Know the difference and help protect our best boating spots.

With an army of boats out on the water this summer, it’s a great time to learn how to spot and report marine pests.

The first step is knowing what to look for. While more than 200 non-indigenous marine species are present in New Zealand, only around ten are thought to pose a real threat – which means getting familiar with them is a realistic proposition.

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Learn to identify these by checking the marine pest ID guide at marinepests.nz – and if you see something suspicious outside a known location, take a photo, note the GPS coordinates, and report it at report.mpi.govt.nz or call 0800 80 99 66.

Native seagrass is a beneficial species that can be difficult to tell apart from the invasive seaweed exotic caulerpa. // Photo credit: Shaun Lee

Even if you’re unsure, it’s worth reporting. “We’d rather get a thousand false alarms than miss the one that’s right,” says Romany Prevette-Stanaway from Bay of Plenty Regional Council. And remember, keeping your hull, anchor, and gear clean is the best way to stop pests from spreading between locations.

Check out our growing list of marine pests on our website.

Here are the marine pests we talked about in December.