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Education Appointments – Open Polytechnic welcomes new Chief Executive and Council members

Source: Open Polytechnic

On 3 February a Pōwhiri was held at Open Polytechnic’s Lower Hutt campus to formally welcome new Chief Executive Sharon Cooke as the organisation returns to standalone governance.
The Pōwhiri was led by local Ahi Kaa (Mana Whenua) and Open Polytechnic’s Kaiwhakahaere Matua, Executive and Senior Leadership team. Also formally welcomed at the Pōwhiri were Ministerial appointed Council members, Darren Linton; Chair, Dr Neil Barns; Deputy Chair, and Maea Puriri-Pivac (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua, Ngātiwai, Ngāti Hine).
Ms Cooke joins the Open Polytechnic, New Zealand’s specialist provider of open online and distance learning, at a significant time as the organisation celebrates its 80th Anniversary year.
Previously Chief Executive at Airways International Ltd, she brings over 20 years executive leadership experience across aviation, technology, and higher education, with a focus on strategic growth, digital transformation, and improving customer and learner outcomes.
During her first day on campus, Ms Cooke took the opportunity to meet with the Open Polytechnic’s wider leadership team, and host an all kaimahi (staff) hui to introduce herself and hear what was top mind for kaimahi as the organisation begins its standalone journey and as an anchor polytechnic in the Federation under the Government’s redesign of vocational education.
“The Open Polytechnic has a long and successful history of delivering vocational education throughout all of Aotearoa New Zealand. There are great opportunities ahead of us to build on that legacy,” says Ms Cooke.
Council Chair Darren Linton says, ” On behalf of the council and Open Polytechnic NZ I would like to warmly welcome Sharon to the organisation. We are privileged to have Sharon's extensive leadership experience from the public and private sector, and I look forward to working with her.”
The recruitment to fill the remaining three Council roles in the six-member Council will be carried out later this year.
About Open Polytechnic
Open Polytechnic is New Zealand’s specialist provider of open and distance learning, enrolling around 40,000 mainly part-time learners per year. The majority of learners are adults, combining work and study.
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Greenpeace – Kiwi-killing Bill 2.0: Government’s RMA reforms strip wildlife protections

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace says it has identified a “kiwi-killing clause” in the 300-page Natural Environment Bill (NEB), which is set to replace the country's primary environmental law – the Resource Management Act.
Last year, the Government legalised killing kiwi for commercial activity with a permit from DOC, under the Wildlife Act. The Government is now proposing to override the Wildlife Act, bypass its safeguards, and give Councils the power to issue permits to companies to kill protected wildlife in the new planning system.
“Legalising killing kiwi was bad enough, but now the Government wants to make it even easier for companies to get permission to kill native wildlife, ” says Greenpeace Aotearoa campaigner Gen Toop.
“So many of our native species are already on the brink of extinction, yet the Government is proposing to dramatically weaken remaining legal protections for wildlife in Aotearoa.”
New Zealand has one of the highest extinction rates in the world. In the Cabinet paper on the Bill, the Government dedicates just two paragraphs to its proposed overhaul of the nation’s wildlife protection and states they inserted the override clause to “reduce the burden on developers“. Greenpeace says that framing is “chilling”.
“This kiwi-killing clause shows just how far the Government’s overhaul of the RMA has strayed from what New Zealanders value.
“Millions of dollars are spent and thousands of people volunteer their time trying to save Kiwi every year across the country. This Government plans to undermine all that effort by letting roading and mining companies kill them off to make a quick buck.”
Under clause 128 of the NEB, Councils would replace DOC as the decision-maker on killing and harming wildlife. The protective purpose of the Wildlife Act and its safeguards would no longer apply to permit decisions, which would instead be made under the new and more permissive planning system.
“The purpose of our new environmental law should be to protect and restore nature, not allow corporations to kill it off, ” says Toop.
“The Government’s RMA reforms are specifically designed to allow more environmental harm, and nowhere is that made clearer than in this kiwi-killing clause.
“Decisions about protected wildlife must stay with DOC, under the Wildlife Act, where protection is the clear and sole purpose. Councils simply do not have the specialist, species-by-species expertise or national oversight needed to make those decisions.”
Greenpeace is calling on the Government to remove the Wildlife Act override from the Natural Environment Bill.
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Weather News – Waitangi Weekend split: Heat builds in the North, fronts bring rain to the South – MetService

Source: MetService

Covering period of Thursday 5th – Monday 9th February
 
– North Island: Mostly fine and dry for the long weekend, with high temperatures for eastern areas

– South Island: More changeable, with rain at times as weak cold fronts move north

– Waitangi Day: Dry for most in the north, including Waitangi itself, with some morning cloud. Rain in parts of the south

It’s a split weather story as we head into Waitangi Weekend, with many North Islanders enjoying settled, summery weather, while the South Island sees more cloud and rain at times as weak cold fronts brush the country.

