Understanding how demographic dynamics interact with environmental heterogeneity is central to explaining patterns of genomic variation in the marine realm. Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) occur along most of the Australian coastline, from tropical to temperate waters, encompassing pronounced differences in temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a concentration and ocean currents. Using whole-genome sequencing of individuals covering this range, we examined population genetic structure and adaptive divergence at a continental scale. Genome-wide variation mirrored geographic patterns, consistent with a common origin in the north, followed by two independent stepping-stone-like colonization patterns along the eastern and the western coastlines from north to south. In contrast, putatively adaptive loci clustered individuals by tropical waters regardless of geographic distance, indicating strong parallel adaptation in tropical habitats. Candidate loci were enriched for functions related to metabolism and ion transport, with some mapping to genes with regulatory functions. Additional signals potentially suggest involvement of neuronal pathways, consistent with adaptation in a highly social and cognitively advanced marine mammal. Our results highlight the complex interplay between demographic history and selection and suggest tropical-temperate, potentially ecotype-like differentiation across Australian waters. In the face of accelerating climate change, recognizing such adaptive structuring is critical for preserving evolutionary potential. Incorporating adaptive genomic information into conservation planning, alongside neutral genetic data, will be essential for anticipating population responses to future environmental change and for identifying biologically meaningful conservation units.

Chondrichthyans (sharks, rays and chimaeras) are increasingly understood to be an important part of ocean ecosystems, but their ecological role is unclear. Callorhinchus milii (elephant fish) is a chimaera species endemic to Aotearoa/New Zealand and southern Australian waters. Its trophic ecology is poorly defined, despite its commercial and recreational importance across much of its range. This study used stomach content analysis to generate a more comprehensive understanding of the diet of C. milii, and to identify biological and/or environmental predictors that may explain any variation in diet. Crustaceans, in particular pagurids and brachyurans, such as Lophopagurus spp. and leucosiid crabs, were the most important prey type (56% index of relative importance, IRI), followed by molluscs (30% IRI). The single most important prey type was leucosiid crabs, which occurred in nearly half of all digestive tracts and had a %IRI of 26%. Depth was found to be the greatest predictor of variation in C. milii diet, with samples taken from greater depths containing more bivalve molluscs and polychaetes, and those from shallower depths containing more gastropod molluscs and brachyuran crabs. These findings were consistent with studies of other shallow water callorhinchids and deep-water chimaeras around the world. While C. milii have been identified as at risk from climate change, the findings of this study suggest a flexible, generalist diet that may provide some resilience to environmental change caused by anthropogenic impacts.

ABSTRACT Technology Development, Engineering and Prototyping (TDEP) is a cornerstone for healthy economies and prosperous nations. Australia has not invested sufficiently in technology research and development over the last decade, leading to concerning trends in economic indicators such as economic complexity. While Australia is world-leading in research outputs, these are not translating to the commercialisation of new products and services at a rate commensurate with other developed economies. Australia is a marine nation with a world-leading marine science industry. Without focusing efforts on the underpinning technology and tools supporting this industry, our nation’s ability to keep pace with marine science needs will diminish. Australia will continue to be consumers of new technologies and tools rather than developers and exporters of such systems. Observations in Australian waters remain extremely sparse and increasingly lag behind global marine observing trends. As such, progressing the understanding and management of Australia’s marine environment and the science that underpins its management is increasingly dependent on the progress of technologies that enable marine observations. Investment in engineering, prototyping and technology development within Australia is an important step towards supporting and growing domestic and regional observations.

The first confirmed observations of wild spawning behaviour in the tropical Gulf Damselfish Pristotis obtusirostris were recorded within the temperate Port Stephens estuary, south-eastern Australia. In 2025, large aggregations occurred at two sites, with males guarding adhesive eggs within defined nesting areas containing densities of up to 1.1 nests per m2 and dozens of nests per site. During nesting, males displayed reproductive behaviours including colour darkening, nest tending and egg aeration. These findings demonstrate successful reproduction well beyond the species' typical range and highlight accelerating tropicalisation within temperate reef fish communities.

