One of Australia’s most famous shipwrecks is providing fresh knowledge of the origins of global supply chains nearly four centuries ago.

New research analysing ballast and building stone recovered from the wreck of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship Batavia has revealed that the vessel carried stone sourced from several different European quarries. The evidence suggests that Dutch shipbuilders were drawing materials from a wide geographical area, showing a sophisticated international procurement network long before the Industrial Revolution.

Escalating conflict around the Persian Gulf and wider Middle East is beginning to affect dive travel, even in destinations where diving operations remain open and far removed from active fighting.

Airspace warnings, cancelled services, longer diversion routes and changing government travel advice are making it harder for divers to reach destinations including Oman and Jordan. The disruption may also affect travellers connecting between Europe and Asia through the Gulf’s major airline hubs.

The diving community is mourning the loss of Zale Parry, one of the sport's true pioneers, who has died at the age of 93. Best known to many as the female face of the classic television series Sea Hunt, Parry's influence extended far beyond television. Over a career spanning more than seven decades, she helped shape recreational scuba diving through record-setting dives, equipment development, underwater photography, education and tireless advocacy for the oceans.

Unlike forests on land, kelp forests are constantly on the move. They grow, break apart, drift away, disappear and return. Entire underwater landscapes can change within a few seasons. The kelp forest is never still.

This year marked the 15th anniversary of the competition, and the 20th anniversary of MIDE. A long-time highlight of the expo, the photo competition, which has been developed and managed by the organisers of MIDE since its inception, attracted great enthusiasm and attention from visitors. It showcased a spellbinding collection of underwater imagery from talented photographers, both international and domestic.