Thirteen new genera and three new families of cheilostome Bryozoa are described from the New Zealand biogeographic region, centred on Zealandia, between 26.42° (northern Norfolk Ridge) and 54.02°S latitude (south-east Campbell Plateau) from coastal waters to bathyal depths (46‒1676 m). The new genera, comprising 15 new and one previously described Zealandian species, are: Elementella (Elementellidae n. fam.), Niwapora, Quasicallopora, Quitocallopora, Judyella (Calloporidae), Ellisantropora (Antroporidae), Rhizellisina (Ellisinidae), Radixenia (Calloporoidea incertae sedis), Granomurus (Granomuridae n. fam.), Carolanna (Bugulidae), Borioplebs (Borioplebidae n. fam.), Seabournea (Cribrilinidae) and Waeschenbachia (Romancheinidae). A new Recent species of the otherwise Eocene‒Miocene genus Vincularia is also described from deep water on the Three Kings Ridge. Two new combinations are created – Judyella precocialis (Gordon, 1984) and Ellisantropora aggregata (Gordon, 1984). Ellisantropora tilbrooki sp. nov. is also introduced for a species from Torres Strait. Four of the deep-sea genera (three from one station on the northern Norfolk Ridge, one from a station on the Three Kings Ridge) have species with plesiomorphies or distinctive skeletal characters that suggest they are relict. Almost half of the new species form spot-like colonies on hard substrata.

Fifteen new genera of cheilostome Bryozoa are described from the New Zealand biogeographical region, centred on Zealandia, between 29° and 59°S latitude from shallow coastal waters to abyssal depths. The new genera are: Cavelliella, Mangana, Recapitulator (Calloporidae), Microblestrum, Stolomicropora (Pyrisinellidae), Otomicropora, Rosemariella (Microporidae), Bioptica, Caesiopora (Romancheinidae), Cheilonellopsis (Lacernidae), Xenogma (Buffonellodidae), Bountyella (incertae sedis), Taylorius (Escharinidae), Fovoporella (Schizoporellidae) and Ramicellepora (Celleporidae). Several new combinations are also recognized, i.e. Corbulella fossa, Fovoporella spectabilis, Kenaplousina canariensis, Taylorius incognitus, Taylorius masoni, Taylorius waiparaensis and Xenogma rhomboidale. Ten of the new genera are nominally endemic to the New Zealand exclusive economic zone. Recapitulator and Microblestrum (on seamounts near the southern part of the Hjort Trench) and Rosemariella (seamount in the Louisville Ridge) occur in extraterritorial waters, Xenogma extends to Australia and Taylorius extends to South Africa. Taylorius is also known from the Miocene and Fovoporella from the Pliocene. Recapitulator and Mangana have plesiomorphies that are novel among Recent Calloporidae (respectively a costate ooecium and ‘pelmatoporine’ elongate adventitious interzooidal kenozooids) but which are found in some Cretaceous calloporids or cribrilinids.

The amounts and chemical composition of bulk precipitation were investigated over a continuous 21-mo period (January 1990 to September 1991) at four sites along an East-West transect perpendicular to the coast of Southwest Viti Levu, Fiji. Measured rainfall totals in 1990 ranged from 1796 mm at the coastal Korokula station to 2113 mm at the inland Tulasewa station, which is somewhat higher than the long-term average of 1707 mm at a reference weather station located in the centre of the study area. The first 9 mo of 1991 were relatively dry (range 1027–1533 mm) with a total of 1157 mm at the reference site as compared to a long-term average of 1330 mm. Concentrations of all investigated constituents in bulk rainfall were low, except during the passage of cyclone Sina due to the deposition of large amounts of, especially, chloride, sodium and sulphate in sea spray. Concentrations of sodium and magnesium could be explained fully by maritime contributions to the rainfall composition at all sites. Maritime contributions to the concentrations of calcium, sulphate and potassium accounted for 10–40% of the total, whereas bicarbonate, ammonium, nitrate, silicon, aluminium, iron and manganese were derived exclusively from terrestrial sources. The annual atmospheric nutrient deposition rates were low by pan-tropical standards, particularly when the contribution of cyclone Sina was excluded. Annual totals (in kg ha−1) ranged from 2.4–8.8 for nitrogen, 0.4–1.1 for phosphorus, 2.3–4.9 for potassium, 1.4–1.9 for calcium and from 1.1–1.3 for magnesium. The inclusion of the contribution by the cyclone more than doubled the deposition of potassium, calcium and magnesium, although values still remained well within the range reported for humid tropical areas. The estimated atmospheric deposition of nutrients over a typical rotation period (16 y) was sufficient to balance losses in harvested Pinus caribaea logs (stemwood plus bark) of potassium, calcium and magnesium, but not of nitrogen and, probably, phosphorus. Nutrient losses associated with the harvesting of stemwood alone were compensated entirely by the atmospheric inputs.

