Minding Nemo
Bioblitz night dive reveals an exciting find
Didymo round-up
Awards, awards, awards
Wendy received the award and lifetime membership of the NZ Marine Sciences Society. (Photo: Alan Blacklock, NIWA)
Dr Wendy Nelson, NIWA’s Taxonomy and Systematics Science Leader, has been awarded the prestigious New Zealand Marine Sciences Award in recognition of her continued and outstanding contribution to marine science in New Zealand.
Wendy is New Zealand’s foremost expert on seaweeds, and has devoted her career to research, education, and marineconservation. At NIWA she leads an active algal taxonomy research group and a large marine biodiversity research programme.
The as yet unclassified tube anemone, discovered in shallow water off Wellington’s south coast, within the proposed Kupe-Kevin Smith Marine Reserve. (Photo: Malcolm Francis, NIWA)
A small sand-dwelling tube anemone discovered during Wellington’s Marine Bioblitz could be new to science.
As of October, didymo had been detected in 56 South Island rivers. NIWA has recently wrapped up several major didymo studies commissioned by MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) to better understand its likely spread, its ecology, and impact, and test potential control methods.
Predicting didymo’s distribution and growth
The latest model on habitat suitability for didymo growth, based on new survey data from 145 South Island sites, shows a similar general pattern to the 2005 didymo Likely Environments Map (LEM), with South Island rivers much more susceptible than North Island rivers.
Amphiprion melanopus, an anemone fish which occurs naturally in parts of Australia. (Photo: Photo: Malcolm Francis, NIWA)
Regulation of the marine aquarium trade is necessary to protect species and habitats in both the countries of origin and import. A NIWA team, led by Dr Don Morrisey, has been working with the Australian Federal Government to characterise the nature of the trade and aid its regulation.
In 2006, Australia imported around 280 000 individuals belonging to over 200 species and 35 families.
