenlong Shi; Huiqiang Wu; Jie Yang; Chunhui Lu (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

A comparison of different image analysis techniques for mapping spatiotemporal pH and carbon dissolution in density-driven convection of CO2 in water - Yao Xu; Marcel Moura; Eirik Grude Flekkøy; Knut Jørgen Måløy (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

The matrix-vector differential-form Muskingum method for river network routing - Jianfei Zhao; Zhen Ding; Banghui Chen; Binquan Li; Yiming Hu; Jun Wang; Zhongmin Liang (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Tracer transport experiments in well–type flows through a strongly heterogeneous porous medium: Results and analysis - Guglielmo Federico Antonio Brunetti; Gerardo Severino; Giuseppe Brunetti; Mario Maiolo; Christine Stumpp (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Lower bound limit analysis of unsaturated soil slope stability under fluctuating water levels using finite elements and convex optimization - Jianfeng Zhou; Qi Zhang; Haoliang Zhang; Xudong Kang; Zilong Zhang (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Attributing extreme rainfall–runoff dynamics in karst watersheds: An LSTM-based mechanistic modeling and interpretation framework - Zhonghua He; Xiaolin Gu; Feng Qiu; Maoqiang Wang; Mingjin Xu (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

A nested neural network modeling for underground hydrate decomposition with moving interface between solid and liquid phases - Fan Bu; Xinyu Fang; Hairong Lian; Wanjing Luo; Ruixuan Wang (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Space-dependent continuous time random walk for soil moisture modeling - M.C. Bovier; S. Fedotov; S. Ferraris; A. Gentile; B. Toaldo (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

A neighbour-aware LSTM-PINN model for simultaneous soil moisture forecasting and retention function estimation - Chenting Jiang; Quan Bai; Marcus Hardie (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

A scalable and robust quasi-Newton framework for large-scale inverse analysis in nonlinear groundwater flow using Initial Guess Modification - Junya Inoue; Kiyoshi Masumoto (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Analysis of near-well non-Darcy mechanisms and the associated aquifer hydrodynamic responses during slug tests - Haonan Wang; Yanrong Zhao; Jinguo Wang; Xiaosong Dong; Yuxing Zhang (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Change in mineral accessible surface area due to CO2-induced mineral reactions in porous media - M. Fahim Salek; Zhuofan Shi; Mohammad Kariminasab; Willis Hames; Lauren E. Beckingham (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Experimental insights into pore-scale flow dynamics of hydrogen and cushion gas mixtures: Implications for underground hydrogen storage - Payam Moradi; Mohammad Chahardowli; Mohammad Simjoo (Advances in Water Resources, 2026)

Date palm by-product as natural additive for eco-friendly food packaging: a sustainable approach for the preservation of a traditional mediterranean cereal snack - Malek Ben Temessek; Olfa Rebai; Maria Sulli; Gianfranco Diretto; Sami Fattouch (Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration, 2026)

Spatiotemporal Forecasting of Mediterranean Blue Mussel Biofouling Settlement to Inform Aquaculture Management - Emrah Hancer; Romain Chaput; Ivy Liu; Bing Xue; Ross Vennell; Mengjie Zhang (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
Mediterranean blue mussel ( Mytilus galloprovincialis ) settlement significantly influences aquaculture productivity and biofouling management in New Zealand's coastal waters due to its rapid colonization of farming infrastructure and its competitive interactions with cultivated species. In this study, we develop a regression‐based forecasting framework to predict monthly Mediterranean blue mussel spat settlement using temperature‐driven temporal features. Key environmental predictors include mean air temperature and sea surface temperature (SST), along with their lagged and rolling derivatives, which capture both seasonal patterns and short‐term thermal dynamics. To account for spatial variability, geographically proximate monitoring sites are grouped into 11 representative clusters using a spatial clustering algorithm. Forecasting is performed with the XGBoost regression model, which is well suited to nonlinear ecological processes and feature interactions. Model performance is evaluated using a Leave‐One‐Group‐Out (LOGO) cross‐validation strategy to assess generalization to previously unseen locations. The results demonstrate strong predictive skill in multiple regions and highlight the potential of this approach to support proactive aquaculture management and mitigate settlement‐driven biofouling impacts.

Fish Futures in the Aftermath of the Invasion of Aotearoa New Zealand by the Freshwater Gold Clam ( Corbicula fluminea ) - Calum MacNeil (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
In 2023, the gold / Asian clam ( Corbicula fluminea ) was first recorded in Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa‐NZ). This non‐native species (NNS) could impact Aotearoa‐NZ freshwater ecosystems more than any previous invader. It could alter food webs, physical habitats and water clarity, disrupt nutrient cycling and restructure plankton / macroinvertebrate / fish assemblages. I have reviewed clam impacts on trophic ecology, water chemistry and fish habitat from international studies, focusing on native and non‐native fish species also present in Aotearoa‐NZ and on ecological analogues. I identified fish that could be negatively affected and those which could benefit. Small benthic ‘riffle‐run specialists’ could be vulnerable to some extent, facing both habitat modification and competition for shared food resources. Fish frequenting backwaters or slower‐flowing reaches could be even more vulnerable, as clam densities are often highest here. Native galaxiids, already threatened by habitat fragmentation/degradation, may be at further risk from additional pressures of a clam invasion. Among introduced fish, salmonids may lose spawning habitats, whereas generalist ‘pests’ such as catfish and koi may benefit from clam‐derived food resources. C. fluminea may represent a significant new stressor for Aotearoa‐NZ freshwater ecosystems. The hyptheses generated in this article are important to help anticipate species‐specific responses, which will be essential for strategies to protect native fish.

