Microplastics (MPs) have been characterised in South African rivers, lakes, and the marine environment, yet we know less about MPs in subterranean environments. In this study, we assessed MP pollution in the sediment, subsurface water, and resident freshwater amphipod, Sternophysinx species across six South African subterranean cave systems. We hypothesised that MP pollution will increase with human visitations and activities...

Species of Micropleura Linstow, 1906 (Dracunculoidea: Nematoda) are common parasites of crocodilians worldwide. Studies related to this genus remain scarce, particularly regarding genetic characterizations, due to the difficulty in obtaining the parasite specimens. Although the morphology of M . vazi Travassos, 1933, a parasite of Caiman spp. in the Neotropics, has been previously evaluated, some morphological inconsistencies...

Anthropogenic habitat transformation has led to population declines and increasing isolation of populations of many species, particularly top predators, where small and fragmented populations often experience limited dispersal and reduced genetic diversity. Jaguars ( Panthera onca ), for example, have lost half of their historical range and most populations outside the Amazon biome are small, isolated and highly threatened. He...

Predators are known to impact prey populations through both consumptive and nonconsumptive effects, and the magnitude of prey responses has long been assumed to depend on the lethality of the predator. Yet, there are few, if any studies, that have empirically tested this assumption. While there are studies that have approximated lethality and provide support for this assumption, difficulties arise given there is a need to esti...

Effective monitoring of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) populations and coral cover is critical for informing management of COTS outbreaks throughout their tropical Indo-Pacific range, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. However, existing monitoring tools such as manta tow and cull diver surveys have well-known limitations including accuracy and resource demands. This study evaluates a range of monitoring tools for asses...

Despite extensive research on the western Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris ), especially from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR), there are persistent knowledge gaps that constrain understanding and management. Given renewed population irruptions of CoTS on the GBR, alongside escalating climate impacts and direct anthropogenic pressures, a quantitative assessment of knowledge gaps was undertake...

The future of how we understand and manage ecosystems largely depends on direct and continuous observations that connect local territories to planetary processes. Latin America (LATAM: Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean) hosts ecosystems critical for regulating global carbon, water, and energy cycles. However, persistent underinvestment in science and technology hampers the long‐term monitoring capacity neede...