Meiofauna assemblages were investigated at 15 stations on triplicated samples in the Uvea Atoll (Loyalty Islands) in relation to 9 selected environmental parameters. Spatial patterns and variability of meiofauna density were quantified according to location, macrofauna and nematode species assemblages. Meiofauna was dominated by ciliates and nematodes. Densities of total meiofauna and of most of the meiofauna taxa were significantly higher in the back reef North Pléiades stations than the leeward side of the Island. The highest correlation between biotic patterns and environmental parameters that best explains the pattern was with sediment thickness and to a lesser extent organic matter, C/N ratio and depth. One hundred and thirty-four nematode species were identified with four dominant species Chromadora macrolaimoides, an undescribed species of Bolbonema, Daptonema svalbardense and Prochromadorella septempapillata. Three significantly different nematode species assemblages were detected in two of the previously described macrofauna assemblages by cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling methods suggesting that nematodes are more sensible ecological indicators than macrofauna. Diversity indices based on dominance were not significantly different among the three nematode species assemblages but indices based on species richness and rarefaction were significantly higher leeward of Uvea Island. Estimates of total species richness showed no sign of stabilizing with sample size. However, rare species stabilized very quickly, whereas abundant species were added with increasing sampling coverage, indicating a high spatial variability of the local composition of nematodes.

Twenty-three species of erect, fenestrate bryozoans belonging to the family Phidoloporidae Gabb & Horn 1862, popularly termed lace corals, are described from the coasts of Australia, Torres Strait and Fiji, and illustrated by scanning electron microscopy. Nine species of Triphyllozoon are re-examined, including seven originally described by Harmer (1934). Seven new species are described in Reteporella and one each in Schizoretepora and Reteporellina. Of the remaining four species, two species of Reteporellina are reported for the second time since their original description and two first described by MacGillivray (1883) are redescribed from additional materials.

To date, a high degree of polymorphism has been demonstrated at both the MSP1 and MSP2 loci in parasites from areas of stable malaria transmission. As a consequence, in such areas it is rare to find parasites of the same 2-locus genotype in more than 1 subject. We have studied MSP1 and MSP2 diversity in parasites collected from subjects with both symptomatic (n = 86) and asymptomatic (34) malaria living on the island of Santo, Vanuatu, an area of stable malaria transmission. Polymorphism at the MSP1 and MSP2 loci was considerably less than previously reported: only 5 MSP1 and 5 MSP2 alleles were detected and these showed no size variation within alleles. Santo is unique amongst the areas studied so far in that it is a small island at the limit of the malaria belt in the South Pacific. Thus, the evolution of the parasite population may have been affected by the small size and isolation of this island population. Moreover, limited parasite diversity may explain the unusually mild nature of Plasmodium falciparum disease on Santo. Islands have fascinated biologists for centuries and fuelled the advancement of evolutionary theory, since they are natural laboratories for the study of evolution. The simplicity of the Vanuatu P. falciparum population may facilitate the use and interpretation of sequence level analyses to address the mechanisms by which genetic diversity is generated and maintained in natural populations.

Four species of the genus Hippopodina Levinsen, 1909 are described from material originally attributed to Hippopodina feegeensis (Busk, 1884). The type species Lepralia feegeensis is redescribed and three further species of Hippopodina are recognized: H. pulcherrima (Canu & Bassler, 1928), H. iririkiensis sp. nov. and H. viriosa sp. nov.