COVID-19 highlights the need to improve resilience and equity in managing small-scale fisheries.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of global and domestic seafood markets. We examined the main impacts and responses of the small-scale fisheries (SSF) sector, and found that mitigation and preparedness strategies should be prioritised to boost resilience in SSF. We provide five policy options and considerations: (1) improving access to insurance and financial services; (2) strengthening local and regional markets and supporting infrastructure; (3) recognising fisheries as an essential service; (4) integrating disaster risk management into fisheries management systems; and (5) investing in Indigenous and locally-led fisheries management.

Methyl-esterification, degree of polymerization and ∆4,5-unsaturation of galacturonic acid oligosaccharides as determinants of immunomodulation.

In recent years, immunomodulation by pectin and pectin-derived galacturonic acid oligosaccharides has been the subject of wide-spread scientific research due to the potential of different pectin structures as bioactive biomolecules. Yet, gaps remain in understanding the structure-dependent immunomodulation of galacturonic acid. This study describes in vitro immunomodulatory effects of well-characterized galacturonic acid oligosaccharides.

Concrete evidence: outplanted corals for reef restoration do not need extended curing of ordinary Portland cement.

Artificial reefs for coral reef restoration are often concrete-based. After concrete is poured, it initially has a high surface pH (approx. 13), which neutralizes within several weeks.

Ship collision risk threatens whales across the world's oceans.

After the near-complete cessation of commercial whaling, ship collisions have emerged as a primary threat to large whales, but knowledge of collision risk is lacking across most of the world's oceans. We compiled a dataset of 435,000 whale locations to generate global distribution models for four globally ranging species. We then combined >35 billion positions from 176,000 ships to produce a global estimate of whale-ship collision risk.