Major yacht fouling study complete
Algae in a Changing World:
Freshwater fish finder
Invasive fanworm discovered
5th Asian Pacific Phycological Forum 10–14 November, Wellington, hosted by NIWA and Victoria University of Wellington
This triennial meeting of the Asian Pacific Phycology Association is a venue for information exchange, and promotes international cooperation among algae specialists in the region.
This will be the first time the forum has been held in New Zealand.
The flower-like heads of Sabella spallanzanii from Lyttelton Port. When fully-spread in life, each fan is neatly spiralled. (Photo: Geoff Read, NIWA)
When NIWA taxonomist Geoff Read slit open a leathery marine fanworm tube from a March port surveillance sample, he knew immediately the worm hidden inside was not a native. Close examination of the specimen collected from a wharf pile in Lyttelton by NIWA’s dive team confirmed that the invasive pest, Sabella spallanzanii, had reached New Zealand.
The flower-like Mediterranean fanworm S.
Predicted distributions of shortfin eels Anguilla australis in rivers and streams around Maungatautari in the Waikato region.
If you want to know where to find a banded kōkopu, or the biodiversity value of your local stream, we can help. Principal Scientist John Leathwick has predicted the likelihood of capturing the 30 commonest native freshwater fish just about anywhere in New Zealand.
Dr Leathwick developed statistical models linking fish distributions with environmental characteristics of streams and rivers for each of the 30 species.
NIWA divers Crispin Middleton and Matt Smith inspect a yacht hull in an Auckland marina. (Photo: Nicola Rush, NIWAL)
While this study focussed on yachts, yachts are not the only vessel types bringing non-native species into the country. The results reported here form part of a larger MAF Biosecurity New Zealand study to identify the types and quantity of marine organisms that are transported to New Zealand from overseas on the hulls of all major vessel types.
