During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the American lobster ( Homarus americanus ) fishery boomed in southern New England, but starting in the early 2000s lobsters declined in the nearshore regions and the fishery retracted. While previous research has focused on the causes for the declining numbers of adult lobsters in the region as well as lobster settlement, lobster larvae were not sampled in Rhode Island waters. Additionally, research was mixed on the origin of lobster larvae found inshore. To examine larval presence in coastal Rhode Island, weekly net tows were conducted at the mouth of Narragansett Bay during summer from 2019 to 2021, and light traps were deployed in 2020 and 2021. Time series segmentation and generalized linear models assessed trends and connections between lobsters caught in trawl surveys, commercial landings data, lobster settlement data, bottom water temperatures, and climate indices. Larval supply to Narragansett Bay is very low and mostly concentrated in the East Passage where ocean water flows into the bay, suggesting that a failure in larval supply from offshore sources is harming local population levels. Time series segmentation and models indicate that declines in lobster settlement followed the decline in adult lobsters in coastal Rhode Island, not Narragansett Bay. Altogether, the data suggest that larval lobsters are transported inshore from spawning stock outside the bay. Present circulation patterns combined with the movement of lobsters into deeper waters has made the transport of larvae to Narragansett Bay unlikely.

Corals are highly sensitive to environmental change, with light and temperature acting as major stressors that disrupt their narrow physiological tolerance. While elevated temperature is a well-established driver of coral bleaching, increasing evidence highlights high irradiance as a critical factor exacerbating stress responses. To elucidate the impacts of environmental factors such as temperature and light on coral physiology and enzyme activity, we conducted an in situ study on Pocillopora acuta from two distinct reef sites in Phuket Province, Thailand, located in the Andaman Sea: Maiton Island (MT), a clear-water reef with higher light level, and Panwa Cape (PW), a turbid reef with lower light levels. Four treatments were involved in the investigation, and the following coral transplants were made: (1) from Maiton Island (NMT) native corals kept at their original reef; (2) corals crossed from Panwa Cape (CMT) to Maiton nursery; (3) from Panwa Cape (NPW) native corals kept at their original reef; and (4) corals crossed from Maiton Island (CPW) to Panwa nursery. Our results show that high light exposure (NMT and CMT) strongly suppressed photochemical efficiency, altered pigment composition, produced excess ROS, which evidenced the photodamage and impaired recovery potential, a history of high-light exposure did not confer resilience, as NMT corals exhibited similar stress signatures to transplanted corals (CMT). In contrast, corals in the turbid PW environment (NPW and CPW) maintained more stable photophysiological and biochemical profiles, suggesting that reduced light and higher particulate availability buffered declines in symbiont density and mitigated oxidative pressure. These findings highlight that turbidity may provide a functional refuge by reducing light induced stress. Understanding how corals respond to such local environmental gradients is essential for improving the modeling of bleaching risk and identifying habitats with potential resilience under future ocean change.

The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) is a marine ecosystem with high species diversity and provides critical ecosystem services. Nektonic communities support both fisheries and higher trophic level consumers that rely on lower trophic organisms. With potential declines in marine predator populations in the GOM over the past decade, understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of nekton is critical for ecosystem-based management. We used hierarchical generalized additive models (HGAMs) to investigate the relationship between environmental conditions and the distribution of acoustically detected zooplankton and nekton in the northeastern GOM. We hypothesized that variables such as salinity, depth, and distance to bathymetric features are associated with the vertical and horizontal distribution of these organisms. Acoustic data were collected from May to August 2018–2019 and November to December 2018. Pelagic cephalopods exhibited ubiquitous distributions and low relative backscatter, while zooplankton and micronekton had consistently high relative backscatter. Macronekton showed significantly higher backscatter, with the maximum backscatter being up to 2600 times greater than pelagic cephalopods. Macronekton also exhibited significant variation in depth distribution, with increasing backscatter below 200 m, and showed different vertical movements in response to the diel cycle. Each acoustic class responded uniquely to environmental conditions, underscoring the complexity of zooplankton and nekton distributions in the GOM. We offer recommendations for future studies, particularly for incorporating additional environmental and seasonal variables. Overall, our research improves understanding of how zooplankton and nekton in the northern GOM respond to environmental variability, informing ecosystem dynamics and pelagic food web structure.