We review previous reports of Prionospio from coastal waters of India and Sri Lanka. Of the eight species reported to date, only two—Prionospio krusadensis Fauvel, 1929 and Prionospio polybranchiata Fauvel, 1929, both originally described from the Gulf of Mannar—appear to represent correct identifications. Records of other species, originally described from distant localities, are likely misidentifications and require verification in future studies. Our investigation is based exclusively on intertidal and shallow-water samples collected from southern and southwestern Sri Lanka. We redescribe Prionospio krusadensis and describe Prionospio desilvai sp. nov. based on new material. Specimens of the latter species were misidentified by previous authors as the Arctic Prionospio cirrifera Wirén, 1883. Adults of P. desilvai sp. nov. are characterized by a combination of features that, while individually shared with other species, is unique to this taxon: two pairs of small red eyes; chaetiger 1 with notochaetae; up to 13 pairs of apinnate branchiae, each up to two times longer than the notopodial lamellae; sabre chaetae in neuropodia invariably from chaetiger 10; multidentate hooded hooks in notopodia from chaetigers 15−37 and in neuropodia from chaetigers 10−17; and the absence of dorsal crests and lateral pouches. This study represents the first comprehensive morphological and taxonomic treatment of Prionospio species from coastal waters of India and Sri Lanka since the foundational publications of Fauvel (1928, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1953) and de Silva (1965a, b). It also addresses ambiguities in the taxonomy of certain Prionospio species from Australian waters, highlighting the need for continued revisionary work on this challenging group.

While our ability to capture seafloor imagery has expanded dramatically, extracting information remains a major bottleneck, as annotation is still largely manual, time-consuming, and costly. Machine Learning (ML) classifiers offer a promising solution, but they often lack generalisation as they are typically trained on small, homogeneous datasets from selected campaigns. Here, we address this challenge by leveraging the Squidle+ platform to assemble a heterogeneous dataset of 1.7 million annotations across 150,000 images from 325 expeditions in Australian waters. To effectively train models on this scale, we introduce a novel dataset distribution strategy, the neighbour-distribution, and implement adaptive cropping to account for varying image resolutions. To assess performance at a national scale, we excluded entire campaigns from training and used them as independent test sets, allowing evaluation on complete transects, in addition to composed datasets. Using this flexible training pipeline, we combined diverse annotation schemes into three high-level Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs): Seagrass, Canopy-Forming Macroalgae, and Hard Coral cover and one species-specific label, Ecklonia radiata. This represents the first use of such a large and diverse dataset for training an ML classifier of Ecklonia radiata. The resulting models achieved test accuracies of 85%-93% for the EOVs and 96.5% for Ecklonia radiata on campaign test sets spanning Australia's coastline, demonstrating robust performance at a national scale. To enhance accessibility, both the code and trained models are made publicly available and directly integrated into Squidle+, lowering the barrier for their use in ecological monitoring programs.

ABSTRACT Understanding population demographics is crucial for the effective conservation of species. This is particularly important for apex predators, such as the killer whale ( Orcinus orca ), which play important roles in maintaining the structure and function of ecosystems. In this study, we used capture‐mark‐recapture (CMR) modeling to assess killer whale demographics at two distinct aggregation sites in Western Australia: the Ningaloo Reef (NW) and Bremer Sub‐basin (SW). Using 12 years of photo‐identification (photo‐ID) data from the NW and 6 years from the SW, we applied open population models (POPAN and Cormack–Jolly–Seber) to estimate the abundance ( N total ), apparent survival ( Phi ), capture probability ( p ), and probability of entry ( pent ) of killer whales inhabiting these key areas. Abundance estimates in the NW, which combined females, males, and individuals of unknown sex ( N total = 47 ± 2, 95% CI = 43–52), revealed a small, well‐marked, and frequently resighted population with high apparent survival ( Phi female = 0.98 ± 0.016, 95% CI = 0.91–0.99; Phi male = 0.88 ± 0.060, 95% CI = 0.71–0.96; Phi unknown = 0.82 ± 0.064, 95% CI = 0.66–0.92). In contrast, abundance estimates in the SW, which separated sexed adults ( N total = 102 ± 7, 95% CI = 88–117) from the unknown sex group, suggested a much larger and more transient population with variable apparent survival ( Phi female = 0.98 ± 0.001, 95% CI = 0.97–0.98; Phi male = 0.82 ± 0.012, 95% CI = 0.79–0.84; Phi unknown(T) = 0.65 ± 0.177, 95% CI = 0.29–0.90; Phi unknown(R) = 0.84 ± 0.185, 95% CI = 0.26–0.99). Variation in population demography between the two study areas likely reflects divergent ecological and evolutionary histories shaped by both genetic and environmental factors. Additionally, differences in habitat accessibility, individual distinctiveness, and sampling design may have influenced detectability and model outcomes. These results provide vital baseline demographic data for killer whales in Australian waters and highlight the need for standardized long‐term monitoring to inform conservation management strategies.

