Stocktake Sale on now: wide range of books at up to 70% off!
Register      Login
Marine and Freshwater Research Marine and Freshwater Research Society
Advances in the aquatic sciences

Marine and Freshwater Research

Marine and Freshwater Research

Marine and Freshwater Research is a multidisciplinary journal publishing original research and reviews on all aquatic environments and subject areas. Read more about the journalMore

Editors-in-Chief: Shokoofeh Shamsi and Vinicius Farjalla

Publishing Model: Hybrid. Open Access options available.

Are you eligible for APC-free Open Access?

Download our Journal Metrics (PDF, 639KB)

Latest

These articles are the latest published in the journal. Marine and Freshwater Research is published under a continuous publication model. More information is available on our Continuous Publication page.

Published online 13 June 2025

MF24260Stream position shapes functional composition of aquatic insect metacommunities

Silvia Vendruscolo Milesi 0000-0002-9568-6476 and Luiz Ubiratan Hepp
 

We consider the position of streams to determine how the spatial configuration can influence the functional patterns of aquatic insect metacommunities. We observed the highest values of functional richness and diversity in the mainstem zones compared with headwater. The mainstem areas deserve to be focused on for environmental conservation in aquatic ecosystems, considering their high functional richness and diversity.

Off Australia’s eastern coast, bull sharks are frequently caught in the Queensland Shark Control Program. This study analysed nearly three decades of data, showing patterns in catch rates, shark size and gear selectivity. Findings highlighted trends that may indicate population changes, influenced by factors such as fishing pressure and climate. Such insights aid in understanding long-term shark conservation needs.

Cyanobacteria in marine fouling communities play an important role in the functioning of microbiota and respond differently to environmental changes. The annual dynamics of abundance and biomass of various morphological groups of cyanobacteria within communities reflect seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions. In turn, there are distinct differences in the composition of cyanobacterial communities in periphyton and epilithon due to specific ecological conditions. Such research is necessary to understand how microbial communities contribute to the function of marine coastal ecosystems.

We compared two contrasting approaches to wetland conservation in the Murray River, south-eastern Australia, one based on improving environmental flows and the other based on building infrastructure to retain water on floodplains. We found that the former approach achieved much the same flow frequency, extent and duration, at much lower cost and is likely to prove a more flexible option.

Published online 03 June 2025

MF25031Marine habitat mapping of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) foraging grounds in the Northern Territory, Australia

Natalie Robson 0009-0000-9955-1926, Carol Palmer, Sam Banks 0000-0003-2415-0057, Michele Thums, Alana Grech, Joanna Day, , Robert Risk 0009-0001-0003-4767, Dylan Cooper and Garnet Hooper
 

This study maps green turtle feeding areas in Australia’s Northern Territory by using satellite images and underwater videos. Working closely with Indigenous rangers, researchers identified key habitats, including seagrass and algae, which are vital for turtle survival. The findings support conservation planning and empower Indigenous communities to manage their Sea Country more effectively.

This study examined how pollution affects the diversity and nitrogen content of macroinvertebrate communities in Chile’s Maipo River Basin. Organisms of polluted areas have higher nitrogen concentrations, likely owing to nutrient input. This could have an impact on the macroinvertebrate diet, affecting the community composition, functional feeding group diversity and the trophic structure, which should be considered for futures management plans.


A photograph of a platypus foraging in a Tasmanian stream.

Time-lapse cameras were used to describe how platypus activity patterns changed during a cease-to-flow event lasting nearly 2 months along a normally reliably flowing Tasmanian stream. The findings indicate that the platypus’s ability to survive extended dry periods relies on its having access to sufficiently large and productive refuge habitats. (Photograph by Simon Roberts.)

Published online 12 May 2025

MF24259Historical changes in marine communities uncovered in diverse data sources highlight impacts over half a century

John W. Turnbull 0000-0002-8935-1012, David J. Booth and Graeme F. Clark
 

An illustration showing differences between marine communities at Shiprock, near Sydney, before and after the 1980s.

Historical records can provide invaluable insights into long-term changes in marine communities, but they are limited by the methods used at the time. In this study, we have highlighted how the marine life at a popular site in Sydney has changed over 58 years, owing to the efforts of citizen scientists. (Image credit: Jordana Costa.)

Published online 01 May 2025

MF24287Ramsar on repeat: quantifying US policy action by political party

James C. Whitacre 0000-0001-9455-7667
 

A diagram showing government timeline, party majority and environmental conventions index scores in the USA.