Aquatic Mushrooms: Unraveling the Ecology, Evolution, and Biotechnology of Freshwater and Marine Macrofungi - Samantha C. Karunarathna; Saowaluck Tibpromma; Wenhua Lu; Hansika Perera; Baggya Sharmali Karunarathna; Dong‐qing Dai; Garumuni Dilrukshi Nadeeshani Menike; Kalani Kanchana Hapuarachchi (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
Terrestrial mushrooms dominate mycology; their aquatic relatives are a fascinating and ecologically significant group. Psathyrella aquatica , the sole single‐gilled genus with underwater‐reported fruiting bodies, and marine‐dwelling genera such as Nia and Halocyphina illustrate how Basidiomycota radiated to aquatic environments. These freshwater, marine, and brackish aquatic fungi are principal nutrient cyclers, wood decayers, and symbionts of aquatic habitats, but their biology and ecology are poorly known. Herein, our current knowledge of their diversity, evolutionary adaptations such as floatation spores, halotolerant enzymes, and hydrophobic fruiting bodies, and their potential biotechnological applications is reviewed. Marine mushrooms are a source of bioactive compounds with reported antimicrobial and anti‐inflammatory activities, and their enzymatic profiles, adapted to saline or submerged conditions, suggest potential for bioremediation applications. With global warming, there is a need to research aquatic mushrooms not just to preserve biodiversity but also to tap their potential for green technology. This review synthesizes current knowledge on targeted research and conservation efforts for aquatic mushrooms. This information is essential for both understanding global biodiversity and advancing biotechnological innovations.

Literature Review of Catchment Models in Aotearoa New Zealand for Ecological and Social Climate Change Effects - Margaret Armstrong; Deniz Özkundakci (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
Shifting climatic averages and extremes are affecting both environmental and anthropogenic communities. This is a growing concern, especially for social–ecological systems (SES) such as lakes and their catchments, which integrate ecological and societal subsystems. Models are frequently used for research and management of these SESs, although these tools may not be capable of simulating processes from both subsystems. We conducted a literature review to assess the ability of ten catchment models commonly applied in Aotearoa New Zealand to simulate broad climate change effects. Assessment criteria represented the ecological system (hydrology, sediment transport, contaminants) and social system (economics, cultural values) of lake catchments. All of the reviewed catchment models demonstrated capacity for simulating one or more ecological criteria, while only three addressed the economics criteria within the social system. Based on these findings, we discuss model trade‐offs and highlight options for more holistically incorporating the social system into models of SESs. Advancing the development and applications of such models will provide a basis for more integrated and effective management in the years to come.

Greeffiella bellula n. sp. (Nematoda: Desmoscolecida): The First Desmoscolecid Nematode Species to Be Described From New Zealand - Daniel Leduc; Zeng Qi Zhao (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
The mostly marine nematode order Desmoscolecida is globally distributed with over 270 species known to date. Here, we describe Greeffiella bellula n. sp., the first desmoscolecid species to be described from New Zealand waters, from deep‐sea sediments. The new species is most similar to G. japonica , described from coastal sediments in the Sea of Japan, in having relatively few ( Greeffiella bellula n. sp. can be most easily differentiated from the latter by the different body shape and in having fewer pairs of subdorsal setae. A dichotomous key to the 15 valid species of the genus is presented. Results of SSU phylogenetic analyses based on 19 Desmoscolecidae sequences confirmed the genus assignment of the new species, but unlike previous analyses did not provide support for the monophyly of the subfamilies Desmoscolecinae and Tricominae, or of the closely related genus Desmoscolex .

Growth and Bromoform Content in At‐Sea Grown Asparagopsis armata Gametophytes: A Short Communication - Cecilia Biancacci; Joshua Fitzgerald; Paul M. South (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
Asparagopsis armata has international commercial relevance due to its high bromoform content, which can reduce the methane emissions from cattle when incorporated into their diet. However, few studies have reported on at‐sea cultivation techniques and their effect on bromoform content in A. armata. In this study, we assessed the effects of seeding density (150, 300 and 600 g WW m −1 ) on the specific growth rate (SGR) and bromoform content of A. armata in suspended culture on a marine farm. We also tested whether transport conditions affected bromoform content, comparing emersed and immersed A. armata biomass after 3.5 h. Seeding density had a strong effect on the SGR of A. armata with the lowest seeding density having significantly greater growth (1.5 to 5 times) than higher seeding densities. Transporting the A. armata biomass in seawater increased its bromoform content (by 73.6%) relative to the immersed material. These findings will inform efficient approaches to the sea‐based culture of A. armata .

A Niche for Nasty Nippers: Exploring Harvest Management for Control of Invasive Asian Paddle Crabs in Aotearoa New Zealand - Anjali Pande; Samik Datta; Yvonne Matthews; Paula Holland; Michael Beentjes; Matt Smith; Sean Handley; Graeme J. Inglis (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
The invasive Asian paddle crab Charybdis japonica continues to expand its range across northern Aotearoa New Zealand, raising ecological, social, and economic concerns. This study theoretically assesses whether harvest‐based management—potentially including commercial, recreational, or customary fisheries—could contribute to population suppression. Five key factors were examined: consumer demand, fisher willingness to supply, population abundance in Whangarei Harbour, comparison with the native Ovalipes catharus fishery, and legal constraints, making up a theoretical framework within which to assess the feasibility of harvest exploitation as a management tool. Consumer surveys revealed strong interest in purchasing invasive crab products, with respondents valuing both taste and the ecological benefits of control. Fisher surveys indicated moderate to strong willingness to harvest C. japonica , though uncertainty remains around saleability and regulatory permissions. However, a stratified trap survey in Whangarei Harbour found unexpectedly low catches of the crab, suggesting the current population there cannot sustain a fishery. Comparison with the declining O. catharus fishery highlights potential market space, but also underscores ecological risks. Legally, regional vs national pest designations under the Biosecurity Act, as well as fishery regulations, present significant barriers to the ability to enact harvest control. Overall, while market and fisher interest appear promising, biological and regulatory constraints currently limit the feasibility of a harvest‐control fishery for C. japonica . This study contributes to the ongoing discourse of methods available for invasive species management.