ABSTRACT Research over the last decade has substantially increased the knowledge of the cirrate octopod (Octopoda: Cirrata) fauna from waters around Australia, but this has relied upon historically collected specimens. In recent years footage of cirrate octopods from Australian waters has become increasingly available, with the increased taxonomic resolution of the group allowing such footage to be better assessed. Herein, a total of ten observations of live cirrates collected using remotely operated vehicles and towed cameras from around Australia over 2016–2022 are examined and allocated to species, genus or family level, including two species of Inopinoteuthis (Cirroteuthidae), three Grimpoteuthis species (Grimpoteuthidae) and one Insigniteuthis species (Opisthoteuthidae). Behaviours and morphology are remarked on for each individual and novel behaviours and morphological features are also reported, including a pelagic cirroteuthid tightly coiling and contracting its arms within its webbing while fin swimming, and pigmented rows of spot-like markings in Grimpoteuthis spp. distinct from the ‘areolar spots’ recorded in Opisthoteuthidae.

Beaked whales are elusive deep-diving odontocetes, and their distribution and foraging ecology remain poorly documented in Australian waters. This study presents a passive acoustic monitoring (PAM)-based assessment of beaked whale foraging activity along Australia's Northwest Shelf-a continental shelf region with features typically conducive to beaked whale sustenance. The area is also of economic significance due to ongoing offshore oil and gas production, commercial fishing, and commercial shipping, raising concerns about potential impacts on these deep-diving cetaceans. This study collected year-long underwater acoustic datasets from three deep-water sites in the region. Using a semi-automated workflow based on correlogram visualizations, the study identified beaked whale foraging buzzes-short, rapid echolocation click trains associated with prey capture attempts. Analyses revealed year-round foraging activity, with significantly higher levels at night, but no strong spatial or seasonal variations across the study area. These findings suggest persistent use of the region by beaked whales despite offshore industry presence, underscoring the ecological significance of these deep-water habitats. This study highlights the value of PAM, combined with efficient analytical approaches, for monitoring cryptic species in data-limited, industrialized marine environments.

Widespread marine heatwaves (MHWs) affected Australia over the 2024/25 summer and autumn. They impacted marine species, ecosystems, and coastal communities, with emerging economic consequences. Across northern Australia, severe coral bleaching occurred for the first time along both the western and eastern coasts, and a mass fish kill occurred in Western Australia. In South Australia, prolonged MHW conditions and impacts from an extensive harmful algal bloom of the dinoflagellate Karenia included extensive fish kills, human health effects, losses for ocean-dependent industries, and currently unquantified effects on the broader marine ecosystem. In Tasmania, a range of impacts were linked to warm water, including blooms of salps, Noctiluca, and jellyfish. In New South Wales, a fish mortality event linked to thermal shock generated considerable community concern and media coverage. Trial seasonal forecasts available several months ahead of MHW emergence, combined with national marine climate briefings, helped prepare industry, researchers, and governments for possible impacts. This resulted in increased awareness and development of regional and industry MHW response plans with proactive strategies at both short and long timescales.

A new species of polychaete worm, Melinnopsis nathanieli sp. nov. (Annelida, Melinnidae), is described from the Porcupine Abyssal Plain in the northeast Atlantic at ~4850 m depth. Forty-two specimens were collected during RRS James Cook cruises JC247 and JC263 in 2023 and 2024 respectively. The new species is morphologically similar to Melinnopsis gardelli and Melinnopsis chadwicki, described from deep Australian waters, but differs from these species in having fewer (~ 16) abdominal uncini in a row compared with 30 in both M. gardelli and M. chadwicki. Phylogenetic relationships among the new species and other species in the family Melinnidae were assessed using the nuclear 18S, and the mitochondrial 16S and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene fragments. The new species is genetically distinct from all other species of Melinnopsis, where molecular data is available, and genetically most similar to M. gardelli (pairwise distance 3.5%). Tubes of M. nathanieli sp. nov. were observed to act as a biogenic substrate for Actiniaria and Ascidiacea. Seafloor images of Melinnopsis nathanieli sp. inc. at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain show the worm's tube positioned perpendicular to the sediment surface, and the long buccal tentacle protruding from the tube. A table containing key characters of all known Melinnopsis species is presented. This is the first species of Melinnopsis to be described from the northeast Atlantic.