For the North Island, a weak ridge of high pressure persists through the long weekend, bringing plenty of fine spells. While western areas may see occasional cloud and the odd shower, eastern regions such as Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, and Wairarapa are expected to stay mostly sunny, with temperatures climbing, and potentially nudging into the low 30s on Saturday and Sunday in Hawke’s Bay.

Waitangi is expected to be mainly fine for the big day, but there may be some patchy cloud through the day and the chance of a shower before dawn.

MetService meteorologist Devlin Lynden says the contrast between the islands will be noticeable.

“It’s a tale of two islands this Waitangi Weekend. The North Island is shaping up well, with just the odd shower for western areas and high temperatures in the east, while the South Island will be more variable as several weather systems move north, bringing periods of rain.”

The South Island has a bit more weather to contend with. A cold front approaches the south late Thursday, then tracks north on Friday, gradually weakening but still delivering periods of rain for many areas south of Ashburton at the start of the long weekend. Another weak front follows late Saturday, keeping conditions unsettled at times, especially for Fiordland and Southland, where daytime temperatures are likely to stay in the teens.

For the northeastern South Island, there will be more dry breaks, but a passing shower remains possible, so keeping an umbrella handy is a good idea.

Overall, it’s a weekend of contrasts, so checking the local forecast before making outdoor plans is recommended. For the latest updates, head to metservice.com
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Police watchdog concedes violence against mental health workers ‘serious’ but too underfunded to investigate – PSA

Source: PSA

Govt must better fund our critical watchdogs
The PSA is appalled that the IPCA doesn’t have the resources to investigate the policy of Police withdrawing from supporting mental health workers which is now being phased out.
The PSA laid an official complaint with the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) last month after Police failed to assist mental health workers who were assaulted by a distressed patient. It also requested a wider review into the consequences of the Police’s phased withdrawal from supporting mental health workers.
In its response to the PSA (attached) the IPCA concedes that violence and assaults against mental health workers are a “significant concern” – but states that it does not have the resources to investigate the Police Mental Health Change Response Programme.
The Authority says it currently has a “high volume” of complaints and that it may be some time before it can assess the mental health workers’ complaints about the incident which took place on 21 November 2025.
“This is extraordinary. A critical public watchdog is admitting a serious safety crisis exists but lacks resources to investigate it. That's a damning indictment of Government funding priorities for independent oversight,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
The Government has been warned of the funding pressures by the Authority in recent annual reports and in its Briefing to Incoming Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith in December 2023. It advised him then that ‘our current funding allows us to operate at the minimum viable level’, stating that cash reserves would run out in late 2025.
The IPCA also has the clear authority, under Section 12 of the Independent Police Conduct Authority Act 1988 to carry out investigations into ‘any Police practice, policy or procedure’ related to the complaint.
“Mental health workers are being left exposed to increasing violence and the very Authority that should be investigating the policy doesn't have the resources to do its job. That's deeply alarming.”
“This comes at a time when public confidence in Police is dropping, making independent oversight more important than ever.
“For democracy to function, the Government needs to properly fund the watchdogs that hold agencies to account, especially in the face of widespread cuts to public services which have consequences like this.
“If the IPCA can't investigate threats to worker safety because of funding constraints, what else is being ignored? What other critical issues are falling through the cracks because oversight bodies are stretched too thin?
“This is part of a disturbing pattern. We know for a fact that the Privacy Commissioner is overwhelmed with complaints and has been starved of funding despite repeated warnings to the Government over the last few years.
“We call on the Government and Police to shelve plans for Police withdrawal from mental health support before it's too late and more workers are assaulted or an avoidable tragedy occurs.
“The failure to provide Police support to mental health workers on 21 November should be urgently investigated.”
The IPCA has assigned the specific complaint in relation to the assaults on workers to a caseholder for assessment.
Recent statements
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
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Appointments – Fonterra announces Mainland Group leadership change

Source: Fonterra

Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd today advises that René Dedoncker has notified his resignation from his position as Managing Director Global Markets Consumer to take up a position outside of Fonterra.

René Dedoncker has been with the Co-op since 2005 and has held several global leadership positions during that time, including leading our Mainland Group business since March 2025.

Prior to this role, René was a member of the Fonterra Management Team as Managing Director Global Consumer and Foodservice.

René has also led Fonterra’s Australian business, including through its merger with Fonterra Brands New Zealand to form Fonterra Oceania, and has held global leadership roles within our Foodservice business.

René has a 6 month notice period and has indicated his willingness to continue leading Mainland Group through the completion of the divestment transaction and transition to Lactalis ownership.

CEO Miles Hurrell thanks René for his significant contribution to Fonterra, particularly through the process to divest Mainland Group, where René has continued to provide strong leadership and drive performance as we prepared the business for sale.

About Fonterra  

Fonterra is a co-operative owned and supplied by thousands of farming families across Aotearoa New Zealand. Through the spirit of co-operation and a can-do attitude, Fonterra’s farmers and employees share the goodness of our milk through innovative consumer, foodservice and ingredients brands. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re committed to leaving things in a better way than we found them. We are passionate about supporting our communities byDoing Good Together.  

