Mediterranean Fanworm elimination programme

This week Rex and his crew are monitoring the local marinas and boats for fouling and Mediterranean fanworm. One boat is so bad that it needs to be hauled from the water for cleaning.

This is an unwanted organism in NZ and unfortunately has already become established in Lyttelton Port, Whangarei and Waitemata Harbours.

Boat owners can help elimination efforts by ensuring the hull of their boat is clean and anti fouled.  They need to take particular care if coming from Auckland as this is where the highest densities of fanworm are.

The fanworm may adversely impact on native marine species and potentially reduce underwater scenery impacting on dive scenery.  They could also clog dredges and foul fishing gear.  Initial studies do suggest impacts on species and nutrient flows.

This project is a good example of participating and contributing - a decision has been made that this is an issue and actions taken such as the monitoring programme.

What might this look like in the classroom?

Could someone like Rex come to school to share knowledge about fanworm and the issue.  We could connect this to what we know about other invasive species in  NZ. 

People initially brought possums for fur and deer to hunt.  As knowledge has changed over time we know realise that the NZ environment can't adapt quickly enough to cope with these introduced species and some of our native animals have become extinct and endangered.

With this in mind we could engage with a range of scientific texts and consider how we can take positive action.