Caught in the act
Guide to identifying freshwater pests
To stop aquatic pests, take salt
Deep-sea coral count rises
Weeds in waiting
NIWA assists marine pest surveys in Viet Nam
It might look cute, but the common mouse, Mus musculus, has been unmasked as a predator of whitebait eggs.
For the past two whitebait seasons, NIWA scientists have set up video cameras amongst intertidal vegetation where the most common whitebait species, inanga (Galaxias maculatus), lay their eggs, in an attempt to determine what is preying on the eggs.
This specimen of Paragorgia arborea (a ‘bubblegum’ octocoral) has a trunk 42 cm in diameter, was probably at least 7 m high, and may be 300–500 years old.
The count of octocoral species in New Zealand waters keeps climbing. Octocoral habitats range from the low tide mark to the deep sea. They are recognised by their polyps, which typically have eight tentacles.
New Zealand’s fauna is proving to be among the richest in the world.
Over 200 freshwater plant and animal species have been introduced into New Zealand, many of which are already pests, or may become so. Today, few if any of this country’s waterways contain only native species.
NIWA’s new freshwater pest identification guide covers fish, invertebrates, and plants.
NIWA scientists working with Auckland Regional Council staff to sterilise and clear gill nets at Lake Wainamu.
NIWA scientists, working with the Department of Conservation, commercial fishers, and regional council staff, have found a salty solution to the problem of how to effectively and conveniently sterilise freshwater fishing nets.
The nets must be sterilised to ensure fishers, researchers, and water managers don’t inadvertently spread pest fish and weeds.
Dr Graeme Inglis outlines the dive plan for a reconnaissance survey of the port of Nha Trang to researchers from the Viêt Nam Institute of Oceanography.
The spread of harmful organisms by ships and other vectors has been identified as one of the four greatest threats to the world’s oceans. The Global Ballast Water Management Programme (GloBallast) has been helping developing countries to manage this threat by providing technical assistance to enable them to implement the new International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water.
NIWA is testing the potential ‘weediness’ of plants imported for use in aquariums and ornamental ponds. Recently, we surveyed aquatic plants within the aquarium and nursery trade and found over 180 species which have not yet naturalised in New Zealand. Most are tropical plants and unlikely to survive unaided in our climate, but 73 are considered to be weeds elsewhere in the world.
