An empirical ridge statistic that correlates weekly level ice thickness with keel depth and weekly number of ridges was investigated using upward looking sonars (ULS) data from 2006 to 2020 in the Fram Strait. The applied methodology was similar to the previous studies for the Beaufort Sea. The data were divided into weekly segments. For each of them, level ice thickness (hi), the number of ridges (N) and the average (hk) and...

The geomorphic stability of coral reef islands depends on a continued supply of biologically derived sediment from reefs. However, the ecological processes that produce detrital sediment remain poorly resolved. The role of fishes as sediment producers has largely focused on coral sand generated by parrotfishes (Labridae: Scarinae) in clear-water settings, while the contribution of other groups, such as durophagous invertivores...

The Asia region harbors exceptional chondrichthyan (shark, ray, and chimaera) diversity but faces intense fishing pressure. The Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) process provides a collaborative, evidence-based framework to identify critical habitats and inform spatial management. We assessed ISRAs across the Bay of Bengal, Southeast Asia, and the Northwest Pacific to characterize their extent, ecological significance, and...

Suspended particulates on turbid coral reefs can mitigate thermal stress and bolster coral energy acquisition, improving resilience to climate change. Yet, questions remain regarding how corals on turbid reefs respond to successive heat stress events and whether certain coral taxa are more likely to survive under increasingly variable environmental conditions. We investigated the response of coral communities across a natural...

Fungi have been used by humans since prehistoric times. Informal structures or groups for knowledge exchange regarding mushrooms and lichens probably existed for ages. Only recently, mycological activities have been structured in formal organizations. And where until a few centuries ago there were only learned societies and naturalists’ clubs, nowadays also mycological societies and citizen scientists have joined the landscape...

Cognition is an animal's real‐time adaptation system for responding to change. Rapid environmental change, often anthropogenic, is expanding the range and severity of challenges confronting wild animals. Effective conservation requires a multifaceted approach that includes animals' capacities. Large‐brained, long‐lived animals such as marine mammals often have extensive capability to adaptively modify their behavior due to the...