The wreck of the iron steamship City of Hobart has been identified off the Gippsland coast in Victoria, Australia, resolving a maritime mystery that endured for more than a century. Technical divers from Southern Ocean Exploration (SOE) confirmed the wreck’s identity after revisiting a site detected during offshore wind-farm seabed surveys.

The discovery followed years of intermittent search efforts by researchers and divers seeking to locate the long-lost vessel.

Scientists say some sites have lost more than 90 percent of their living coral, with the Rowley Shoals—once a dream destination for pristine reef dives—among the hardest hit.

“When you have more than about 75% of corals that have bleached or died, it can be very hard to find any healthy corals.”

^{— Dr James Gilmour, senior researcher, Australian Institute of Marine Science}

Marine archaeologists have confirmed the discovery of the Koning Willem de Tweede, a Dutch merchant ship that sank off the coast of Robe, South Australia, in June 1857. The 800-ton, 140-foot vessel was located approximately 400m offshore in Guichen Bay, submerged at depths between 4 and 6 metres. 

The wreck was found 40 metres deep, approximately 7.8 nautical miles south of Rottnest Island, by divers investigating a sonar anomaly on 1 January 2025.

A historic vessel

Built in 1925 for the Royal Netherlands Navy, K XI was one of the first submarines designed for long-range patrols in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). During World War II, the vessel was relocated to Fremantle, Australia, where it played a role in Allied submarine operations in the Pacific theatre.

In response to scientific and community concerns, the NSW Government has listed the great hammerhead as vulnerable and the scalloped hammerhead as endangered under the Fisheries Management Act 1994.

"Formally recognizing that these two shark species are threatened is a significant step forward to protect some of our most vulnerable marine wildlife. We congratulate the NSW Government for taking a proactive approach to conserving these magnificent sharks, which are swimming against the tide of extinction," said Tooni Mahto, AMCS Marine Campaigns Officer.

Coral reefs are among the planet’s most vital ecosystems, yet they face increasing threats from climate change, including bleaching events and destructive storms. A new study by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) sheds light on the crucial role of connectivity between coral communities in helping reefs recover and adapt to environmental challenges.

A new species of hermit crab, distinguished by its striking crimson claws, has been described by scientists at Queensland Museum. 

The discovery was described by Queensland Museum Honorary Peter Davie and Queensland Museum Collection Manager Dr. Marissa McNamara. It places the hermit crab in relatively deep waters, between 120 and 260 meters, off southeastern Queensland.