Impact of Elevated Suspended Sediment on the Physiology of the Temperate Sponge Suberites australiensis - Georgia R. Ryan; Lisa Woods; James J. Bell (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
Suspended sediment (SS) is a major stressor to coastal marine ecosystems worldwide, with SS loads expected to increase under future anthropogenic and climatic pressures. Sponges, as obligate filter feeders, are often assumed to be sensitive to elevated SS, yet responses vary widely among species, and little is known about physiological impacts of SS. Here, we examined the response of the abundant temperate sponge Suberites australiensis to prolonged pulses of suspended sediment, simulating conditions in Wellington Harbour, New Zealand, during rain and storm events. Sponges ( n = 42) were exposed to daily 7 h pulses (to mimic natural variation) of fine kaolin clay (25–35 μm) over 19 days at suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) of 120–150 mg l −1 , while controls received only filtered seawater. Physiological responses were assessed through changes in buoyant weight and respiration rates at four time points. No significant differences in respiration rates were detected between treatments and controls, and there was no visible tissue necrosis or morphological deterioration in any of the sponges. Treatment sponges exhibited a significant increase in buoyant weight relative to controls. These findings indicate that short periods of high level exposure to suspended sediment load have no physiological impact on S. australiensis and this species likely uses passive mechanisms to survive SS stress. This resilience may enable the persistence of S. australiensis in sediment‐impacted coastal environments; however, thresholds that may impact physiological performance remain unknown.

Site and Season Influence the Success of Seagrass Transplantation in Aotearoa New Zealand - Dan Crossett; Jessica Barr; Alba Cervantes‐Loreto; Irisa Hudson; Anna Berthelsen; Dana E. Clark (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
Seagrasses are important ecosystem engineers that create nursery habitat for fish, support high biodiversity, enhance water quality and store carbon. However, seagrasses are declining globally, including in many places in New Zealand. One approach to counter these losses is shoot‐based seagrass restoration, which involves transplanting adult seagrass plants together with their surrounding sediment and associated communities. We investigated the feasibility of shoot‐based restoration by transplanting 150 mm plugs of seagrass ( Zostera muelleri ) from donor seagrass meadows to nearby unvegetated soft sediment at two sites in Nelson Haven, New Zealand. Sites differed in donor meadow age (old vs. new) and environmental conditions. We also tested whether transplant season (winter vs. summer) influenced success. Transplant success was monitored over 2 years and determined by an increase in seagrass area, blade number, and blade length. Bayesian modelling showed that both site and season influenced success. The best‐fit model showed greater success when transplants from the ‘older’ donor meadow, which had higher seagrass cover, lower mud content and shorter tidal exposure, performed better than those from the ‘newer’ meadow. Model predictions also indicated greater success in winter than in summer. Empirical observations supported these patterns; for example, we observed 30% survival of transplants at the older site after winter transplantation, whereas zero transplants survived after summer transplantation or at the ‘newer’ meadow. There were no obvious detrimental effects of seagrass removal from donor meadows, and this study shows that transplanting Z. muelleri with an intact sediment community can be an effective restoration method in intertidal habitats, though success is highly context dependent. This study gives practical insights to guide future seagrass‐restoration efforts.

Effects of Climate Change on Aquaculture and Fisheries: Current and Future Impacts, Mitigation and Adaptation - Natalí J. Delorme; Craig Stevens; Bradley Skelton; Jessica A. Ericson (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)

Changes in the Diet of Antarctic Shags ( Leucocarbo bransfieldensis ) Among Breeding Colonies and Over Time at Danco Coast, Antarctic Peninsula - Marianela Beltran (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
Coastal waters along the Danco Coast, western Antarctic Peninsula, form a highly productive ecosystem that supports a high abundance of top predators. However, this region is experiencing accelerated environmental change, leading to significant changes in prey availability and food‐web structure. In this context, predator diets provide valuable indicators of ecosystem status. The diet composition of Antarctic shags ( Leucocarbo bransfieldensis ) during the 2018 chick‐rearing period at three breeding colonies was investigated through pellet analysis ( N = 91). Antarctic shags primarily consumed demersal–pelagic prey. Dominant prey species were Antarctic black rockcod ( Notothenia coriiceps ) and Dusky notothen ( Trematomus newnesi ), with colony‐specific variation. No significant changes were detected between chick‐rearing stages; however, a gradual decline in the number and mass of the N. coriiceps , and an increased contribution of smaller prey species, such as T. newnesi and H. antarcticus, was detected as the chicks approached fledging. The results are compared with previously published dietary data from the same area and discussed in relation to potential long‐term variability in prey availability and implications for ecosystem monitoring.

Mapping Functional Indicators for Evaluating Mangrove Rehabilitation Effectiveness: A Systematic Literature Review - Rihul Janna; Fredinan Yulianda; Fery Kurniawan (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
Mangrove rehabilitation is increasingly implemented to restore degraded coastal ecosystems, yet most evaluations remain dominated by structural indicators such as canopy cover or seedling survival. This study conducts a systematic literature review under the PRISMA 2020 protocol to identify and classify functional indicators used in mangrove rehabilitation assessments. From 55 Scopus‐indexed publications, 17 articles met the inclusion criteria, yielding 82 functional indicators. These indicators were grouped into 12 categories, with carbon emerging as the most dominant, particularly carbon sequestration and soil organic carbon. In contrast, other functional dimensions such as trophic interactions, microbial processes, and socio‐cultural services remain underexplored. This imbalance indicates that current monitoring approaches still emphasise structural and conceptual aspects rather than functional recovery. The study highlights the need to integrate functional indicators into rehabilitation monitoring to comprehensively capture ecosystem processes, resilience, and socioeconomic benefits. The findings provide a scientific basis for developing holistic evaluation approaches and guiding sustainable mangrove management, while also offering comparative insights relevant to the Southern Hemisphere context, where mangroves play critical ecological roles.

