Invasive species

Introduced pests and diseases can harm the health of Aotearoa New Zealand's marine ecosystems, our seafood industry, and the social and cultural benefits that we derive from the sea.

Aotearoa-New Zealand’s marine area covers 167,650 square kilometres presenting a staggering distribution of climates, from subtropical to subantarctic waters, to understand and manage.

NIWA has world-class expertise in marine macroalgae and extensive research on various aspects of seaweed ecology, growth and taxonomy.

NIWA is part of a multi-agency biosecurity response to an invasive seaweed discovered at Aotea Great Barrier Island and subsequently at Ahuahu Great Mercury Island.

A combination of artificial intelligence and scientific ingenuity looks set to be the next step forward in protecting Aotearoa New Zealand’s lakes and rivers from invasive aquatic weeds.

Estuaries are at the bottom of the freshwater drainage network and, effectively, are a part of it. This means that every time we act to protect and enhance streams and rivers we are also benefiting the estuary at the downstream end.

Submerged plants have a number of advantages that favour their use as indicators of lake ecological condition.

Reducing the risk of new freshwater invasive species, minimising the impacts of these species, and developing methods for reducing or eradicating those populations.

This is a user guide on non-native fish, reptile, invertebrate, algal and plant species that are recorded in New Zealand freshwaters.