Indigenous knowledge and Western science can provide complementary perspectives for ecosystem assessments, monitoring and management. We used collaborative action research and cross-cultural methodologies to assess the eco-cultural condition of billabongs. The Western scientific assessment provided a snapshot of billabong condition, whereas the Indigenous knowledge provided insights into long-term change. The research revealed how cross-cultural research can lead to more nuanced understandings of eco-cultural processes.

Here we found that not only can embryonic sharks detect odour cues from other species, but they can also distinguish between different cues and elicit different antipredator responses. With the development of the appropriate sensory systems and prior experience, the efficacy of these capacities improves until hatching. Unlike media portrayal, elasmobranchs show a capacity for decision making even during embryonic life stages.

This study found that tiger sharks in Western Australia have a slow growth rate compared with those in most regions around the world. This growth rate was most similar to that observed in eastern Australia, which also reports a population of comparatively slow-growing tiger sharks. A new modelling technique was used to provide better-fitting growth curves to the data.

The brown-banded bamboo shark is the most commonly caught shark in coastal fisheries across Southeast Asia; however, it is currently disregarded from fisheries management because of the scant biological information. We investigated its reproductive biology to improve the sustainability of coastal shark fisheries in Indonesia. Our study recommends applying catch-size limit up to 70-cm body length to maintain its productivity.

Saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) are responsible for attacks on people across the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. Considering the ecological, social and economic value of crocodiles, coexistence requires understanding the causes of conflict. To this end we compiled 10 years’ worth of attack reports, and conducted interviews with residents of affected villages to gather data. Attacks on fishermen are of greatest concern, yet overall cultural attitudes towards crocodiles remain positive.

This is a short communication to give a snapshot of the benthic community structure (biotic and abiotic benthic cover and coral composition) at three islands (Rasdhoo, Maayafushi and Vihamaafaru) in the central Maldivian archipelago, 2 years after the most recent ENSO event and the 2016 mass-bleaching event.

Epiphytic bacteria and bacterioplankton affect the plant physiology and nutrient transformation of submerged macrophytes. Knowledge of the community structure of epiphytic bacteria and bacterioplankton is fundamental to understanding their ecological role and the effects of macrophytes on bacteria. We compared the composition of epiphytic bacteria in association with Potamogeton pectinatus, as well as that of bacterioplankton at different growing stages of P. pectinatus.

We evaluated the population structure and reproductive biology of Steindachneridion melanodermatum, a large catfish, by analysing size structure, sex ratio, reproductive period, as well as relationship between environmental variables and reproduction. Our study is the first in Neotropical region to investigate these in wild populations, and our findings are crucial to assist the development of measures and criteria for conservation of this endangered species.

We investigated whether the upstream dispersal of three species of native fish in two coastal rivers in south-east Australia increased during environmental flow releases. We found that more fish moved in an upstream direction during environmental fresh releases compared with regulated base-flow conditions. Our results can contribute to the management of these species by providing support for the use of these types of environmental flow releases in meeting objectives relating to upstream dispersal by juveniles.

The subterranean environment has many peculiarities, but little is known about the effect of the environment on the structuring of cave fauna. This study investigated whether the hypogean assemblage is structured in the same way as the epigean assemblage, and whether the environmental restrictions caused by the subterranean habitat result in reduced species richness and abundance.

Acoustic telemetry is widely used to monitor animals, including in nearshore habitats. Aquatic vegetation in nearshore areas may attenuate transmissions. Using transmitters in a shallow river habitat, we estimated detection efficiency and range in relation to vegetation. Vegetation reduced range from 200 m to 5 m at its peak density. Vegetation should be considered in study design and analysis to improve the interpretation of acoustic data in nearshore habitats.

Increased precipitation caused by global warming can accelerate ocean freshening in some regions. The ability of the estuarine amphipod Haustorioides koreanus to detect food was impaired under low salinity conditions (21 psu), implying an adverse effect of low salinity on the olfaction of amphipods. This indicates that the population of H. koreanus may be threatened if it is exposed to low-salinity environments more frequently.

This study focused on two emergent macrophytes, namely Phragmites australis and Triarrhena lutarioriparia, which have different preferences in constructed wetlands. We compared the diversity, composition and co-occurrence patterns of the rhizosphere bacterial communities of these two macrophytes. Our aim is to better understand the relationship between the rhizosphere bacteria of macrophytes and phytoremediation within aquatic ecosystems.

Coral reefs and atoll lagoons are among the most diversified marine ecosystems but they are also the most threatened by the combined effects of climate change and human activities. In this paper, we describe temporal patterns of the planktonic microbial communities (from Juan de Nova lagoon considered as a pristine ecosystem) experimentally exposed to two contaminants (diuron and naphthalene). Globally, no direct acute effect of the two contaminant models used was observed after 120 h, although trophic relationships among communities was modified over time.

Centipeda cunninghamii (old man weed) is a culturally significant plant, with a range of medicinal uses, and is important to many Aboriginal nations across the Murray–Darling Basin. This research combines Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal knowledge of C. cunninghamii to add to the flow-ecology knowledge for the species. The occurrence and distribution of C. cunninghamii in the landscape is strongly related to the occurrence and distribution of inundation and can be supported using environmental water.

This study has highlighted high concentrations of microplastics (MPs) in clams and cockles from the coastal lagoon of Ria Formosa, urging for immediate effort to reduce plastic waste and improve wastewater disposal management. All samples were contaminated with MPs, most (88%) were synthetic fibres and the majority were blue (51.6%). Polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) were the most common polymer recorded.