Stable Isotope Analysis of New Zealand Fur Seal Vibrissae Shows Deceased Juveniles Were Weaned Early - Diana Galbraith; B. Louise Chilvers (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
The New Zealand fur seal/kekeno ( Arctocephalus forsteri , NZFS) is a marine predator native to Aotearoa/New Zealand. Little is known about its fine‐scale dispersal around New Zealand in the nonbreeding season. As an alternative to external marking or electronic tracking, stable isotope analysis was trialed to determine the origin of stranded (deceased) NZFS young‐of‐the‐year (YOY). Vibrissae were collected opportunistically from YOY at nonbreeding sites on the east and west coasts of Northland and Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Vibrissa growth rates and estimated vibrissa lengths at birth were calculated using samples from pups at established breeding colonies and stranded YOY. The δ 13 C and δ 15 N values at breeding colonies and in YOY were not sufficiently isotopically distinct to determine the colony of origin. Isotopic niche widths were greater for YOY than for pups from the same breeding season. For YOY, isotopic niche widths were greater after weaning than preweaning, implying weaned NZFSs foraged more diversely than their mothers. Based on the assumed median pupping date, the estimated maximum age at weaning for stranded YOY was 223–247 days, which is considerably less than previously published weaning data for NZFSs. Early weaning may contribute to increased juvenile mortality.

Optimizing Stocking Density Under Semi‐Movable Paddlewheel Aeration to Improve Water Quality, Growth Performance and Production of Nile Tilapia Reared in Concrete Ponds - Mohamed N. El‐Rewiny; Attia A. Abou Zaid; Mohamed M. Abdel‐Rahim; Ashraf I. G. Elhetawy; Mohamed A. Bauomi; Wasseem Emam; Radi A. Mohamed (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
This study evaluated the effects of increasing stocking density under a fixed aeration capacity on water quality, growth performance, and economic efficiency of Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) cultured in concrete ponds equipped with a semi‐movable paddlewheel aeration configuration. Three stocking densities (80, 120, and 160 fish m −3 ) were tested over a 90‐day production cycle using a completely randomized design with triplicate ponds per treatment (each 99 m 3 ). The aerators were operated continuously (1.5 hp, 24 h day −1 ), and aeration power was kept constant across treatments. Water quality showed a clear density‐dependent deterioration: dissolved oxygen (DO) decreased from 5.0 ± 0.17 mg L −1 at 80 fish m −3 to 3.3 ± 0.17 mg L −1 at 160 fish m −3 ( p −1 to 0.056 ± 0.01 mg L −1 . In line with this, the growth performance decreased as density increased: the final body weight decreased from 304.3 ± 0.882 g to 272.7 ± 5.903 g, and the feed conversion ratio increased to 1.68. Survival rate showed a moderate decline to 93.2%. Whereas the highest density had the highest total biomass (3,969 kg) and gross revenue (US$8,972), the intermediate density (120 fish m −3 ) had the most balanced result between growth performance, survival, and profitability (benefit‐cost ratio = 1.49). The highest stocking density was associated with lower DO, increased nitrogen loading, and reduced size uniformity, suggesting that production efficiency was mainly constrained by oxygen availability and overall biomass loading rather than by acute ammonia toxicity. These results imply that, when the aeration capacity in concrete pond systems is held constant, moderate stocking density can be best suited to a trade‐off between biological performance and economic payoff and can be useful in the context of intensive Nile Tilapia production in situations with limited aeration capacity.

Historical Records of Tumours in New Zealand Marine Fishes - John Brian Jones (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
Tumours were first described in New Zealand marine fishes in 1982 but those early records have been difficult to access and subsequently few tumours have been collected and little has been published. This review updates records of identified tumours from teleosts in the New Zealand marine environment and may encourage more work to identify background tumours in a rapidly changing and increasingly polluted marine environment.

Swimming Under the Radar: Trout‐Free Kōaro Populations in Aotearoa Lakes and Tarns Are Rare, Understudied, and Disappearing - Lauren G. Hitt; Simon D. Stewart; Nixie C. Boddy; Angus R. McIntosh (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
Over the last 150 years, most large, easily accessible lakes and tarns in Aotearoa (New Zealand) have experienced trout introductions or incursions, leaving few salmonid‐free reference lakes. Using database information and field surveys, we characterized lake, pond/tarn, and wetland systems found throughout Aotearoa that support populations of kōaro ( Galaxias brevipinnis ) known or putatively believed to be trout‐free. These systems require more research because our existing knowledge is outdated, patchy, and largely unacknowledged, while their kōaro populations may be increasingly vulnerable. Although persisting trout‐free kōaro populations tend to be found in small, isolated, and difficult to access lakes, at least 10% and potentially up to 22% of known trout‐free kōaro populations may have already been lost in the last 20 years. The causes of these losses are varied and highlight the sensitivity of the remaining populations, which are likely genetically isolated and evolutionarily significant. Historic and modern threats to these remaining kōaro populations include incursions of introduced fishes and worsening climate impacts. Lakes supporting isolated kōaro populations hold substantial conservation value, require more consistent monitoring to prevent additional losses of irreplaceable populations, and need targeted conservation of this important taonga (treasured species) consistent with the diversity they contribute to Aotearoa's broader freshwater biodiversity.

