FACTSHEET
Marine invaders
When undaria pinnatifida was
first discovered in Wellington
in 1987 no action was taken. It
has since spread as far as
Stewart Island and Gisborne.
New Zealand’s unique marine environment is
increasingly under threat from unwanted foreign
plants, animals and diseases. Already at least 148
marine invaders are found in New Zealand waters.
More international shipping movements could
increase our island nation’s vulnerability to
introduced marine species.
depend on the sea for their livelihoods and lifestyles.
Marine invaders can significantly impact on marine
ecosystems, seafood industries, human health and
recreation. Eradication, control and management
of marine invaders is both difficult and expensive,
so greater biosecurity measures are needed to prevent
the unintentional or deliberate arrival and spread
of alien organisms.
What are marine invaders?
Marine invaders are foreign marine plants or animals that have been accidentally or
intentionally spread to New Zealand’s marine environment. They can include
microscopic organisms, starfish, shellfish, seaweed, crabs and fish.
How do they get here?
Nearly 90% of exotic marine organisms that have established in New Zealand since
1840 were transported by international shipping. Most aquatic hitch-hikers arrived
in the last 40 years, usually attached to vessel hulls, or in ships’ ballast water, but they
may be transported with seafood shipments and aquarium species imports. Invasive
species are also spread by marine farming equipment, commercial fishing and boating.
With little monitoring of the 2500 international ship visits to New Zealand each
year, it could be only a matter of time before a potentially devastating marine invader
arrives.
Hull Fouling
Researchers believe more than two-thirds of accidentally introduced organisms arrive
attached to ships’ hulls and external structures and are then dislodged or reproduce
in their new environment. Anti-fouling paints are designed to poison or discard
marine stowaways during transit and foulings should be disposed of at landfill sites.
Forest and Bird wants to see the adoption of stricter standards for hull cleaning and
disposal.
Ballast water
Ballast water provides stability for large vessels (improving their safety and efficiency)
but alien species sucked into tanks, from micro-organisms to schools of fish, can be
discharged in foreign ports.
While vessels are now required to exchange ballast water in mid-ocean, it is not
always possible for safety reasons, and foreign species may still remain in the sediments.
So Forest and Bird wants to see greater use of filters and heat treatments to lessen
the risk of ships carrying undesirable cargo.
 What are the impacts of What marine invaders are
marine invaders? potential threats?
While not all exotic species arriving in New Zealand survive, Threats come from the ballast water stowaway Eurasian zebra
overseas research suggests one in six introduced marine mussel clogging up the Great Lakes canal system, a comb
species will establish itself and become a pest. Some marine jelly destroying the fisheries of the Black Sea and a tropical
invaders are apparently harmless or nuisance species, but seaweed Caulerpa, smothering the seabed in the
many are hardy and aggressive, changing the structure and Mediterranean and now in Australia. Another pest found in
functioning of the ecosystems they invade. Australia is the northern Pacific seastar which has a ferocious
Invasive species compete for resources with native appetite and can prise open and devour shellfish. The Chinese
species, changing the species composition and food web. clam took just two years to spread throughout San Francisco
Invaders may also bring pathogens and Bay. The voracious predator green crab
parasites that harm indigenous species, eats bivalves and other crabs, threatening
while others interbreed with native
New Zealand’s unique commercially important species.
More basic science is needed on native
species, reducing biodiversity. Most marine environment and
marine species and the distribution and
aggressive invaders alter the marine ‘clean and green’ image impacts of introduced species and
habitat to suit themselves. possible threats.
Overseas, aquatic invasive species
need protecting from the
clog lakes, waterways and coastal areas, constant threat of marine
What can be done?
and adversely affect fisheries, water invaders and their often Forest and Bird wants a national pest
supplies, irrigation, water treatment, strategy for marine invaders like Undaria
recreational activities and shipping.
irreversible impacts on the
and a code of practice for all international
Invaders have replaced native marine natural environment, vessels. This would ensure hulls are
species and caused human health industries and recreation. cleaned before leaving for another
concerns from the build-up of toxins in country and that ships use ballast
fish and shellfish. treatment systems. A programme to
monitor ports and identify risks was initiated in 2001, but
What marine invaders are marine biosecurity has received little funding compared to
land invader control.
already here?
Among the almost 150 known invaders is the Japan Sea Regional councils should include marine pest control
brown seaweed Undaria. First discovered in Wellington measures in their pest management strategies. If detected
harbour in 1987, it is now found from Stewart Island to early marine invaders can be removed, contained or controlled
Gisborne. The seaweed rapidly colonises areas to form to prevent further spread, using pesticides, mechanical or
dense forests which displace crayfish, paua and oysters biological control, or ecological manipulation. Early action
before washing up on beaches to rot. While ‘the gorse of is needed before pests spread.
the sea’ is being trialled as a commercial crop in the
Marlborough Sounds, the government is trying to eradicate What can you do?
the large kelp from Big Glory Bay on Stewart Island and
• Keep a look out for new invaders and if you suspect
Bluff before it spreads to Fiordland.
anything, contact the Ministry of Fisheries Marine
The Asian date mussel has now spread to the Hauraki
Biosecurity hotline 0800 INVADERS (0800 468 233).
Gulf and can form large colonies with as many as 3300
mussels per square metre. Another recent arrival is the • Join Forest and Bird in its campaign to have New Zealand
toxic phytoplankton Gymnodinium catenatum which first uphold its international responsibilities to stop the spread
bloomed in Manukau harbour in May 2000. It has closed of alien species.
shellfish gathering areas and impacted on mussel farming.

For more information contact: Forest and Bird

Forest and Bird – www.forestandbird.org.nz P O Box 631, Wellington
Ministry of Fisheries - www.fish.govt.nz ph 04-385 7374
fax 04-385 7373
Global Invasive Species Database – www.issg.org/database/
www.forestandbird.org.nz

August 2002