When seaweeds go bad: an overview of outbreaks of nuisance quantities of marine macroalgae in New Zealand

When large volumes of macroalgae wash up on beaches, accumulate in coastal areas or within confined bays, there can be significant local impacts. Blooms of macroalgae are being reported throughout the world with increasing frequency in estuarine and coastal areas in both temperate and tropical regions. This review examines examples of nuisance accumulations of macroalgae in New Zealand, the geographic and seasonal distribution of nuisance algal records, available data on impacts on coastal communities, including impacts on human activities, and considers some of the factors that may lead to excessive growth, as well as attempts to ameliorate the associated problems.