Background: The corona pandemic has forced higher education (HE) institutes to transition to online learning, with subsequent implications for student wellbeing.Aims: This study explored influences on student wellbeing throughout the first wave of the corona crisis in the Netherlands by testing serial mediation models of the relationships between perceived academic stress, depression, resilience, and HE support.Methods: The Covid-19 International Student Wellbeing Study (C19 ISWS) was used, with a total sample of 2,480 higher education students studying at InHolland Universities of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Student subgroups were created, so that students with low and high perceived academic stress could be assessed, in addition to depressed and non-depressed students. Predictive model fit was tested using Macro PROCESS.Results: A significant serial mediation model for the total student sample was revealed, including protective mediating effects of resilience and HE support on the positive direct effect of perceived academic stress on depression. At subgroup level, significant (partial) predictive effects of resilience on depression scores were noted. A partial serial effect between resilience and HE support was found for students with low perceived stress levels, whereas a parallel partial mediation model was present among highly academically stressed students. Regarding non-depressed students, a full parallel mediation model was found, whereas the model for depressed students inadequately explained the data.Conclusions: Overall, resilience and HE support mediate the predictive effect of academic stress on depressive symptoms among students. In addition, substantial differences in model fit arise when inspecting the students on a subgroup level. These findings contribute to the gap in knowledge regarding student wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Netherlands, in addition to providing novel insights on student subgroup dynamics. While Covid-19 restrictions continue to demand online learning, student wellbeing may be enhanced overall by targeting resilience and increasing awareness and availability of HE support services. The current study also highlights the need for differential approaches when examining wellbeing for specific student groups.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has forced higher education (HE) to shift to emergency remote teaching (ERT), subsequently influencing academic belonging and social integration, as well as challenging students' engagement with their studies.AimsThis study investigated influences on student engagement during ERT, based on student resilience. Serial mediation analyses were used to test the predictive effects between resilience, academic belonging, social integration, and engagement.MethodsThe Student Well-being Monitor (SWM 2021) was completed by 1332 HE students studying at Inholland University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Predictive models were compared among students with low, normal, or high resilience using SPSS extension Macro PROCESS.ResultsA significant serial mediation model was found among all HE students, including positive mediating effects of academic belonging and social integration. More so, independent partial predictive effects of academic belonging and social integration on engagement were also present. Assessment of student resilience profiles revealed substantial differences between predictive models. For low resilience students, serial mediation was present and included the largest partial predictive effect from social integration compared to other groups. For highly resilient students, mediation via academic belonging was found, including the strongest partial and indirect effects compared to other groups.ConclusionsOverall, academic belonging and social integration positively mediate the effect of resilience on engagement in addition to demonstrating independent positive predictive effects. Inspection of resilience profiles reveals substantial model fit differences, suggesting use of different engagement strategies between student groups. Findings contribute to understanding of HE student engagement during ERT in the Netherlands and provide novel insight on the mechanisms between resilience and engagement. While ERT continues to be required, engagement may be enhanced by stimulating academic belonging for all students generally, but low resilience students could be best served by additionally targeting social integration and resilience.

Around the Perhentian Islands, coral reefs have been undergoing significant degradation, as is reported annually through citizen-science coral reef monitoring programmes. Typical methodologies included in citizen-science surveys overlook the hosting sea anemones’ contribution to lowered live coral cover (LCC) on reef sites. As sea anemones compete with corals for suitable substrate, nutrients, and light availability, the current study was designed to investigate hosting sea anemone abundance and distribution patterns independently. In addition to identifying and assessing sites of localised sea anemone dominance, sea anemones were examined to identify factors that positively influence reproductive success and growth rate, including formations, hosting status, and resident Amphiprion species. In total, 379 sea anemone samples were analysed over 1600 m2 of Perhentian reef, making this study the first known independent investigation into sea anemone abundance patterns around the Perhentian Islands. Statistical analysis revealed that at site Village Reef, sea anemone abundance was higher than would be expected in healthy reef settings, and sea anemone cover was negatively impacting LCC. At second research site Teluk Keke, such analysis resulted in marginally insignificant results, potentially due to temporal onset differences or pressures exerted by other coral competitors. The most dominant sea anemone species, Heteractis magnifica (N=352), was analysed to test whether factors linked to higher reproductive success and growth rate were present in larger sea anemones. Results corroborate that larger sea anemones were significantly more likely to be actively hosting and were more often encountered in cluster formations. The current study employed a citizen-science method to explore its feasibility as a survey tool to identify reef sites undergoing dominance shifts, such as could be further developed and incorporated into currently used citizen-science monitoring programmes.

The coastal waters of Malaysia have been known to allow proliferation of sea anemone assemblages, which are resident species of tropical coral reefs. Along the Perhentian Islands of Terengganu, no efforts have been made thus far to investigate the presence and population dynamics of sea anemone assemblages locally. In this study, Heteractis magnifica assemblages at Village Reef at Perhentian Kecil were monitored during May, July, and August of 2020, thus providing a first assessment of their abundance. Sea anemone formation size, individual size, habitat location, and hosting status of anemonefish were assessed. Results demonstrate significantly larger counts of individuals within aggregated formations in the patch reef as compared to the fringe reef, without the presence of larger individual sizes. In addition, Heteractis magnifica specimens that were actively hosting anemonefish had significantly larger cover, larger individual sizes, and demonstrated higher individual counts within their aggregated formations compared to non-hosting specimens. There was no significant overall effect of time on sea anemone growth throughout the monitoring period, nor were there any significant changes in abundance levels regarding formation make-up throughout the monitoring phase. However, time related effects where present upon data inspection per assessment period. The restricted time frame of the monitoring period could play a role in explaining the absence of overall time related effects. A prolonged monitoring will help to further understand Heteractis magnifica population dynamics at this location, which can increase knowledge capacity for reef management and conservation strategies.