Governments must report on the conservation status of species designated as protected. We assessed changes in the Near Threatened Eurasian otter Lutra lutra population throughout Ireland (the whole island) from the 1980s to the 2020s using four National Otter Surveys (6,060 sites surveyed) and citizen science data (10,980 records). In 2023–2024, otters were recorded at 65% (95% CI 62–68%) of sites in the Republic of Ireland and 66% (95% CI 58–74%) of sites in Northern Ireland. Rivers, lakes and coasts were included in the surveys. Long-term trends in the population estimate indicate a decline of 24−27% (or 3−18% after correction for negative methodological biases). Short-term trends indicated changes of −7% to +2% in the Republic of Ireland and −26% to −27% in Northern Ireland. Otters remain widespread, having been recorded in 95% of hectads (10 × 10 km squares), with no range reduction. They prefer wide, fast-flowing rivers with rocky substrates, unmaintained banks, and riparian woodlands (trees and shrubs), and are positively associated with angling (probably because of salmonid prey) but negatively with peatlands. Eleven pressures were identified, notably site disturbance, including agricultural pollution, siltation and water abstraction, which increased over time. No single pressure threatens otters nationally, but cumulative effects on water quality and ecosystems likely contributed to the decline. Future research should account for potential negative methodological biases, disaggregating detection from occupancy probability to capture the magnitude of any change more accurately, and future surveys should adopt techniques less vulnerable to biases (e.g. environmental DNA detection in water samples).

Specimens from the Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales collections, collected from the northeast Atlantic and identified as either Terebellides stroemii or Terebellides sp., were re-examined to determine their correct identification according to recent taxonomic revisions. Five nominal species were identified morphologically, Terebellides bonifi, Terebellides europaea, Terebellides gentili, Terebellides scotica, and Terebellides shetlandica; three species, T. europaea, T. scotica, and T. shetlandica, were also confirmed through molecular methods. Two species, T. bonifi and T. gentili, were new to the British fauna, and the distributional knowledge for all species around the UK was extended.

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.

Let $X_1,\ldots, X_n$ be independent integers distributed uniformly on [M], $M\ge 2$. A partition S of [n] into $\nu$ non-empty subsets $S_1,\ldots, S_{\nu}$ is called perfect if all $\nu$ values $\sum_{j\in S_{\alpha}}X_j$ are equal. For a perfect partition to exist, $\sum_j X_j$ has to be divisible by $\nu$. In 2001, for $\nu=2$, Christian Borgs, Jennifer Chayes, and the author proved that, conditioned on $\sum_j X_j$ being even, with high probability a perfect partition exists if $\kappa\;:\!=\; \lim {{n}/{\log M}}>{{1}/{\log 2}}$, and that with high probability no perfect partition exists if $\kappa<{{1}/{\log 2}}$. Responding to a question by George Varghese, we prove that for $\nu\ge 3$ with high probability no perfect partition exists if $\kappa<{{2}/{\log \nu}}$, which is twice as large as the naive threshold $1/\log 3$ for $\nu=3$. We identify the range of $\kappa$ where the expected number of perfect partitions is exponentially high. We show that for $\kappa> {{2(\nu-1)}/{\log[(1-2\nu^{-2})^{-1}]}}$ the total number of perfect partitions is exponentially high with probability $\gtrsim (1+\nu^2)^{-1}$, i.e. below $1/\nu$, the limiting probability that $\sum_j X_j$ is divisible by $\nu$.

Amphipod samples were collected from the rocky habitat of Arjyapalli beach in southern Odisha, India. The specimens were analysed for morphological characters. One interesting species was observed during the study and was identified as Stenothoe lowryi. The species was previously reported only from Malaysia. The present study confirms the distributional range extension of this species to Indian waters and details a few additional morphological characters.

This study reports the first record of Caprella moradi Momtazi, Sari & Darvish, 2020 from India. The specimens for this study were collected from Diu and Veraval coast of Gujarat State, India. Caprella moradi can be identified by the presence of four rows of small setae on body surface, curved anterior margin of male gnathopod 2 propodus and unequal size of gills 3 and 4. Caprella moradi can be differentiated from its close congener Caprella danilevskii; Czerniavski, 1868 by these consistent morphological characters. Examination of materials collected from Gujarat and their comparison with published figures indicates that the previous report of C. danilevskii from India actually corresponds to C. moradi.

The first report of Ophiophragmus luetkeni occurred in the British Virgin Islands; however, it was also recorded in Brazil, the United States Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago, yet its occurrence in Colombia was previously lacking. Between 2023 and 2024, four specimens were collected from sandy and muddy substrates in Cispatá Bay, Colombian Caribbean. Taxonomic identification was conducted through morphological observations and microstructural analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy. A comparative table for Ophiophragmus species recorded in Colombia are also provided. This new record increases the number of Ophiophragmus species in Colombia to three, contributing to the country’s marine biodiversity and expanding the knowledge of O. luetkeni distribution.

Silvennoinen (2025) analyzes the stored sequence going forward as an adverb that inherits adverb-class morphosyntax. This reply challenges that categorization on empirical grounds. The construction fails the key distributional test for adverbs: it cannot occur in integrated-medial position between subject and verb (*We going forward will prioritize replication), the diagnostic slot for core adverbs (We certainly will prioritize replication). Analysis of Silvennoinen’s corpus (n = 1,517) confirms this restriction – apparent ‘medial’ tokens prove either to be NP-internal modifiers or parenthetical supplements, never integrated clausal constituents. Instead, going forward patterns with PP adjuncts, occurring clause-initially, clause-finally, or as supplements. Internally, deverbal going heads the construction and licenses a directional complement forward(s), parallel to established deverbal prepositions like according [to …] and depending [on …]. The construction thus projects PP, not AdvP, aligning with The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language’s flexible-complement analysis of prepositions. This case demonstrates that storage and semantic specialization do not force categorical reanalysis.

Sabellaria miryaensis is capable of growing massive reefs of several meters long in the subtidal area. However, no occurrence of S. miryaensis has been recorded in the Arabian Sea since its original description in 1990. This manuscript presents a new record of S. miryaensis in the Bay of Bengal, confirming its presence there. In addition, details on its ecology, including environmental parameters and the associated benthic biodiversity of S. miryaensis reefs are included. Four 1-m2 quadrat samples were collected from subtidal sabellariid reefs (∼15 m depth) off Gopalpur in March 2024, and associated macrofauna were preserved in 5% formalin for taxonomic analysis. Water parameters (temperature, salinity, and pH) and sediment texture were measured using standard field and laboratory protocols. The reef built by this species supports high macrofaunal and meiofaunal diversity, particularly polychaetes and other invertebrates. Morphological analysis confirms its identity with minor intraspecific variations. The reef also serves as a critical habitat for commercially important fish, underscoring its ecological and economic value. These findings highlight the need for further ecological assessments and conservation of sabellariid reef ecosystems in Indian coastal waters.