Salps, that’s what – the humble little plankton Emily Writes believes to be our nation’s greatest creature. She talks to a salp expert about the key role they play in our marine ecosystem. Recently a reader said to me that I’m the only one she knows of who talks about salps. I knew I had … Read more
The billions of tonnes of plastic in our oceans isn’t going away any time soon, but innovative companies here and abroad are working together to find silver linings to this daunting problem. Fishing boats head out to sea and set their nets. They go back to shore. They head back out, the nets are pulled … Read more
Covering Climate Now: Ruby Porter looks into New Zealand’s future when the sea level rises 10, 25 and 80 metres, and finds out how much of Auckland will be left. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here! I grew up in Ponsonby, but the only bay I … Read more
Signs of another marine heat wave should direct attention to the serious impact of warming oceans, write Craig Stevens and Ben Noll of Niwa As New Zealanders are enjoying their days at the beach, unusually warm ocean temperatures look to be a harbinger of another marine heatwave. Despite the exceptional conditions during last year’s heatwave in … 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
We’ve been telling the world our level of marine protection is world-leading when in fact, it’s tiny – about time we owned up, writes Livia Esterhazy of WWF In New Zealand, our Exclusive Economic Zone is enormous. Fifteen times the size of our country’s land mass, our EEZ is the fourth largest in the world. … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Parliament hears dire data on ocean plastics, Provincial Growth Fund to spend millions for 3 jobs, and minister Clare Curran on personal leave. The spread of microplastics in New Zealand’s coastal waters is increasing, to the point where 80% of samples taken in a study were … Read more