Dear MARMAMers: My co-authors and I are pleased to announce our recent publication: 'Blubber gene expression and cortisol concentrations reveal changing physiological stress in a Southern ocean sentinel species' published in Marine Environmental Research. Our article is available open access at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106596 Abstract The health of migratory eastern Australian humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) can reflect the condition of their remote polar foraging environments. This study used gene expression (LEP, LEPR, ADIQ, AhR, TNF-α, HSP-70), blubber hormone concentrations (cortisol, testosterone), and photogrammetric body condition to assess this sentinel species during a period of unprecedented changes to anthropogenic activity and natural processes. The results revealed higher cortisol concentrations in 2020 compared to 2021, suggesting a decline in physiological stress between years. Additionally, metabolic transcripts LEPR, and AhR, which is also linked to xenobiotic metabolism, were upregulated during the 2020 southbound migration. These differences suggest that one or more environmental stressors were reduced between 2020 and 2021, with upregulated AhR possibly indicating a Southern Ocean pollutant declined between the years. This research confirms a Southern Ocean-wide decrease in whale stress during the study period and informs efforts to identify key stressors on Antarctic marine ecosystems. kind regards, Jacob M.J. Linsky, PhD (he/him) School of the Environment | Moreton Bay Research Station The University of Queensland +61 482 795 388