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Genetic studies have differentiated three subspecies of humpback whales: Megaptera novaeangliae novaeangliae in the North Atlantic, M. n. australis in the Southern Hemisphere and M. n. kuzira in the North Pacific. However, these analyses did not include samples from the Arabian Sea humpback whale population (ASHW). Historic, behavioural, and previously published genetic data suggested that ASHWs are a discrete, isolated and re...
Adoption of sustainable agricultural intensification practices in rural areas of BotswanaNARA Subscribed
Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Practices (SAIPs) have emerged as a widely accepted approach for long-term and successful sustainable food production by addressing today’s widespread environmental challenges. Although some global concerns are serious, and there is a demand to completely implement Agenda 2030, it appears that developing nations are unable to adopt SAIPs on a wide scale. This study applied Principal Com...
Nutrient Enrichment Increases Grassland Biomass Sensitivity to Interannual Precipitation VariationNARA Subscribed
Primary production underpins much of ecosystem functioning and is often limited by nutrient and water availability. Ongoing global increases in nutrient inputs and interannual precipitation variability are thus likely to impact primary production, with unclear consequences for interannual variability in plant biomass. We used data from 35 grasslands in the Nutrient Network coordinated fertilization experiment to test if nutrie...
Conservation implications of low contemporary connectivity along the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge in hydrothermal vent gastropodsNARA Subscribed
Polymetallic sulfide deposits produced at hydrothermal vent fields are targets for mining exploitation along the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge, threatening the functioning and resilience of vent ecosystems that provide multiple ecosystem services. Knowledge about connectivity between vents will inform conservation practices. The present‐day genetic structure and demographic history of the two vent‐dwelling gastropod species, Lepetodrilus...
Macrourid species constitute the main bycatch in Southern Ocean toothfish longline fisheries. We report the first confirmed record of Whitson's grenadier, Macrourus whitsoni , in the South Georgia toothfish fishery. Mitochondrial cox1 DNA barcoding confirmed its presence in bycatch samples collected around South Georgia and the northern South Sandwich Islands, with approximately 1% divergence from its congener, M. caml . Haplo...
Diversity and functional group composition drive biogeographic patterns in marine biogenic structural complexityNARA Subscribed
Biogenic structural complexity is a key driver of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, yet its ecological and environmental determinants remain poorly understood across broad biogeographic scales. Here, we conducted standardized 90‐day field experiments at 16 coastal sites, spanning a 41‐degree latitudinal gradient, using naturally assembled marine fouling communities on settlement panels. We measured rugosity as our metric...
SNAPSHOT USA 2024: Year 6 of the Coordinated National Camera Trap Survey of the United StatesNARA Subscribed
Motivation SNAPSHOT USA is an annual, multi‐contributor camera trap survey of mammals across the United States. The growing SNAPSHOT USA dataset is intended for tracking the spatial and temporal responses of mammal populations to changes in land use, land cover and climate. These data will be useful for exploring the drivers of spatial and temporal changes in relative abundance and distribution, as well as the impacts of speci...
Distribution and ecology of the four Macrourus species by‐caught in the longline fishery at South Georgia, Southern OceanNARA Subscribed
Although Macrourus species are the main by‐catch across Southern Ocean longline fisheries, including around South Georgia, the lack of species‐specific data has hindered effective management and ecological understanding. Aggregation of macrourids at genus level masks critical interspecific differences in life‐history strategies and vulnerabilities to fishing. Here, we provide the first comprehensive biological assessment of th...
Diversity and Potential Endemism of New Zealand Freshwater Rotifers Revealed Using Mitochondrial DNA BarcodesNARA Subscribed
Rotifers perform key functions in aquatic food webs and respond to environmental changes, thus providing sensitive indicators of water quality. However, rotifers are small, highly diverse, and difficult to identify for those lacking expertise. Monogononta are the largest taxonomic class of rotifers with over 1500 species described globally, and around 355 known from New Zealand; only four of these are currently recognised as e...
Marine megafauna species are affected by a wide range of anthropogenic threats. To evaluate the risk of such threats, species’ vulnerability to each threat must first be determined. We build on the existing threats classification scheme and ranking system of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species by assessing the vulnerability of 256 marine megafauna species to 23 at‐sea threat...
Benthopelagic Deep-Sea Food Webs Along a Latitudinal Gradient in the Scotia Sea (Southern Ocean)NARA Subscribed
Understanding food-web structure is crucial to determine the functioning of ecosystems and sustainably manage resources. The Scotia Sea is an important area for Antarctic krill and toothfish fisheries, and one of the regions most impacted by climate change in the Southern Ocean. Whilst the pelagic Antarctic krill-centric food web has been investigated in reasonable detail, the structure of deep-sea food webs associated with to...
Aotearoa New Zealand’s marine carbon cycle in a changing climate – Current understanding and future directionsNARA Subscribed
The marine system plays a critical role in the global climate cycle, as a major control of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Marine primary production (photosynthesis) and remineralisation of organic carbon (respiration, degradation) determine the amount of CO 2 sequestered in marine sediments and deep‐water environments on century to millennial timescales. The stocks and fluxes of the marine carbon cycle are susceptible to...