This study names two new species of Amoria J. E. Gray, 1855 (Neogastropoda: Volutidae) from Indonesia, namely Amoria peregrina n. sp. and Amoria compressa n. sp. Both taxa exhibit characters, or combinations thereof, that differentiate them from each other as well as their congeners. These are the first species of the genus to be named whose distributions appear to exist entirely outside of Australian waters.

Eleven species of Hatschekia are recorded from the marine actinopterygian fishes of Moreton Bay, Queensland. Three of these are new to science: H. amyemmarum sp. nov. from Arothron hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Arothron nigropunctatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), H. cribbi sp. nov. from Abudefduf bengalensis (Bloch, 1787), and H. cutmorei sp. nov. from Glaucosoma scapulare Ramsay, 1881. Of these three species, only H. cribbi sp. nov. is known from both sexes. Another seven species are new to Australia: H. aigoi Izawa, 2016 from Siganus fuscescens (Houttuyn, 1782), H. bifurcata Yamaguti & Yamasu, 1959 from Diploprion bifasciatum Cuvier, 1828, H. cernae Goggio, 1905 from Epinephelus coioides (Hamilton, 1822), H. geniculata Uyeno & Nagasawa, 2013 from Arothron nigropunctatus (a new host record), H. pholas (Wilson, 1906) from Arothron stellatus (Anonymous, 1798), H. quadrata Hewitt, 1969 from Tragulichthys jaculiferus (Cuvier, 1818) and Dicotylichthys punctulatus Kaup, 1885 (the latter being a new host record), and H. shari Uyeno & Ali, 2013 from Lethrinus nebulosus (Forsskål, 1775) and L. laticaudis Alleyne & MacLeay, 1877 in Moreton Bay (with the latter being a new host record). This species also occurred on L. nebulosus in New Caledonia. In addition, H. difficilis Kabata, 1991 is reported for the second time from its type host, Scarus ghobban Forsskål, 1775. Males are described for the first time for H. quadrata and H. pholas, and the importance of the males in taxonomy and in analysing relationships is discussed. Hatschekia flatti Uma Devi & Shyamasundari, 1980 is recognised as a junior subjective synonym of the distinctive H. cernae.

ABSTRACT Skin lesions are valuable indicators of individual and population health in cetaceans. To understand the occurrence of skin and mucosal lesions among dolphins inhabiting South Australian waters, this study employs opportunistic sampling of deceased dolphins during 2021–2024. A total of 52 dolphins, comprising 23 Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops aduncus ) and 29 common dolphins ( Delphinus delphis ), underwent thorough macroscopic, microscopic, and ancillary diagnostics of identified lesions. Thirty‐three individuals displayed 115 skin and 12 mucosal lesions. The most common skin lesion sites were the head (23%–34%), peduncle (25%–26%), and lateral surfaces (17%–19%). A negative association was found between body condition and the number of infectious skin lesions in T. aduncus . Tattoo Skin Disease was identified in 13% of D. delphis skin lesions and 29% of T. aduncus skin lesions. Additional etiologies of skin lesions included bacteria (including Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae , Mycobacterium marinum , Vibrio spp.), protozoa, physiological, and trauma‐related (propeller strike and shark bite). Opportunistic bacterial ulcerative dermatitis occurred predominantly in dolphins from the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. Novel findings include the identification of herpesvirus in oral/genital papillomas, cutaneous lesions from an erysipelas‐infected animal, and M. marinum skin abscessation, not previously reported in free‐ranging Australian cetaceans. This study complements live‐animal observational studies and provides diagnostic insight into dolphin skin lesions, supporting their use as population and ecosystem health indicators.

