The present study reports the first confirmed occurrence of the poecilostomatoid copepod Hemicyclops tanakai in the Vellar estuary, southeast coast of India. Previously known only from Japan and Korea, H. tanakai is a burrow-dwelling symbiotic copepod associated with decapod burrows in sediment-rich estuarine habitats. Zooplankton samples were collected using a 158 µm mesh net, and nauplii were cultured to adulthood under laboratory conditions. Adults were examined with standard taxonomic keys, and diagnostic features such as appendage segmentation and genital somite structure validated their identity with the original description. The Indian population displayed reversed sexual size dimorphism, with females larger than males, differing from earlier reports. Molecular confirmation was obtained by sequencing the 18S rDNA gene (GenBank Accession: PQ845087.1), which showed 99.53% similarity to reference H. tanakai sequences. Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis revealed close affinity with other Hemicyclops species and clausidiid relatives. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis of partial 18S rDNA sequences placed the Vellar specimen within the H. tanakai clade with strong bootstrap support (99%), corroborating morphological identification. This record extends the known distribution of H. tanakai to the tropical Indian subcontinent and suggests possible range expansion via coastal currents or anthropogenic vectors such as ballast water. The finding adds to Indo-Pacific copepod biogeography and underscores the value of integrative taxonomy for reliable identification. It also highlights the need for continued biodiversity monitoring of Indian estuaries, which face mounting pressures from anthropogenic activity and climate change.

A 23-foot cutter lies adjacent to the wreck of HMS Terror (Franklin Expedition, 1845–1848). Historical accounts of the 28-foot boat found in 1859 at site NgLj-3 in Erebus Bay (“Boat Place”) describe extensive field modification, including lightened upperworks, an altered rail arrangement, and a 9-inch weather-cloth supported by iron stanchions that also served as thowells. This paper uses reproducible image-processing methods to test whether the cutter preserves visible features consistent and convergent with elements of the NgLj-3 modification suite. Using still imagery, contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalisation, colour-index segmentation, and gradient-based seam detection, we assess three markers: anomalous rail height relative to the stemhead, preferential loss of upper planking, and a rail-mounted upright compatible with a stanchion. The imagery shows a pronounced mismatch between rail height and stemhead elevation relative to Admiralty cutter plans. A sub-gunwale void consistent with missing upperworks, which is notably similar to the strake replacement described, and a small upright feature of approximately the same order of magnitude as the reported weather-cloth height. These observations are suggestive rather than diagnostic, but taken together, they support a hypothesis that the Terror cutter may preserve traces of field modification comparable to those described at NgLj-3.

Marine conservation in the subtropical North-East Atlantic requires a precise understanding of the distribution of its endemic species, particularly within under-explored ecosystems. Avrainvillea canariensis, an endemic Macaronesian green macroalga, listed in the Canary Islands catalogue of protected species, has long been considered rare, occurring as solitary individuals associated with algal assemblages or seagrass beds. Here, we document a mesophotic habitat not previously reported from the Canary Islands, consisting of extensive and dense meadows formed exclusively by A. canariensis off the island of El Hierro. Our observations extend the species’ known distribution, establishing a new southernmost limit within the Macaronesian region. Algal meadows were detected using stereo Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems, occurred at 40–45 m depth, and reached a maximum density of up to 100 individuals/m2. These meadows may form complex habitats, as they seem to be actively utilized by a variety of marine fauna, including emblematic species and fish of economic importance. This study provides the first quantitative description of persistent populations of A. canariensis in the archipelago and highlights the need for systematic mapping of mesophotic zones to accurately determine the distribution and ecological roles of endemic habitat forming species.

