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The New Zealand Marine ecoregion is one of the most diverse and productive temperate and subpolar ecosystems in the world. Cold, nutrient-rich waters occur here, supporting a rich diversity of aquatic plants, fish, bivalves, seabirds, and marine mammals, including sperm whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
Several ocean currents collide near the southern tip of New Zealand. Cold water from Antarctica mixes with temperate water from the western Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea. Strong winds and heavy storms are common, but inlets and bays around Stewart Island provide sheltered, calm waters. This wide range of conditions supports a diverse array of species. Some penguins nest in the rain forest here, and it is the richest area for seabirds in the world. Albatrosses, petrels, gulls, and Australasian gannets are but a few of the seabirds that nest and feed on fish here. Colonies of Fiordland crested, snares, and erect-crested yellow-eyed penguins (the latter of which is endemic) live here on rocky shores. Hooker's sea lions and southern elephant seals and New Zealand fur seals lounge along the coasts but hunt in the sea, where they may meet dusky and Hector's dolphins. And it's impossible to miss mighty southern right and sperm whales when they swim by. Giant squid have been sighted here at times.
Overfishing is the primary threat. In the more populated coastal areas, sewage discharge, industrial contaminants, agricultural runoff, mining residues, and sold waste disposal are also threats. In some areas, introduced cats and rats have destroyed colonies of native shorebirds.
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