The rose-ringed parakeet (RRP), Psittacula krameri, has become established in at least four Pacific Island countries (Hong Kong China, Japan, New Zealand, U.S.A.), including the Hawaiian islands of Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, and Hawai‘i. Most Pacific islands are at risk of RRP colonization. This species was first introduced to Hong Kong in 1903 and Hawai‘i in the 1930s–1960s, established since 1969 in Japan, and in New Zealand since 2005 where it has repeatedly established after organized removals. The founding birds were imported cage-birds from the pet trade. In native India, RRP are generally found associated with human habitation and are considered a severe agricultural pest. In the Hawaiian Islands, RRP are increasing and expanding their geographic ranges below 500 m elevation. Population estimates in 2018 on Kaua‘i were ∼6,800 birds, which was a three-fold increase and a 22.5% annual growth rate in the prior 6 years, whereas O‘ahu had ∼4,560 birds with a 21% annual growth rate the prior 9 years; these rates suggest a population doubling time of ∼3.5 years. Wild RRP can live 14+ years, can reproduce after 1.5 years, and have few effective predators. Breeding pairs produce 1–3 fledglings annually. RRP are seed predators and rarely seed dispersers; their flock-foraging behavior can result in severe damage to orchard and field agricultural crops including tropical fruit and corn (Zea mays), and such economic damages are especially pronounced on Kaua‘i. Island societies should prevent new introductions and consider RRP deterrents and population control methods to protect resources.

Coral settlement and post-settlement processes occurring from the time the corals settle to their recruitment determines much of coral population demographics, reef structure, and function. However, the settlement and the survival rate of corals after settling in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) area are scarcely known. With the aid of a fluorescent lamp, we evaluated the spatial and temporal settlement and post-settlement coral mortality in coral communities and reefs located in the South Mexican Pacific (SMP), using settlement tiles evaluated approximately monthly over a two-year period. No Pocillopora spp. or Pavona spp. were recruited to the tiles, while Porites panamensis settled at lower rates as compared to previous studies in the SMP, which is likely related to the strong El Niño Southern Oscillation anomaly recorded during 2010–2011. During September 2010 and January 2011, P. panamensis settled on the tiles at the highest rate in some locations, suggesting that larval supply and/or environmental conditions affecting settlement in the area varies considerably across space and time. Overall, P. panamensis recruits died at variable rate, ranging from 20% to 100% (∼1.64% per day) during the first 50 days after settling to a substrate. The sizes of the coral spats as well as recruit survival increased significantly throughout time in the area. The null settlement rate of Pocillopora spp. and Pavona spp. compared to P. panamensis is consistent with life history trade-offs, whereas P. panamensis is a better colonizing species and Pocillopora spp. is a better competitor. These factors may allow Pocillopora spp. to outlast P. panamensis, thus becoming the dominant frame-building coral in the SMP and elsewhere in the ETP.

We used morphological and genetic identification to document metazoan parasites of cetaceans and pinnipeds from 28 carcasses salvaged in California between 1974 and 2002, including whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea lions, and seals. Nematodes found included Anisakis simplex (s.l.), A. simplex (s.s.), Pseudoterranova decipiens (s.l.), Pseudoterranova sp., Contracaecum ogmorhini (s.l.), Contracaecum sp., Stenurus cf. minor, Pharurus cf. dalli, and Otostrongylus circumlitus. Cestodes found included Phyllobothrium delphini and Tetrabothrius sp. The acanthocephalan Bolbosoma capitatum, and the arthropod Halarachne miroungae, also were documented. Tetrabothrius sp. in the pygmy beaked whale (Mesoplodon peruvianus) and P. delphini in the Eastern North Pacific long-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis bairdii) constitute two new host records.

An egg mass fragment and one paralarva of the squid Thysanoteuthis rhombus found in the Northeastern Tropical Pacific and Gulf of California, Mexico are the first evidence of reproduction of this species in the region. The egg mass fragment was in the disintegration process and contained 30,360 premature hatchlings (96.2%) and 1,192 eggs (3.8%) at different developmental stages. Head chromatophore patterns, buccal crown pigmentation, arm and tentacles indexes, and other morphological characteristics complement previous descriptions of T. rhombus paralarvae. The zooplanktonic community associated with the egg mass was dominated by six species of predatory copepods of the genus Labidocera, Pontella, Oncaea, and Corycaeus which might have actively colonized the egg mass to feed upon the eggs and hatchlings.

Stylasterid corals are widely distributed in all oceans from the intertidal zone to the deep sea. They are habitat-forming species, reaching high densities and establishing a wide range of associations with other taxa. In the last decades, many new deep-water stylasterids have been described and the faunas of several regions of the globe have been revised; however, the tropical Pacific Ocean remains relatively understudied. In this paper, a new mesophotic species of Distichopora, D. cryptostylus, is described from the Republic of Palau, Caroline Islands. The new Distichopora is distinguished from congenerics by its uniquely shaped coenosteal pores, a paucity of dactylostyles, and apical dactylotomes.

Population characteristics and carapace growth rates were estimated for green turtles (Chelonia mydas) foraging in Arica Bay, northern Chile, from 2012 to 2016. Within the main foraging area of La Puntilla, an open population of up to 514 individuals was estimated by mark and recapture (Jolly-Seber method), with densities of 20–225 individuals/km². Captured individuals (n = 159) ranged from 44.6 to 98.6 cm straight carapace length (SCL) with a mean SCL of 64.9 cm (SD 10.8); most turtles were juveniles; however, 10 were adults with SCL > 80 cm (three of these being males). A mean body condition index (BCI) of 1.64 (range 0.34–3.63) indicated healthy population conditions, with mean annual growth rates (AGR) of 4.6 cm/year (SD 2.97). The consistent presence of turtles between 2012 and 2016 and the relatively high abundance compared to the general situation reported for the species in Chile makes Arica Bay the most important feeding congregation of green turtles in the country. The population's healthy state and size, its location within an urban radius, and the multiple human uses of this site represent aspects that must be considered in protection and development plans for the city's coastal border.