Understanding how larvae from extant hydrothermal vent fields colonize neighbouring regions of the mid-ocean ridge system remains a major challenge in oceanic research. Among the factors considered important in the recruitment of deep-sea larvae are metabolic lifespan, the connectivity of the seafloor topography, and the characteristics of the currents. Here we use current velocity measurements from Endeavour ridge to examine the role of topographically constrained circulation on larval transport along-ridge. We show that the dominant tidal and wind-generated currents in the region are strongly attenuated within the rift valley that splits the ridge crest, and that hydrothermal plumes rising from vent fields in the valley drive a steady near-bottom inflow within the valley. Extrapolation of these findings suggests that the suppression of oscillatory currents within rift valleys of mid-ocean ridges shields larvae from cross-axis dispersal into the inhospitable deep ocean. This effect, augmented by plume-driven circulation within rift valleys having active hydrothermal venting, helps retain larvae near their source. Larvae are then exported preferentially down-ridge during regional flow events that intermittently over-ride the currents within the valley.

The global lockdown to mitigate COVID-19 pandemic health risks has altered human interactions with nature. Here, we report immediate impacts of changes in human activities on wildlife and environmental threats during the early lockdown months of 2020, based on 877 qualitative reports and 332 quantitative assessments from different studies. Hundreds of reports of unusual species observations from around the world suggest that animals quickly responded to the reductions in human presence. However, negative effects of lockdown on conservation also emerged, as confinement resulted in some park officials being unable to perform conservation, restoration and enforcement tasks, resulting in local increases in illegal activities such as hunting. Overall, there is a complex mixture of positive and negative effects of the pandemic lockdown on nature, all of which have the potential to lead to cascading responses which in turn impact wildlife and nature conservation. While the net effect of the lockdown will need to be assessed over years as data becomes available and persistent effects emerge, immediate responses were detected across the world. Thus, initial qualitative and quantitative data arising from this serendipitous global quasi-experimental perturbation highlights the dual role that humans play in threatening and protecting species and ecosystems. Pathways to favorably tilt this delicate balance include reducing impacts and increasing conservation effectiveness.

[1] Residual currents in Juan de Fuca Strait are observed to switch between two fundamental states: estuarine and transient. The estuarine regime, which prevails roughly 90% of the time in summer and 55% of the time in winter, has a fortnightly modulated, three-layer structure characterized by strong ($50 cm s À1 ) outflow above 60 ± 15 m depth, moderate ($25 cm s À1 ) inflow between 60 and 125 m depth, and weak ($10 cm s À1 ) inflow below 125 ± 10 m depth. Rotation increases the upper layer depth by 40 m on the northern side of the channel and upwelling-favorable coastal winds augment inflow in the bottom layer by as much as 5 cm s À1 . Rotation, combined with modulation of the estuarine currents by tidal mixing in the eastern strait, leads to fortnightly variability in the along-channel velocity and cross-channel positioning of the core flow regions. Transient flows, which occur roughly 10% of the time in summer and 45% of the time in winter, are rapidly evolving, horizontally and vertically sheared ''reversals'' in the estuarine circulation generated during poleward wind events along the outer coast. Major events can persist for several weeks, force a net inward transport, and give rise to an O(10) km wide, surface-intensified, O(100) cm s À1 inflow along the southern (Olympic Peninsula) boundary of the strait. This ''Olympic Peninsula Countercurrent'' is typically accompanied by an abrupt decrease in salinity, indicating that it is a buoyancy flow originating with low-density water on the northern Washington shelf.

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