Human-made habitat modifications can create new niches, altering species behavior. We documented the first Octopus insularis brooding in shallow water (11.5 m) in an artificial den, much shallower than their typical depth. Our study highlights how small-scale habitat modifications reshape reproductive dynamics, creating both opportunities and risks for fisheries sustainability.

The “Bojeo a Cuba” expedition (summer 2023) provided a synoptic, national-scale snapshot of oceanographic conditions around Cuba’s shallow coral reefs during a regional marine heatwave. At 66 sites across six regions, we evaluated key climatic stressors (sea surface temperature, pH, alkalinity) and trophic status indicators. Satellite-derived SST during each site’s sampling week revealed significantly warmer waters on the southern shelf (mean = 30.93 °C) than the northern shelf (mean = 29.21 °C, P < 0.01). In situ SST was consistently high (mean = 30.52 °C), documenting the heatwave’s intensity. pH (mean = 8.12) and total alkalinity (mean = 2343 µmol kg⁻¹) indicated a currently balanced carbonate system. Concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus were below our methods’ quantification limits (1.61 µmol L⁻¹ for P-PO₄³⁻), while chlorophyll-a (mean = 0.04 µg L⁻¹) consistently classified waters as oligotrophic. This study establishes a critical summer baseline, confirming oligotrophic conditions while documenting the severity of thermal stress during the 2023 heatwave—the most immediate and uniform threat to Cuban reefs. Our findings underscore the vulnerability of these ecosystems to extreme warming events within the context of long-term Caribbean warming trends.

We studied the relationships between functional traits of Halophila beccarii (shoot density, seed bank density, number of blades, above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, leaf length, leaf width, and petiole length) and environmental factors (pH, salinity, temperature, physical disturbance by humans, and algal coverage) in eight populations along the coast of China. There were statistically significant differences in the functional traits of H . beccarii between tropical and subtropical regions. Traits such as shoot density, seed bank density, and biomass were notably higher in tropical populations, whereas leaf dimensions showed greater variability across regions. Further analysis using a linear mixed-effects model revealed that water temperature and salinity positively influenced shoot density, seed bank density, and biomass. Conversely, salinity negatively impacted traits such as leaf length, leaf width, and petiole length. Additionally, physical disturbance by humans and algal coverage demonstrated statistically significant negative correlations with shoot density and biomass. These findings provide insights into the environmental adaptability and conservation needs of this vulnerable seagrass species.

The last few decades have seen the emergence of coral restoration projects as an alternative to counter the rapid degradation of coral reefs, given the ecological and economic significance of these reefs. Although these projects have successfully increased coral cover with low mortality and high growth rates of the colonies, there has been limited understanding of the health status of the restored colonies and their impact on the marine fauna of the reef. To address this knowledge gap, a study was conducted comparing the physical and physiological traits of natural and restored Pocillopora colonies, along with the diversity and composition of associated reef fishes, five to six years after coral fragments were implanted on a rocky-coral reef in the southern part of the Gulf of California, Mexico. The study revealed that the restored colonies exhibited similar characteristics in terms of morphology and physiology to the natural ones, leading to similar reef fish diversity and composition. The findings suggest that coral restoration programs, employing simple methods such as fragmentation, not only increase coral cover but also provide a suitable habitat for associated marine fauna, allowing for the recovery of the reef community and its functionality.