Identifying Timing, Cues, Site Characteristics and Threats to Shortjaw kōkopu Spawning in Two Northland Streams - F. M. A. Donovan; T. D. Donovan; K. H. Donovan (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
The shortjaw kōkopu ( Galaxias postvectis ) is the most threatened of New Zealand's diadromous galaxiids. Cryptic, nocturnal behaviours and their rarity mean ecological knowledge remains limited. Two sites in Northland (Waiotemarama Stream and Okawawa Stream) were monitored from March–July for 3 years to gather population data and information on spawning cues, timing, spawning site habitat and threats to spawning success. Fifteen shortjaw kōkopu spawning sites were identified throughout the study period above the wetted stream margins following spate flows in May–June. It is hypothesised that altered flow regimes, as a result of climate change, may impact spawning success through effects on spawning habitat, resource availability and the premature inundation of eggs. During monitoring, we identified the predation of eggs at multiple spawning sites by rats ( Rattus norvegicus , Rattus rattus ). A rodent control operation was established at two sites in an attempt to limit egg predation and increase the number of eggs reaching full development. Predator control results were variable, and a clear relationship between rat predation, rat control and spawning site outcomes was not identified. However, this study suggests the need for the consideration of pest management in the conservation of native freshwater fish in New Zealand.

Two Germans, a Swede, and a Giant kōkopu: The Background to the Earliest Documented Description of a New Zealand Freshwater Fish - James Braund (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
Galaxiids are a family of scaleless and mostly small freshwater fish which are distributed across the temperate latitudes of the southern hemisphere. The largest member of this family is the giant kōkopu ( Galaxias argenteus ), which has the added distinction of being the first New Zealand freshwater fish of any kind to be scientifically described. This description was produced by naturalists on board James Cook's HMS Resolution when they visited Dusky Sound in the far south of New Zealand in the autumn of 1773, and it represents, among other things, a fascinating intersection of history and science. This article, which is primarily historical in its approach, revisits the original documentary records describing the giant kōkopu that were left by Cook's naturalists, and argues that the descriptive process involving this fish was much more of a team effort than has previously been assumed.

Long Term Remediation of a Chemical Barrier to Fish Migration Restores Natural Demographics of Headwater Galaxias brevipinnis Population - O. R. Hore; D. P. Gray; P. Lindsay (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
Acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD) reduces fish diversity with effects extending downstream. Discharges may also create chemical barriers for migratory species into otherwise unimpacted headwaters. We investigated kōaro ( Galaxias brevipinnis ) response to remediation of an AMD‐impacted tributary in a 5 th ‐order West Coast, New Zealand river. Kōaro communities were surveyed once pre‐remediation and on seven subsequent occasions between 2005 and 2024, at six sites within the Ngākawau catchment and two reference streams, using backpack electric‐fishing. Aluminium, pH and turbidity measurements were analysed for temporal patterns and exceedances of threshold values of fish sensitivity, derived for naturally acidic West Coast streams. Significant differences in kōaro demographics were observed between pre‐ and post‐remediation surveys. 2 years post‐remediation, kōaro abundance had increased, dominated by juveniles 100 mm. Current abundance and size distribution, plus interannual demographic constancy, suggest the population is stable and not recruitment limited.

Issue Information (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)

How Speculation Became Accepted Truth: Evidence that Aotearoa New Zealand Freshwater Eels Do Not Seem to Spawn “Near Tonga” or “East of Samoa” - Amandine J. M. Sabadel; Michael J. Miller (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2026)
For several decades, the assumption that Aotearoa New Zealand freshwater eels spawn near Tonga (for longfin, Anguilla dieffenbachii ) or east of Samoa (for shortfin, A. australis ) has been widely repeated across scientific literature, governmental reports, public resources and community narratives, despite limited direct evidence. These claims originated from early scientific speculation and were not updated as new evidence emerged. This illustrates how preliminary ideas can become entrenched as accepted truth through repetition and raises a broader question: how can new scientific findings be communicated effectively when they challenge long‐standing narratives?.

Issue Information (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)

Into the Wild: Farm‐Derived Energy and Nutrients Enter Marine Food Webs With Carrying Capacity Implications for Aquaculture Management - Myriam D. Callier; Ramon Filgueira; Carrie J. Byron; Daniele Brigolin; Dror L. Angel; Sophie J. I. Koch; Bobbi Hudson; Frank Kane; Heather Moore; Antonio Agüera; Lotta C. Kluger; Christopher W. McKindsey (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
Marine aquaculture is expanding globally, yet its interactions with surrounding ecosystems remain complex and insufficiently understood. This study reviews the fluxes of energy and nutrients from three major aquaculture systems: finfish cages, suspended bivalves, and seaweed farms and considers their implications for ecosystem functioning and management under the ecosystem approach to aquaculture (EAA). Using a focused literature review and expert input from International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), Working Group on Ecological Carrying Capacity of Aquaculture (ICES WGECCA), we synthesized data on farm‐derived fluxes, trophic transfers, and ecological consequences. From this synthesis, we developed three conceptual models illustrating direct and indirect pathways of energy and nutrient exchange between farms and marine food webs. Seven case studies from temperate and subtropical systems were analyzed to exemplify site‐specific effects, including organic enrichment, altered benthic‐pelagic coupling, and changes in wild species assemblages. Key findings highlight that fed aquaculture (finfish) releases substantial particulate and dissolved waste, influencing benthic geochemistry, while extractive systems (bivalves, seaweeds) modulate nutrient cycling. Integrated multi‐trophic aquaculture (IMTA) offers the potential for synergistic flux recycling within the farm system. Wild mobile fauna attracted to farm systems shelter and feed directly on the farmed product, fouling, or particulate wastes and dislodgements from the farm, thereby strengthening farm‐environment coupling. These insights underscore the need for adaptive management and carrying capacity (CC) assessments that account for energy‐nutrient fluxes to ensure sustainable aquaculture development aligned with EAA principles.