Despite centuries of exploration, marine invertebrate biodiversity remains notably under-described. The majority of species in major marine groups are still unnamed, limiting our ability to understand and conserve ecosystems facing rapid environmental change. The rate of species discovery continues to outpace the formal process of species description. This gap creates an urgent need for streamlined, scalable approaches to taxonomy. The SENCKENBERG OCEAN SPECIES ALLIANCE was founded to help meet this challenge by facilitating global collaboration, offering technical support for species documentation and promoting efficient taxonomic publishing. Within this framework, Ocean Species Discoveries provides a forum for concise, but data-rich descriptions of marine invertebrate taxa. This second collection presents a diverse set of taxonomic contributions, based on recent and historical collections, including newly-described species and a re-description of a previously poorly-known taxon. The integrative documentation of the taxa treated herein was facilitated by the newly-established Discovery Laboratory at the Senckenberg Research Institute, the first service unit dedicated to supporting alpha taxonomists. This article presents 14 new species and one re-description, two new genera, with taxa spanning three phyla. Newly-described taxa comprise two polychaete annelids: Nicon salinus Hernández-Alcántara & Dávila-Jiménez, sp. nov. and Spinther bohnorum Tilic & Rouse, sp. nov. Molluscs span four classes, with three polyplacophorans: Craspedochiton zefranki Vončina, sp. nov., Ferreiraella charazata Sigwart, sp. nov. and a new genus with type species Pycnodontochiton sinensis Sirenko, Zhang & Sigwart, gen. et sp. nov. and Pycnodontochiton tenuidontus (Saito and Okutani, 1990), comb. nov. The new monoplacophoran Veleropilina gretchenae Sigwart & Steger, sp. nov. is one of the first species of this class with a high-quality genome, published from the specimen that is now the holotype. The scaphopod Laevidentalium wiesei Sahlmann, 2012 represents a re-description and range extension and the bivalve Myonera aleutiana Machado & Sigwart, sp. nov. is the second bivalve including an anatomical description with non-invasive methods using micro-CT. Amongst crustaceans, there are two new amphipod species: Apotectonia senckenbergae Momtazi & Riehl, sp. nov. and Metharpinia hirsuta Souza-Filho & Andrade, sp. nov. Three isopod species were described, including the parasitic species Zeaione everta Boyko & Williams, sp. nov. that is the only species in the new genus Zeaione Boyko & Williams, gen. nov. and two free-living isopods: Haploniscus bulbosus Henseler, Knauber & Riehl, sp. nov. and Macrostylis peteri Riehl, sp. nov. Finally, there are two new tanaidaceans: Hoplopolemius olo Jóźwiak & Stępień, sp. nov. and Nesotanais thalassinus Stępień, sp. nov.The data used for the description of ten of the species and one of the new genera treated herein were wholly or partially obtained at the SOSA Discovery Laboratory using integrative methods including light and electron microscopy, confocal imaging, molecular barcoding and micro-CT scanning. Additional novel findings include the first record of the family Macrostylidae and the genus Macrostylis G. O. Sars, 1864 from Australian waters (Macrostylis peteri, sp. nov.) and novel host associations: Ferreiraella charazata, sp. nov. is documented with epibiotic tubeworms on its tail valves that are typical of this genus and the decapod Eucalliaxiopsis aequimana (Baker, 1907) is newly recorded as a host for bopyrid isopods, representing the first such record for the family Eucalliacidae.

Nine species of Parasesarma are currently recorded from continental Australian mangroves. The present study describes a new species, P. otiense sp. nov., from Western Australia. Parasesarma otiense sp. nov. occurs sympatrically with P. hartogi and P. holthuisi in the mangroves of Exmouth Gulf. In both COX1 and 16SBI trees, the new species is well nested within Parasesarma, but divergent from other species. Morphologically, the new species is distinct from other Parasesarma in having eight asymmetric tubercles with the distal slope longer than the proximal slope on the upper surface of the cheliped dactylus. Parasesarma otiense is the tenth species of Parasesarma recorded from continental Australia, taking the number of species assigned to the genus Parasesarma to 59. A key to the species of Parasesarma known from Australian waters is provided to aid in their identification.

Abstract The root causes of illegal fishing internationally are numerous and diverse, but is predominantly framed in the literature and media as a security threat and/or crime. This casts illegal fishers as rational decision-makers who perceive the benefits of engaging in unlawful fishing as likely to outweigh the perceived risks and costs. However, a growing scholarship indicates that fisher decision-making is likely to be much more nuanced and be motivated by much more specific ‘illegal fishing drivers’. These actor-based drivers are enabled by the broader social, economic and political contexts in the environment where people live and work. This has led to the emergence of new conceptualizations of illegal fishing, for example, as a ‘wicked problem’, and/or as a product of opportunity rather than underlying motivation. In this paper, we share the results of a collaborative Australian–Indonesian research study into the multiple drivers of the high levels of illegal Indonesian small-scale (including artisanal) transboundary fishing in northern Australian waters since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We use a conceptual framework of non-compliance that captures a dynamic interplay of behavioral drivers that appear to facilitate the recent spike in illegal Indonesian small-scale fishing in the Australian Fishing Zone. Drawing on mixed methods research conducted in four communities of Nusa Tenggara Timur Province, Indonesia, we identify seven behavioral driver categories: economic and livelihood; COVID-19 related; psychological; environmental; cultural and historical; social; and policy and management. These drivers and their 28 dimensions reveal some of the contextual enablers that appear to underpin Indonesian small-scale transboundary fishing. These findings help our understanding of the resurgence of illicit fishing incursions and support identifying long-term solutions for viable community development and policy alternatives for enforcing Australia’s borders. Our study contributes more broadly to the study of non-compliance in small-scale transboundary fishing and small-scale fishing livelihoods.