Climate instability, habitat modification, and serial depletion have precipitated population reductions to ecological and commercially significant species, with burgeoning reintroduction programs aimed at avoiding species level extinction. White abalone ( Haliotis sorenseni ) are a marine invertebrate that have experienced population reductions necessitating listing under the Endangered Species Act and subsequent intervention via reintroductions. Whether reintroductions are subject to immediate, overwhelming predation remains a critical component to the efficacy of species management regimes, yet marine environments can hinder direct observation. To bolster data on the influence of predator dynamics on H . sorenseni reintroductions, this study deployed time-lapse camera (TLC) arrays. Reintroductions occurred at two geographically distinct sites in southern California utilizing two outplant methods and spanning four stocking events from 2019 to 2022, reintroducing over 8000 H . sorenseni . Data (187,288 images) from 32 TLC deployments were analyzed to examine predator behavior, seasonal and diel variations, and effects on abalone mortality. Encounter rates of all predators were low and were not significantly affected by outplant module type. Rather than an immediate response to novel prey items, encounter rates varied by species. Lobster ( Panulirus interruptus ) and abalone were both nocturnal, creating higher risk of predation. However, lobsters were less commonly encountered following their fishing season, and were negatively affected by presence of urchins. Our results highlight the complexity of predation risks and suggest that small, targeted, site-specific adjustments, such as shifting outplanting to follow the fishing season of a predator or placing modules around urchins, may mitigate predation risk without necessitating large-scale changes.

The invasive, white-spotted jellyfish Phyllorhiza punctata is reported from the Dominican Republic for the first time, representing a range expansion in the Caribbean region. A specimen was sighted and photographically documented in Gina’s Bay, Miches on 20 February, 2024. We compiled 222 existing records of P . punctata in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico between 1965 and 2023, revealing a distinct seasonal pattern with most observations occurring from May to October (summer season). The earliest record of P . punctata in the Atlantic dates back to 1940, but sightings became more frequent starting in the 1990s. The introduction and spread of this Indo-Pacific species is attributed to vectors like ballast water discharge, aquarium releases, and oil rig movements. Once established, P . punctata can rapidly proliferate due to its life cycle involving asexually produced medusae. The presence of this invasive jellyfish can potentially impact native species through competition and predation on fish and crustacean larvae, as well as impact fisheries through gear entanglement and pose risks to human activities from stinging incidents. Continuous monitoring and close regional collaboration are needed to evaluate the distribution, abundance, and ecological impacts of this invasive species and, furthermore, to develop appropriate management strategies to mitigate the possible effects of this invader in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean region.

The first offshore and in situ restoration rocky reef in California, the Palos Verdes Reef (PVR), was designed to maximize the secondary production of fishes. The overall project goal was to restore 35.2 ha of sediment impacted or buried rocky reef utilizing 52,729 mt of granitic quarry rock modules distributed strategically with a footprint of 3.2 ha. Module design, modeled after a nearby highly productive natural reef feature, incorporated relief and rock size criteria to theoretically withstand sedimentation and turbidity impacts. In a first for temperate reef ecosystems, reefing modules were placed adjacent to the natural reef. Further design criteria included maximization of ecotonal perimeter and soft-bottom halos increasing niche and resource availability. Postconstruction, we documented the relocation of resident reef fishes from surrounding reefs to the newly created habitat. From 2021 to 2023 for reef associated fishes, standing biomass and secondary annual production increased across all modules: total fish biomass increased from 223 to 3286 kg (1372%) and production increased 59 to 690 kg yr‐1 (1062%). Halo biomass density increased; from 6.9 to 22.5 g m‐2 and production density from 1.8 to 6.0 g m‐2 yr‐1. Due to their relatively large area, overall halo production was nearly equivalent to module production. Over the entire restoration site, fish biomass increased 96% and production increased 93%, demonstrating its carrying and productive capacity was almost doubled during the initial three‐year period postconstruction PVR modules. These metrics of strong success occurred while the system is still developing, despite declining biomass and production at reference sites.