Auckland Council is warning its citizens to keep an eye on children and dogs at the beach this summer as washed-up toxic grey side-gilled sea slugs pose a grave threat. What’s this sea slug I’m hearing about? The grey side-gilled sea slug (Pleurobranchaea maculata) may be native to our beautiful country, but it could be … Read more
Fishermen and swimmers around the Hauraki Gulf are reporting droves of baby sharks in the waters. What does it mean, and where are their parents? Baby hammerheads were the most recognisable, but plenty of species were among the hundreds of chondrichthyan children hanging out at the marine crèche that popped up at Great Barrier Island … Read more
Summer has begun and the forecast is: it’s hot and breezy and wet and dry. We explain what’s going on, and what you can expect over the coming months. A cloudless sky rains down on dry soil, and children play in the hot puddles. Every night you put the laundry in the oven, grab a … Read more
Eileen Merriman has whipped out three fine novels for young adults since debuting in 2017. Moonlight Sonata is her first crack at writing for adults. In this first chapter Merriman sets up a beatific family holiday – New Year’s, the beach, deckchairs and drinks – and injects a dose of abject wrongness. They see the … Read more
It’s one of New Zealand’s most picturesque locations, but what are the best bits? Piha local Mark Mitchinson, who plays rockstar-turned-radio DJ Terry Huffer in the Lightbox series High Road, takes us on a tour of West Auckland’s famous beach suburb. High Road is a Lightbox Original. Season two of High Road is available to … Read more
While your chances of being attacked by a shark are tiny, the risks of an injury from beach litter and marine debris are surprisingly high – and growing every year. Our beaches are our summer playgrounds, yet beach litter and marine debris injures one-fifth of beach users, particularly children and older people. Our research, published … Read more