The Neptune Islands Group and Western Kangaroo Island Marine Parks were declared as part of South Australia’s representative system of Marine protected areas (MPAs) in 2009. Sanctuary zones, located within these MPAs, prohibited commercial fishing in the state’s Northern Zone Rock Lobster Fishery from 2014. In 2022, dedicated surveys were undertaken both inside and outside two of the sanctuary zones to estimate the relative abundance (catch per unit effort; CPUE) and size of southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii). Survey results were then compared to estimates of abundance obtained from long-term commercial fishery-dependent data within each area. The legal-size CPUE by weight of lobsters was 389% and 411% higher inside sanctuary zones of the Neptune Islands Group and Western Kangaroo Island, respectively, compared to outside, based on survey data. Survey catch rates inside the two sanctuary zones were also considerably higher than historical catch rates estimated from commercial fishing data. Lobsters inside both sanctuary zones were larger than those outside in terms of mean weight compared to historical estimates. However, surveys recorded similar mean size in lobsters both inside and outside the Neptune Islands Group sanctuary zone, indicating a possible spillover effect of MPA protection. The Northern Zone Rock Lobster Fishery is currently in a biomass rebuilding phase. The results highlight the productivity potential of temperate reef ecosystems within South Australia in terms of southern rock lobster abundances.

Hydrothermal vents are known to host unique faunal assemblages supported by chemosynthetic production; however, the fauna associated with inactive sulphide ecosystems remain largely uncharacterised across the global seafloor. In November 2023, a six-rayed starfish was collected from the Semenov hydrothermal field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. A combination of morphological and molecular methods has confirmed the identity of this species as Paulasterias mcclaini Mah et al. 2015 (Forcipulatida: Paulasteriidae), providing the first validated record of this family in the Atlantic Ocean. We present an updated morphological description of the species, alongside phylogenetic analysis of the COI, 16S, 12S, and H3 genetic markers. The biogeography of the family is discussed, and previously published records amended.

Bowmouth guitarfish (Rhina ancylostoma) is typically described in the literature as a coastal ray species that inhabits nearshore waters up to 70 m deep on the continental shelf, dwelling on or near the seafloor, primarily over sandy or muddy substrates and around coral reefs. However, the scientific monitoring programme aboard the Spanish and Seychellois tropical tuna purse seine fleets has documented 37 incidental captures of this species in open waters of the Indian Ocean, through onboard observers and electronic monitoring systems. All these captures occurred within the first 200 m of the water column, at locations where the maximum depth exceeded 2000 m. The study was conducted based on at-sea observations onboard the Spanish and Seychellois tropical tuna purse seine fleets operating in the Indian Ocean from 2017 to 2023. The observation coverage varied throughout this time-series, with more than 85% of fishing activity monitored since 2017. The interactions recorded were predominantly between January and May, and more frequent in the years 2018 and 2021. The captured individuals ranged from 150 to 250 cm in total length, with females recorded more frequently than males. These observations provide valuable insights into the large-scale movements of this neritic species beyond its typical coastal and inshore habitats in the Indian Ocean.