The Application of Herbal Medicines for Parasites Control in Aquaculture: A Review - Xiaoping Tan; Chengzhong Yang; Qianwen Zhou; Shenye Qu; Tianqiang Liu; Fei Ling; Gaoxue Wang (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
With the ongoing expansion of intensive aquaculture, the emergence of parasite drug resistance and the increasing frequency of disease outbreaks have become significant challenges. Conventional antiparasitic agents are increasingly restricted due to burgeoning resistance, environmental persistence, and safety concerns. Consequently, the development of eco‐friendly and sustainable therapeutic alternatives has emerged as a primary research priority. Herbal medicines (HMs), characterized by a vast reservoir of structurally diverse and bioactive compounds, serve as ideal candidates for drug discovery in aquaculture. In recent years, substantial research effort has been directed toward identifying commercially viable HM‐derived agents for the fish farming industry. Advancements in isolation and purification technologies have facilitated the extraction of numerous insecticidal small molecules, while further studies have elucidated their underlying antiparasitic mechanisms. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of HMs in preventing and treating aquatic parasitic infections, encompassing the isolation of active constituents, evaluation of efficacy, modes of action, and optimization of application strategies. Furthermore, we address the inherent challenges and future trajectories of utilizing HMs in aquaculture. By synthesizing current knowledge on these bioactive compounds, this review aims to facilitate the development of safe, highly bioavailable, and environmentally sustainable antiparasitic agents.

Plant‐Derived Treatments for Monogenean Parasites in Farmed Fish: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis - Francisco Neptalí Morales‐Serna (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
Monogeneans are among the most problematic ectoparasites in finfish aquaculture. Plant‐derived compounds have been widely explored as therapeutic agents, yet their efficacy and safety have not been quantitatively synthesized across studies. This study provides a meta‐analysis of plant‐based treatments against monogeneans, integrating 453 in vitro and 262 in vivo treatment comparisons from 50 publications. Random‐effects and multilevel models were used to estimate pooled efficacy, assess heterogeneity, and evaluate patterns across compound types, concentration categories, and exposure durations. Safety was assessed using therapeutic indices or margins of safety derived from acute‐toxicity endpoints. Most studies focused on dactylogyrids and gyrodactylids infecting two freshwater fish species. Plant‐derived treatments produced consistently strong antiparasitic activity in vitro and in vivo (overall parasite‐load reduction ~75%–80%), although with substantial methodological heterogeneity. Isolated compounds were the only group achieving high mortality at low concentrations and short exposures, whereas crude extracts and essential oils generally required higher concentrations or longer treatments. Safety outcomes showed no consistent relationship with concentration, and only 18% of treatments achieved complete parasite elimination while remaining safe for fish. Notably, some studies recommended treatment regimens even when their results did not clearly support strong therapeutic performance, highlighting the need for more explicit standards for defining effective and safe therapies. Overall, plant‐derived compounds show promise for managing monogenean infections, but strong efficacy does not guarantee practical or safe application. Integrating in silico approaches, combining ligand‐based screening with parasite‐specific molecular targets, offers a promising route to prioritize candidates with genuine therapeutic potential in aquaculture.

Herbal Medicines and Probiotics: Synergistic Applications for Sustainable Aquaculture and Future Optimization - Xiao Yan; Jiali Mi; Chaobin Qin; Guoxing Nie (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
With the transformation of aquaculture toward green and sustainable development, the research and application of natural feed additives have become a research focus in the field. As two types of green additives with high efficiency and low residue, herbal medicines and probiotics show significant potential in improving the health of fish and enhancing aquaculture benefits. This paper systematically reviews the research progress of their applications in aquaculture, summarizing the core active components of herbal medicines as well as their mainstream isolation and purification techniques. It further analyzes the high functional consistency between the two in promoting growth performance, regulating gut microecological balance, enhancing immune function, optimizing nutritional metabolism, and improving muscle nutritional composition and quality. Moreover, this paper illustrates the synergistic interaction modes of herbal medicines and probiotics. Their combined application produces functional superposition and mutual complementation, which jointly enhance physiological regulation. More importantly, the interaction between herbal medicines and probiotics during the production of fermented herbal medicines is more pronounced. It can generate new active substances, increase the concentration of effective components, and promote digestion and absorption, thus greatly enhancing the overall physiological regulatory effect. Finally, the paper identifies current research limitations and prospects future directions, highlighting that artificial intelligence can help achieve full‐cycle intelligent control and precise application of herbal medicines and probiotics in aquaculture. This review will provide new insights to address practical industrial challenges, thereby providing a comprehensive reference for the theoretical research and practical application of green feed additives in aquaculture.

Infectious Diseases Management in Small‐Scale Freshwater Aquaculture in West Africa: Lessons for Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries - Mame Boucar Diouf; Robane Faye; Ahou Rachel Koumi; Nounagnon Darius Tossavi; Enoutchy Fabrice Bouah; Ephigénie Ndew Dione; El Hadji Malick Sy Camara; Kadjo Henri Joel Niamien; Ué Clavier Zéa Bi; Atto Delphin Kouadio; El Hadji Papa Abdourahim Sy; Thérèse Adeline Fatou Gomis; et al. (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
Infectious diseases are an increasing threat to food security, small‐scale livelihoods and the sustainability of aquaculture in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). In sub‐Saharan Africa, aquaculture is expanding rapidly but production systems often remain fragile. In West Africa, particularly in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal, production remains modest despite rising demand. Interactions between farming practices, environmental exposures (e.g., contaminants and agricultural effluents) and pathogen emergence are poorly documented. Here we review evidence on production systems, reported pathogens, diagnostic and surveillance capacity in these three countries. We find that (i) production relies mainly on small‐scale ponds, cages often within integrated agro‐aquaculture systems with recurring constraints in biosecurity, water management and governance; (ii) available evidence is fragmented and uneven across pathogen groups, with most reports focusing on bacterial and parasitic conditions and major gaps for viruses, fungi, co‐infections, antimicrobial resistance and combined environmental pressures; and (iii) health management and laboratory capacities remain constrained, but existing networks and experience from terrestrial animal health provide entry points for integrated and participatory surveillance. We discuss these patterns through an exposome‐informed One Health lens, highlighting how multiple exposure pathways link farms, watersheds and nearby communities. Based on this synthesis, we outline research and policy priorities to strengthen health resilience and to support more sustainable small‐scale freshwater aquaculture in West Africa and, with relevance to other tropical LMIC settings.

