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1. Short-Lived Aggregations of Filograna/Salmacina Tube Worms in the Gulf of Oman

   https://doi.org/10.3390/d14110902  

   Samimi-Namin, Kaveh; ten_Hove, Harry A; Claereboudt, Michel R; Paulay, Gustav; Hoeksema, Bert W (November 2022, Diversity)

   Dense aggregations of serpulid worms were encountered in the Daymaniyat Islands (Gulf of Oman) from 10 to 20 m depth, over the period January–March, 2021. The species responsible for these aggregations belongs to the Filograna/Salmacina-complex (Annelida: Serpulidae). This species has been present in the area and observed along the Oman coastline, but high-density aggregates like this have not been reported before. The most probable cause of the aggregations, supported by field observations and Aqua-MODIS satellite data, was natural eutrophication with a subsequent algal bloom linked to the local winter monsoon. This observation emphasises the importance of documenting biodiversity and dynamics of reef communities along the Oman coastline. 

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2. From Spurious Interference to Biological Signal: Repurposing Weather Radars to Monitor and Study the Amazonian Avifauna

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71860  

   Belotti, Maria_C_T_D; Wojahn, Victória_de_Souza; Rodriguez, Carlos_Augusto_Morales; Horton, Kyle_G (July 2025, Ecology and Evolution)

   ABSTRACT Many species of swallows and martins congregate in large nonbreeding aggregations throughout the Americas. These roosts typically occur for several days to weeks in the same place during the same time of the year and disappear suddenly as the birds continue their migratory journeys. In the Amazon Rainforest, however, there are reports of large communal roosts of varying species composition throughout the year. Due to the high biomass density of these aggregations, we can systematically observe these tropical roosts using data collected by the operational S‐band Doppler weather radar located in Manaus (3°08′56.0″ S, 59°59′29.1″ W) Using data collected by this radar over 2 years (2014, 2015), we describe the temporal and spatial patterns of roost size in the Amazon Rainforest, and compare it to a similar dataset collected in the Great Lakes region of North America, where swallows and martins form pre‐migratory roosts. Our findings confirm that roosting activity occurs throughout the year in the region around Manaus, and thus likely gather multiple species of swallows and martins. The peak of roosting activity in both years occurred from January to May, when observations on the ground suggest that roosts are predominantly Purple Martin aggregations. We found that the average daily number of birds in roosts in Manaus in 2015 is up to 7 times larger than what was observed in the Great Lakes, even though the area of the latter is 8.7 times larger than the area sampled around Manaus. Our findings highlight the significance of the Amazon Rainforest for swallow and martin populations. Because this region hosts migrating individuals from the Nearctic‐Neotropical and the Austral migratory systems, resident species may share these roosts with populations from both systems during separate times of the year, creating an indirect link between the two poles of the Americas. 

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3. Ontogeny of vocalizations in Adélie penguin ( Pygoscelis adeliae ) chicks from West Antarctica

   https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0027247  

   Adams, Michele L; Fradet, Danielle T; Cimino, Megan A; White, Easton; Kloepper, Laura (March 2024, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America)

   Acoustic indices are an efficient method for monitoring dense aggregations of vocal animals but require understanding the acoustic ecology of the species under examination. The present understanding of avian behavior and vocal development is primarily derived from the research of songbirds (Passeriformes). However, given that behavior and environment can differ greatly among bird orders, passerine birdsong may be insufficient to define the vocal ontogeny of non-passerine birds. Like many colonial nesting seabirds, the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is adapted to loud and congested environments with limited cues to identify kinship within aggregations of conspecifics. In addition to physical or geographical cues to identify offspring, adult P. adeliae rely on vocal modulation. Numerous studies have been conducted on mutual vocal modulations in mature P. adeliae, but limited research has explored the vocal repertoire of the chicks and how their vocalizations evolve over time. Using the deep learning-based system, DeepSqueak, this study characterized the vocal ontogeny of P. adeliae chicks in the West Antarctic Peninsula to aid in autonomously tracking their age. Understanding the phenological communication patterns of vocal-dependent seabirds can help measure the impact of climate change on this indicator species through non-invasive methods. 

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4. Aggregations of a Sessile Ctenophore, Coeloplana sp., on Indo-West Pacific Gorgonians

   https://doi.org/10.3390/d15101060  

   Samimi-Namin, Kaveh; Claereboudt, Michel R; Hoeksema, Bert W; McFadden, Catherine S; Bezio, Nicholas; Paulay, Gustav (October 2023, Diversity)

   We document the benthic ctenophores Coeloplana sp. and Vallicula multiformis from Oman, extending their geographic range. A new Coeloplana species was found forming aggregations on gorgonians of two octocoral host genera, Melithaea and Euplexaura, representing associations previously unknown to occur in the Indo-West Pacific region. Our findings also illustrate the concurrent presence of the ectocommensal ophiuroid Ophiothela mirabilis, which adversely affects other Coeloplana species in the tropical West Atlantic, where it is considered invasive. This exploration contributes to our understanding of the biogeography, species distribution, and ectosymbiotic associations of these genera, setting the stage for a comprehensive species description and in-depth analysis of host relationships in future studies. 

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5. Harnessing community science to conserve and study ground-nesting bee aggregations

   https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1347447  

   Kueneman, Jordan G; Dobler, Cassidy N; Danforth, Bryan N (January 2024, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution)

   Protecting diverse solitary ground-nesting bees remains a pivotal conservation concern. Ground-nesting bees are negatively impacted by anthropogenic land use change that often removes suitable nesting habitat from the landscape. Despite their enormous ecological and agricultural contributions to pollination, solitary, ground-nesting bees are often neglected, partly due to the significant obstacle of discovering exactly where these bees establish their nests. To address this limitation, we have developed a ‘community science’ project to map aggregations of ground-nesting bees globally. In certain locations, their abundances reach astounding levels, sometimes in the millions, but are scarcely known. Utilizing the iNaturalist platform, which permits geo-referencing of site observations and bee identification, we are providing public education and seeking public engagement to document bee aggregations in order to understand the nesting requirements of diverse species and open new opportunities for their conservation. Conservation priorities may then unequivocally be directed to areas of high species richness, nest densities, and nesting sites of rare bees. Such community-led efforts are vital for successful long-term management of native bees and the biotic and abiotic landscape data from nest-site localities can allow modeling to predict nest-site suitability and to readily test such predictions on the ground. Here, we summarize the progress, current limitations, and opportunities of using a global mapping project (GNBee) to direct conservation efforts and research toward solitary ground-nesting bees. 

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