Reference genomes from representative species across families provide the critical infrastructure for research and conservation. The Cetacean Genomes Project (CGP) began in early 2020 to facilitate the generation of near error-free, chromosome-resolved reference genomes for all cetacean species. Towards that goal, and using the methods, goals and genome assembly quality standards of the Vertebrate Genomes Project (VGP), we gen...

The GeoNet programme at GNS Science has monitored and managed data for volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, and tsunami in Aotearoa New Zealand since 2001. Volcano monitoring data are collected from seismometers, acoustic sensors, GNSS receivers, webcams, remote gas monitoring sensors, and a range of environmental sensors, as well as manually during visits to volcanoes. The primary user of volcano data is the internal cross-spe...

Larval behaviour for many of New Zealand's diadromous freshwater fish is inadequately described. Diadromy for many amphidromous species is not obligatory however, and where conditions are suitable, freshwater larval rearing may be facilitated. Where this occurs in lakes, opportunities to document the composition and conditions supporting larval rearing exist. Boat trawling was undertaken across nine lowland lakes in the Lower...

Ascidians are sessile marine invertebrates found all over the world in a variety of natural and artificial habitats. The objective of this study was to provide the first inventory of ascidian diversity and abundance in North Carolina (NC) seagrass meadows. Eight sites along the NC coast were surveyed in May and June 2021 and at each site, 20 quadrats were deployed. All ascidian species within the quadrats were counted and iden...

Purpose Evidence-based health communication campaigns can support tobacco control and address tobacco-related inequities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ +) populations. Community organizations focused on LGBTQ + health (e.g., nonprofits, community centers, and community health centers) can be prime channels for delivering evidence-based health communication campaigns. However, it is unclear how to b...

The authors investigated left–right turning preferences of n = 260 juvenile European sea bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ) reared in ambient conditions and ocean acidification (OA) conditions or in ambient conditions but tested in OA water. Groups of 10 individuals were observed alone in a circular tank, and individuals' left and right turning during free‐swimming was quantified using trajectory data from the video. The authors sh...

Natural hybrid zones provide opportunities for studies of the evolution of reproductive isolation in wild populations. Although recent investigations have found that the formation of neo‐sex chromosomes is associated with reproductive isolation, the mechanisms remain unclear in most cases. Here, we assess the contemporary structure of gene flow in the contact zone between largely allopatric cytotypes of the dioecious plant Rum...

Species, including seagrasses, at their range limits are uniquely vulnerable to climate change. In the western Atlantic Ocean, the biogeographic transition zone between temperate and tropical ecosystems is recognized as one of several global hotspots where poleward-flowing western boundary currents are forecast to warm faster than the global average. In this region seagrass ecosystem services are primarily supplied by two spec...

Seed size can have an impact on angiosperm reproductive fitness. Ecological theory predicts plants that will produce larger seeds in stressful environments to increase the chances of seedling survival and numerous small seeds in favourable conditions to increase the number of recruits. We measured seed morphology of the seagrass Heterozostera nigricaulis from four populations under differing environmental conditions in South E...

Purpose The force–velocity relationship of muscular contraction has been extensively studied. However, previous research has focussed either on isolated muscle or single-joint movements, whereas human movement consists of multi-joint movements (e.g. squatting). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the force–velocity relationship of isovelocity squatting. Methods Fifteen male participants (24 ± 2 years, 79.8...