The ecological impacts of extreme floods to benthic ecosystems in oceanic environments remain unclear, as events are difficult to observe and quantify. Between 2020 and 2022, an unusually long La Niña resulted in substantial flooding across southeastern Australia. Major floods in the Hawkesbury‐Nepean River led to an unprecedented flood plume extending ~70 km offshore to depths of ~50 m, exposing coastal biodiversity to rare e...

Marine fisheries in coastal ecosystems in many areas of the world have historically removed large‐bodied individuals, potentially impairing ecosystem functioning and the long‐term sustainability of fish populations. Reporting on size‐based indicators that link to food‐web structure can contribute to ecosystem‐based management, but the application of these indicators over large (cross‐ecosystem) geographical scales has been lim...

Marine reserves are a key tool for the conservation of marine biodiversity, yet only ~2.5% of the world's oceans are protected. The integration of marine reserves into connected networks representing all habitats has been encouraged by international agreements, yet the benefits of this design has not been tested empirically. Australia has one of the largest systems of marine reserves, providing a rare opportunity to assess how...