Since 1859, attempts to resolve the question of the identity of a sailor from the 1845 Franklin expedition whose body was found that year on the south shore of King William Island have been complicated by contradictory evidence found with the skeleton. Documents found with the body implied the man was Harry Peglar, Captain of the Foretop, but the clothing indicated the man held a domestic rating, a steward or officer’s servant. This paper examines the question of the sailor’s identity through a review of the investigative framework of past attempts to ascertain the man’s identity. It then presents results of comparative DNA analyses conducted on the skeleton and on samples provided by descendants of Harry Peglar and six of the eight stewards. Comparison of DNA profiles obtained from the skeleton with those of descendants of the stewards yielded no matches, but comparison of the mtDNA profile obtained from the skeleton with a presumed descendant of Harry Peglar yielded a match with a genetic distance of 0. We conclude that the DNA and genealogical evidence confirm that the identity of the sailor whose skeleton was discovered in 1859 was that of Henry Peter (“Harry”) Peglar, Captain of the Foretop, HMS Terror.

During 1864–1869, Charles Hall led an expedition seeking answers to what happened to the 1845 Northwest Passage Expedition of Sir John Franklin. Hall recovered relics from the expedition and their history from the Inuit. This analysis correlates Hall’s records with the relics now housed at the Smithsonian Institution and those that Hall gave to others. Forty-six of the 83 relics catalogued in Hall’s “Part of List Sir John Franklin Relics” notebook were identified. Many of these were correlated with a 1869 contemporary illustration appearing in Harper’s Weekly magazine. We learn that the collection likely represented what was of value to the Inuit as Hall traded for the majority of the relics. Among these, Hall gave away nearly all relics connected to individuals participating in the Franklin Expedition, except for some cutlery belonging to Sir John Franklin. Hall’s efforts provided the first evidence of materials scavenged from the expedition ships themselves. It remains unclear why Hall donated as many relics as he did to the Smithsonian for similar materials were used for fundraising in the past. This suggests he did not plan to return to the Arctic to seek the Franklin Expedition or he had additional relics not yet located.

The Bermudan Archipelago supports a high-latitude subtropical coral reef ecosystem ∼1500 km from the nearest major reef system in the Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA) and Greater Caribbean. Although isolated, Bermuda has low rates of marine endemism due to regular long-distance dispersal from the TWA via the Gulf Stream Current. Nevertheless, Bermuda’s coral reef biodiversity is a reduced subset of that in the Greater Caribbean, indicating that its isolation does limit some species from dispersing or establishing persistent populations. The Alpheus armatus Rathbun, 1901 species complex is a clade of five pistol snapping shrimp species that form obligate symbioses with sea anemones from the TWA and Greater Caribbean. Although their host anemones are abundant, no members of this complex are known from Bermuda. We provide the first report of the A. armatus species complex from Bermudan coral reefs. Using molecular approaches, we identified our observed individual as Alpheus immaculatus Knowlton and Keller, 1983. Phylogenetic and species delimitation analyses indicate that our A. immaculatus sample from Bermuda does not represent a cryptic lineage nor genetically differentiated population. Instead, we interpret this species to have arrived recently as a chance long-distance dispersal event. No other A. immaculatus individuals were observed, suggesting this species has not been able to establish a long-term population in Bermuda.

Many species of hermit crabs, such as Calcinus and Clibanarius spp., live on rocky shores in tropical and warm temperate regions. During low tide, some of these species climb out of tidal pools onto exposed rock surfaces with their shell-aperture directed upwards. However, the adaptive significance of the ‘air-exposure (AE) behaviour’ was only previously investigated in several Clibanarius species; this behaviour is hypothesised to prevent competition for shells in tide pools during low tide. Considering the lack of knowledge of Calcinus species, understanding their significance is necessary to elucidate the ecological or evolutionary and general adaptive significance of AE behaviour in hermit crabs. The AE behaviour of Ca. laevimanus, which is the dominant species in sub-tropical and tropical rocky shores, was investigated on the rocky shores of Naze, Amami, Kagoshima, Japan. The generalised linear model indicated a significant positive effect of the gastropod shell length on the occurrences of this AE behaviour. Therefore, the current result indicates that individuals with larger gastropod shells, which offer them the potential to grow to larger sizes, more frequently engage in AE behaviour during low tides. The present result supports the previous hypothesis but suggests that external factor (i.e. shell size)-dependent AE behaviour has evolved in Calcinus species, which differs from the internal factor (i.e. body size or sex)-dependent AE behaviour in Clibanarius species.