Temperate mesophotic ecosystems (TMEs) have only recently been recognised as distinct ecosystems and generally occur between 30 and 150 m at the limit of photosynthetic light penetration. In this study, we surveyed the benthic communities inhabiting rocky deep‐water features in two regions at the south of New Zealand's North Island to assess small (1–2 km) and larger (10–100 km) scale variation in the benthic communities they...

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are increasing in frequency, duration and intensity, disrupting global marine ecosystems. While most reported impacts have been in tropical areas, New Zealand experienced its strongest and longest MHW in 2022, profoundly affecting marine sponges. Sponges are vital to rocky benthic marine communities, with their abundance influencing ecosystem functioning. This study examines the impact of this MHW on th...

Microplastic (MP) particles ( ‐1 (dry sponge weight). There were significant differences in PMP abundance between sites and between some species, but most of the variation was explained by site (40–53% vs. 4–24% of the variance). Our results suggest that PMP abundance in sponges is mainly explained by spatial variation in microplastic abundance rather than species identity.

The ecology and function of rocky temperate mesophotic ecosystems (TMEs) remain poorly understood globally despite their widespread distribution. They typically occur at 20–150 m (the limit of photosynthesis), and on rocky substratum they support rich benthic communities and mobile fauna. We determined the distribution of rocky TMEs, their conservation status, and their most characteristic biological groups. Rocky TMEs were do...

The recent discovery of Rhabdopleura in Singapore and the chance collecting of fresh material from northern New Zealand (Three Kings Shelf) provided an opportunity to sequence the specimens with an aim to determine their species identity. Phylogeny reconstructions of two new Rhabdopleura taxa based on ribosomal and mitochondrial genes suggest a different identity from known samples, including putative Rhabdopleura annulata , f...

Ocean deoxygenation is one of the major consequences of climate change. In coastal waters, this process can be exacerbated by eutrophication, which is contributing to an alarming increase in the so‐called ‘dead zones’ globally. Despite its severity, the effect of reduced dissolved oxygen has only been studied for a very limited number of organisms, compared to other climate change impacts such as ocean acidification and warmin...