Invasive species can devastate local ecosystems and outcompete native species when able to establish in areas outside their native range due to spreading through human activities, primarily shipping and aquaculture. This map was created from data available through the Marine Biosecurity Porthole (https://marinebiosecurity.org.nz/what-are-marine-pests/), which uses information from the Port Biological Baseline Surveys (PBBS) and the National Marine High Risk Site Surveillance (NMHRSS), other verified observations are from published literature, unpublished technical reports, biosecurity databases, and records held by the Marine Invasives Taxonomic Service and research taxonomists. The PBBS were conducted from 2001 and 2007 and NMHRSS occur every 6 months. This layer includes observations of 399 non-indigenous species identified in Aotearoa New Zealand and shows areas most affected by multiple non-native species. These data were stacked by summing the number of records across all species in each cell of a 1km2 raster grid. This indicates where there is the most overlap of sightings for different species.

Limitations: These maps are strongly biased by survey locations, which tend to be focused near ports and may not be complete, correct or up to date but offer the most comprehensive view of non-native species in New Zealand’s marine environment.

Source: https://www.marinebiosecurity.org.nz/search-for-species/

Seaward, K., Acosta, H., Inglis, G.J., Wood, B., Riding, T., Wilkens, S., Gould, B. (2015) The Marine Biosecurity Porthole - a web-based information system on non-indigenous marine species in New Zealand. Management of Biological Invasions, 6: 177-184. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3391/mbi.2015.6.2.08

Invasive species can devastate local ecosystems and outcompete native species when able to establish in areas outside their native range due to spreading through human activities, primarily shipping and aquaculture. This map was created from data available through the Marine Biosecurity Porthole (https://marinebiosecurity.org.nz/what-are-marine-pests/), which uses information from the Port Biological Baseline Surveys (PBBS) and the National Marine High Risk Site Surveillance (NMHRSS), other verified observations are from published literature, unpublished technical reports, biosecurity databases, and records held by the Marine Invasives Taxonomic Service and research taxonomists. The PBBS were conducted from 2001 and 2007 and NMHRSS occur every 6 months. This layer includes observations of 399 non-indigenous species identified in Aotearoa New Zealand and shows areas most affected by multiple non-native species. These data were stacked by summing the number of records across all species in each cell of a 1km2 raster grid. This indicates where there is the most overlap of sightings for different species.

Limitations: These maps are strongly biased by survey locations, which tend to be focused near ports and may not be complete, correct or up to date but offer the most comprehensive view of non-native species in New Zealand’s marine environment.

Source: https://www.marinebiosecurity.org.nz/search-for-species/

Seaward, K., Acosta, H., Inglis, G.J., Wood, B., Riding, T., Wilkens, S., Gould, B. (2015) The Marine Biosecurity Porthole - a web-based information system on non-indigenous marine species in New Zealand. Management of Biological Invasions, 6: 177-184. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3391/mbi.2015.6.2.08