Abstract Climate change manifests in the ocean as chronic stressors, including warming, acidification and deoxygenation, and as acute stressors such as marine heatwaves. While marine protected areas (MPAs) are often designed to mitigate local stressors such as fishing and mining, their design seldom considers climate change. Using the Australian marine estate as a case study, we use projections from 11 CMIP6 Earth System Models to assess the climate exposure of Australian waters, and implications for the MPA network. We find that, under scenarios that exceed 1.8°C of global surface warming this century, ocean climate is projected to surpass recent variability (1995–2014) from mid‐century. This results in the disappearance of climate analogs—where future ocean conditions remain within recent variability—and of climate refugia—regions with slowest rates of environmental change, most likely to retain biodiversity—by 2040. Australian MPAs and unprotected areas exhibit similar patterns of exposure to warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and marine heatwaves, suggesting that MPA placement with respect to future climate is no better than random. Despite potential re‐emergence of climate refugia after 2060 under lower‐emissions scenarios, continued emissions under current Nationally Determined Contributions (SSP2–4.5) risk ecosystem collapse from chronic and acute thermal stress across protected and unprotected waters. While cutting emissions can partially cap or delay climate impacts, even under lower‐emissions scenarios, effective conservation requires adaptive strategies that protect biodiversity in place and on the move.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is an emerging public health and biosecurity concern in Australia, with recent human cases and detections in mosquitoes and pigs across multiple states highlighting the risk to susceptible human and animal populations. While traditional surveillance methods such as mosquito trapping, sentinel chicken programs, and direct testing of pig specimens remain essential, monitoring effluents offers a valuable complementary approach for detecting infections within livestock herds. This study presents the first evidence of JEV in Australian piggery effluents and environmental waters, demonstrating the feasibility of effluent and environmental water surveillance for JEV monitoring. Effluent and environmental samples from multiple piggery sites were analyzed using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, revealing the presence of JEV genetic fragments in solid and liquid fractions of effluents at three farms, with corresponding veterinary cases in some herds. Viral RNA was detected more frequently in the solid fraction of effluent samples, aligning with previous findings on the partitioning behavior of mosquito-borne viruses. The detection of JEV in environmental water from an excavated area highlights the potential for transmission via mosquito vectors. These findings demonstrate the value of effluent monitoring as an additional tool for JEV surveillance in piggery settings, supporting potential early warning systems and mitigation strategies. Integrating effluent-based monitoring with traditional surveillance approaches could improve livestock-industry-related disease detection, risk assessments, and response efforts for human and animal health in both endemic regions and areas where livestock diseases are emerging. Wastewater and effluent surveillance may have important applications for the management of a wide range of emerging animal diseases.IMPORTANCEThis study presents the first evidence of JEV detection in Australian piggery effluents, establishing effluent surveillance as a valuable complementary tool for monitoring viral pathogens in animal herds. Our findings support the integration of effluent monitoring with traditional surveillance systems to improve early warning capabilities, enhance biosecurity, and mitigate risks to both human and animal health.

Context The spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna) is a medium-sized, coastal species distributed across the warm waters of all ocean basins. Knowledge of this species’ reproductive biology is limited to general parameters such as reproductive mode and average litter sizes, and very little is known about their reproductive strategy. Aims Here, we provide an assessment of multiple paternity, using single nucleotide polymorphisms. Methods DNA was extracted from 2 gravid females and the 18 pups between their 2 litters captured off the Australian eastern coast. Sibship analyses were conducted to assess multiple paternity. Key results For the first time globally, multiple paternity was confirmed in this species in both litters examined. Conclusions This study confirms that C. brevipinna employs some degree of polyandry as part of its mating system. Implications This research contributes to the growing number of studies regarding multiple paternity in elasmobranchs and provides new information on the reproductive biology of this species.