Research in Fish Polyculture Worldwide: Global Patterns, Trends, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions - M.‐L. Tchiedjo; M. Thomas; F. Pétronin; P. Kestemont; T. Lecocq (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
Fish polyculture is the concurrent rearing of multiple fish species within the same aquaculture system. It represents one of the oldest and most adaptable strategies for enhancing aquatic food production. While its ecological and economic potential is widely acknowledged, a comprehensive understanding of global patterns of research on fish polyculture remains lacking. This study provides a systematic synthesis of scientific literature over 55 years (i.e., published between 1968 and 2023), following the PSALSAR methodology. Using the Web of Science database, 889 peer‐reviewed articles were screened, of which 220 met inclusion criteria. Each study was analyzed for species composition, production systems, research objectives, and management strategies. Results show a strong geographic bias, with research predominantly originating from Asia, while Africa, Europe, and the Americas remain underrepresented. Freshwater pond systems dominated the research landscape, and most studies focused on growth performance and yield optimization rather than ecological or socioeconomic outcomes. However, recent publications indicate a shift toward sustainability‐oriented approaches, including integrated multi‐trophic aquaculture, biofloc systems, and rice–fish ecosystems. Analyses revealed emerging research themes linking species diversity, nutrient recycling, and ecological efficiency. This review provides the first global overview of fish polyculture research, highlighting major trends as well as global and regional gaps. Future work should emphasize ecosystem function, animal welfare, and the integration of circular economy principles to enhance the contribution of fish polyculture to sustainable aquaculture development.

The Narrow‐Clawed Crayfish Pontastacus leptodactylus : Biology, Culture Development, and Prospects for Sustainable Aquaculture - Ardavan Farhadi; Muzaffer Mustafa Harlıoğlu; Erchao Li (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
Pontastacus leptodactylus is a freshwater crayfish native to the Ponto‐Caspian region, with a distribution across Eastern Europe and Western Asia. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the biology, culture development, and prospects for sustainable aquaculture of P. leptodactylus . Commercial exploitation of P. leptodactylus has a long history in Western Europe and the Ponto‐Caspian region and has relied primarily on capture fisheries. Türkiye served as the principal exporter to international markets until the 1985 outbreak of crayfish plague ( Aphanomyces astaci ), which precipitated widespread stock collapses. In contrast, aquaculture development remained limited for decades and has only recently gained momentum, particularly, in China. Following the first identification of P. leptodactylus in China in 2021, interest in its culture has increased, with pilot‐scale farming trials and localized hatchery activities reported across several provinces. However, production remains limited in scale, and these developments are best regarded as early‐stage or proof‐of‐concept initiatives rather than established commercial aquaculture. Accordingly, this review provides an integrated appraisal of culture practices, including broodstock management, artificial incubation, juvenile feeding, stocking strategies, grow‐out systems, and health and biosecurity protocols. It further synthesizes market dynamics, value‐chain development, and welfare considerations alongside performance benchmarks. Key constraints such as the lack of species‐specific feeds, limited tools for cannibalism mitigation, and the absence of selective breeding programs are identified as major barriers to sustainable scale‐up. This review offers a framework to guide future research, management decisions, and aquaculture development for the sustainable utilization of P. leptodactylus .

The Invisible Farm: Rethinking What Intensive Aquaculture Does to Fish - Giovanni M. Turchini (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)

Antifouling in Marine Aquaculture: Mechanisms, Strategies, and Sustainable Design Guidelines - Channa Hamadullah; Pan Cao; Xiaodan Liu; Shuyan Miao (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
Antifouling remains a critical constraint on the expansion of marine aquaculture, yet existing knowledge is fragmented across materials science, hydrodynamics, ecology, and farm economics. This review synthesizes mechanistic understanding of marine biofouling and corrosion on aquaculture infrastructure through a structured literature review of more than 200 primary studies and reviews spanning materials science, hydrodynamics, ecology, environmental assessment, operational management, and system‐level antifouling design. Major strategy classes, including biocidal self‐polishing coatings, copper‐alloy meshes, foul‐release silicones, hydrophilic, zwitterionic, amphiphilic, photocatalytic, nanocomposite, and biomimetic systems, are evaluated alongside non‐coating operational measures such as robotic cleaning and hyperspectral monitoring. By comparing their performance, environmental profiles, and implementation constraints, the review translates current evidence into system‐level design guidance for marine aquaculture. Findings highlight the multiscale nature of biofouling impacts on drag, dissolved oxygen, structural integrity, and ecosystem responses, and show that no single technology dominates across performance, environmental risk, and cost. The review provides integrated design and reporting checklists, a multi‐criteria decision workflow for selecting coatings and structures, and an environmental risk matrix for major strategy types. A forward‐looking roadmap outlines priorities for adaptive multifunctional materials, farm‐scale modeling, and coordinated governance, providing a mechanism‐informed, system‐level foundation for antifouling in marine aquaculture.

Emerging Applications of Additive Manufacturing in Aquaculture Systems: A Comprehensive Review - Subha M. Roy; Hyunsoo Choi; Taeho Kim (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature on additive manufacturing, commonly known as three‐dimensional (3D) printing, in aquaculture systems. Among emerging technological innovations, 3D printing has gained increasing prominence in aquaculture operations due to its capacity to enable customized design, facilitate rapid prototyping, and improve operational efficiency. The integration of 3D printing into aquaculture offers advanced and innovative solutions and represents a promising pathway toward the development of smart aquaculture systems. This review critically evaluates various additive manufacturing technologies, their applications within the aquaculture sector, and relevant case studies. Publication trends, citation patterns, and patent activity from 2010 to 2025 are also analyzed. Furthermore, the review categorizes and assesses the benefits, challenges, and limitations associated with the adoption of 3D printing in aquaculture. Future research priorities are identified, with particular emphasis on sustainable materials, durability testing under aquaculture conditions, cost‐feasibility frameworks, and closed‐loop digital design–manufacturing workflows. By highlighting the role of 3D printing in aquaculture, this review addresses an emerging area of research and fills an important gap in the literature. The presented insights aim to guide researchers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers in advancing the integration of 3D printing technologies within the aquaculture sector.