Statistically, US support for the Ramsar Convention has been bipartisan, and neither Democratic nor Republican majorities in the House or Senate correlated with better implementation. This finding jumpstarts a re-thinking of political affiliation and conservation goals, amid the incoming US Presidential administration. Globally, a new body of comparative research is possible using empirical data from the environmental conventions index (ECI). (Image credit: custom graphic: Design Crowd; designer: Rickyy.)

Published online 01 May 2025

MF24216SARAS: a tool for the assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services in semiarid dam reservoirs

Betsy Dantas de Medeiros 0000-0002-3747-9962, Magnólia de Araújo Campos, José Etham de Lucena Barbosa, Gislayne Kerliny de Aquino Queiroz, Maria João Feio and Daniele Jovem-Azevêdo
 

The semiarid reservoirs assessment system (SARAS) tool was developed with the aim of broadly assessing the quality of reservoirs. To do this, it takes into account the score obtained from provided benefits, those called ecosystem services (ES), their biodiversity and ecosystem functions and habitat. The final score makes the classification of the ecosystem possible.

Published online 16 April 2025

MF25022Environmental drivers shaping mayfly assemblages in a Ramsar-declared Danube floodplain

Marina Vilenica 0000-0003-2053-2461, Viktorija Ergovic 0000-0003-4580-3221, Antun Alegro, Vedran Šegota, Anja Rimac, José Manuel Tierno de Figueroa 0000-0003-1616-9815, Manuel Jesús López-Rodríguez 0000-0001-6707-0992 and Zlatko Mihaljevic
 

Floodplains play an important role in regulating regional water and nutrient cycles in riverscapes, also supporting high biodiversity. Owing to limited knowledge about aquatic insects’ ecological requirements in such habitats, mayfly assemblages were studied in anthropogenically disturbed and near natural habitats in a Danube floodplain. The species-poor assemblages were influenced by water quality and aquatic macrophyte assemblages. Our results confirmed the high value of habitat heterogeneity for the aquatic macroinvertebrate conservation in extreme habitats such as large river floodplains.

Published online 14 April 2025

MF24172Mitochondrial genetic divergence of Chiton articulatus (Polyplacophora: Chitonida) in the Mexican Tropical Pacific

Thelma A. Aguilar-Rendon, Omar Hernando Avila-Poveda 0000-0002-4411-0602 and Nancy C. Saavedra-Sotelo 0000-0001-9277-0675
 

The chiton Chiton articulatus is an endemic species of the Mexican Tropical Pacific, inhabiting rocky intertidal zones. Its short-lived planktonic larvae limit connectivity among populations across this region. As a result, most localities show clear genetic differences, except for two central sites where populations appear more connected. These findings highlight the need for wildlife managers to consider this genetic structure when developing conservation strategies.

Published online 09 April 2025

MF23250Investigation of Bara-Baruga (mangrove) ecosystem recovery after a hail storm in Boambee Creek, Gumbaynggirr, NSW

Kirsten Benkendorff 0000-0003-4052-3888, Robert Briggs, Stefano Caraco, Jesse Shilling, Muhammad Islami, Adam Davey, Elani Boland-Hoskins and Ashley Dowell
 

This study applied traditional science, with indigenous participation, to investigate the causes and ecological impacts of a mangrove die-off in Boambee Creek, Gumbaynggirr Country, Australia. A severe hail storm defoliated mangroves at two sites in 2021. By 2023, one site recovered but the other remained unhealthy. Chemical contaminants were found in the water, sediment and mangrove roots. The unhealthy site had fewer aerial roots, seeds and seedlings and a lower diversity of invertebrates, confirming a loss of ecological integrity.

This article belongs to the collection: Science in Sea Country.

Published online 09 April 2025

MF24179Nuanced influences of subtidal artificial shellfish structures on nekton communities in urbanised estuaries

Brad Martin 0009-0008-7429-1724, Charlie Huveneers 0000-0001-8937-1358, Simon Reeves and Ryan Baring
 

Urbanised estuaries are increasingly the focus for restoration structures including oyster reefs. However, human activities have altered these environments, which potentially limit restoration outcomes for nekton communities. We found that seasonal variation in environmental conditions had a greater influence on species distributions than small-scale restoration activities. Although high abundances of harvestable fishes were detected throughout the study and across survey sites. The restoration footprint and environmental conditions affected nekton communities.

Committee on Publication Ethics

Marine & Freshwater Research Submissions

Submit in the format of your choice with Format-Free Submission.

Call for Papers

We are seeking contributions for the following Special Issues. More information

Advertisement