Cover Image - Yinnan Mu; Weini Zhang; Pan Qin; Wenxing Li; Zhengwei Cui; Yang Ding; Jingqun Ao; Jiangtao Gao; Xinhua Chen (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
The cover image is based on the article Elucidating the Immunological Basis of Large Yellow Croaker Larimichthys crocea Offers New Strategies for Its Disease Management by Yinnan Mu et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.70164 . image

Risk Is Not Equal to Impact: The Challenges of Developing a Traffic Light System to Regulate Farmed Salmon Production on an Ecosystem Scale - Doris Soto; Rodrigo M. Montes; Renato A. Quiñones; Jorge León‐Muñoz; Marcelo E. Fuentes; Ruben Avendaño‐Herrera; Elias Pinilla; Jessica Fuentes; Carlos Chávez (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
We review information on salmon farming production, environmental and climatic variables covering all salmon farming areas in the Patagonia marine ecosystems over a 10‐year period in Chile. With this information, we develop a semi‐quantitative Environmental and Productive Risk Assessment (RA) model as a guide for the design of a Traffic Light System (TLS) for salmon farming in Chile that ensures the minimizing impacts to ecosystems and to farmed salmon themselves. This interdisciplinary study is based on the compilation and integration of historical databases from multiple public and private institutions. These databases contain information on production, fish health, oceanographic and climatic information from 79 Salmon Farming Concessions Groupings (ACS) from 2012 to 2022. The model reveals that the highest Environmental and Productive Risks occur where high cumulative production pressure (Hazard) coincides with high Environmental Sensitivity, primarily in the fjords of the Los Lagos and Aysén regions. The study provides a risk‐based approach to prioritize monitoring and promote precautionary management in high‐risk areas while there is not enough information on ecosystem‐level tipping point indicators. Further development of a robust TLS requires the collaborative validation of ecosystem‐scale data and involving all relevant stakeholders in a participatory process to establish agreed‐upon risk thresholds and governance mechanisms for its implementation.

Cover Image - Subha M. Roy; Hyunsoo Choi; Taeho Kim (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
The cover image is based on the article Emerging Applications of Additive Manufacturing in Aquaculture Systems: A Comprehensive Review by Subha M. Roy et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.70154 . image

Biocontrol for Shrimp Disease: Comprehensive Review and a Bacterial Disease Biocontrol Practice - Xinyi He; Jian He; Minghong Liu; Menghuang Xu; Jianjun Jiang; Minze Liao; Chengcheng Wu; Peiyun Han; Long Zhang; Shaoping Weng; Zhixun Guo; Jianguo He (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
Biocontrol is a key strategy for disease control, as it is environmentally friendly and widely applicable. This review elaborates on biocontrol in aquaculture, particularly in shrimp culture. Biocontrol in shrimp culture mainly relies on four strategies: (i) direct kill pathogen by Bdellovibrio or bacteriophages; (ii) suppression of intestinal pathogens with probiotics; (iii) reduction of environmental pathogens via probiotics, biofloc, or bivalves and fish; and (iv) blocking transmission of pathogens using predatory fish. “Shrimp‐fish polyculture” system for diseased biocontrol, which is convenient, effective, and affordable, focuses on blocking disease transmission routes. The efficacy of this strategy has been firmly established for white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). However, its application to other shrimp diseases is not widespread. Herein, a “shrimp‐fish polyculture” biocontrol plan was designed and successfully validated against Vibrio harveyi in shrimp. These findings successfully expand the application of the “shrimp‐fish polyculture” system to the control of bacterial diseases in shrimp, thereby offering new perspectives and methods for the biocontrol of diseases caused by various shrimp pathogens.

Sea Cucumber Neuropeptides: Bridging Molecular Insights Towards Aquaculture Innovations - Yingqiu Zheng; Huachen Liu; Saowaros Suwansa‐ard; Scott F. Cummins; Muyan Chen (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
The sea cucumber (class Holothuroidea) holds significant commercial value due to strong global demand, especially in East and Southeast Asian markets. Overexploitation of wild stocks has thus driven aquaculture expansion; however, current culture methods remain inadequate to meet projected demand or overcome traditional practice limitations. As evolutionarily ancient endogenous bioactive molecules, neuropeptides regulate diverse physiological processes and behaviors, demonstrating great potential as eco‐friendly tools for precision sea cucumber aquaculture. Identification and functional characterization of these neuropeptides improve our understanding of their evolutionary history and facilitate their application in aquaculture practice. In this review, we summarize the diversity of known sea cucumber neuropeptides and their receptors, their engagement with downstream cellular signaling pathways, and their roles in key biological processes, including feeding and growth, reproduction, regeneration, larvae settlement and metamorphosis, and locomotion. Future research should prioritize investigating neuropeptide regulatory networks, determining their functions across developmental stages, developing large‐scale peptide production methods, and improving delivery efficiency, all of which are critical for the application of neuropeptides to achieve sustainable, eco‐friendly sea cucumber aquaculture.

Rethinking Aquaculture Resilience Beyond Species Diversification: Insights From the Lower Mekong Delta With Global Implications - Khuong V. Dinh (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)

Cover Image - Faisal Ahmad Lodhi; Fahim Ullah Khan; Aabid Ullah Khan; Jae‐Seong Lee; Muhammad Abbas; Hanafiah Fazhan; Khor Waiho; Menghong Hu; Youji Wang (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2026)
The cover image is based on the article Multi‐Stressor Responses in Marine Bivalves: Integrating Climate Change, Pollutants, and Microbiome Shifts for Aquaculture Resilience by Faisal Ahmad Lodhi et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.70169 . image