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Property Market – 2025’s sluggishness carries over into 2026 – Cotality NZ

Source: Cotality NZ

Property values across Aotearoa New Zealand dipped by a minor -0.1% in January, carrying over the broadly flat finish for 2025 into the first part of 2026.

Cotality NZ’s latest Home Value Index (HVI) also shows that the national median value in January of $802,617 was -1.0% lower than a year ago, and still down by 17.5% from the peak in early 2022 – which was $972,743.

Over the past 12 months, standalone houses have seen value falls of -0.7%, with -1.7% for townhouses, and -4.1% for apartments. However, the latter only accounts for 4% of the national dwelling stock.

Trends across the main centres remained patchy in January. Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (-0.3%) and Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington (-0.1%) both saw declines, with Kirikiriroa Hamilton and Ōtautahi Christchurch staying flat. Tauranga rose by 0.3% and Ōtepoti Dunedin by 0.4%.

Cotality NZ Chief Property Economist, Kelvin Davidson said that the housing market in 2026 has commenced with the same subdued patterns seen at the end of 2025.

“January’s muted result for property values at the national level was simply a continuation of the trends we saw throughout most of last year.”

“New borrowers and also existing mortgage holders will be feeling the benefits of lower interest rates and be more able to act in the market.”

“But there’s still a good stock of listings out there for buyers to choose from and a cautious attitude persists, especially as the recovering economy has yet to improve job security and employment levels.”

“The net result is that buyers aren’t in a rush to bid up prices, although vendors aren’t generally having to drop their expectations much either.”

“In an election year, it’s going to be fascinating to see how policies relating to the housing market evolve and to assess what they might mean for buyers and sellers.”

“The latest lift for inflation and talk about earlier OCR increases will no doubt have some households a bit on edge too.”

Index results for January 2026
Change in dwelling values
Month
Quarter
Annual
From peak
Median value
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
-0.3%
-1.0%
-2.7%
-23.4%
$1,042,041
Kirikiriroa Hamilton
0.0%
-0.3%
-1.4%
-12.6%
$710,524
Tauranga
0.3%
1.1%
1.6%
-14.9%
$931,499
Te-Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington*
-0.1%
-0.5%
-1.6%
-25.5%
$784,547
Ōtautahi Christchurch
0.0%
0.5%
2.6%
-3.6%
$684,714
Ōtepoti Dunedin
0.4%
0.7%
0.1%
-10.5%
$620,128
Aotearoa New Zealand
-0.1%
-0.3%
-1.0%
-17.5%
$802,617

Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland remains softer than many other parts of the country. While North Shore values edged slightly higher in January, Rodney and Papakura held steady. Other areas saw declines over the past month including Waitakere (-0.3%), Franklin (-0.4%), Manukau (-0.5%), and Auckland City (-0.6%).

“North Shore has been a little more resilient than other parts of the super-city, despite being down -17.9% from the peak, whereas other areas have dropped by more than 20% from their previous highs,” noted Mr Davidson.

“Manukau has been a key location for new townhouse developments in recent years, with that additional supply acting to subdue property values.”

“In Auckland City, the concentration of apartments has been a factor in its underperformance, as buyers for this property type remain cautious amidst a low inflow of new migration to NZ. Anecdotal concerns about build quality as well as body corporate insurance costs may also be putting off some would-be buyers.”

 
 
Change in dwelling values
Month
Quarter
Annual
From peak
Median value
Rodney
0.0%
-0.4%
-1.6%
-20.7%
$1,215,160
Te Raki Paewhenua North Shore
0.1%
0.4%
-0.5%
-17.9%
$1,288,688
Waitakere
-0.3%
-0.8%
-1.8%
-24.7%
$917,731
Auckland City
-0.6%
-2.0%
-3.9%
-25.1%
$1,100,831
Manukau
-0.5%
-1.0%
-3.7%
-25.3%
$961,402
Papakura
0.0%
-0.5%
-2.4%
-23.8%
$804,540
Franklin
-0.4%
-1.3%
-3.1%
-22.9%
$916,642
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
-0.3%
-1.0%
-2.7%
-23.4%
$1,042,041

Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington

The wider Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington area also started 2026 in a muted fashion, with Porirua seeing values down by -0.5%, Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta Upper Hutt by -0.3%, and Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt falling -0.2%.

Wellington City itself was flat in January, but still down by -1.0% compared to the same month in 2025.

“Alongside Auckland, the wider Wellington area remains one of the key soft patches for NZ’s housing market. Economic uncertainty in an election year could mean this general trend could remain in play in the capital for much of 2026,” said Mr Davidson.

“Of course, would-be first home buyers won’t be complaining about flat to falling property values. They continue to be a strong presence around Wellington, accounting for a record 37% of purchases in 2025.”

 
Change in dwelling values
Month
Quarter
Annual
From peak
Median value
Kāpiti Coast
-0.1%
-0.4%
-4.0%
-23.2%
$778,399
Porirua
-0.5%
-1.5%
-2.1%
-24.1%
$753,764
Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta Upper Hutt
-0.3%
0.7%
-2.0%
-24.7%
$699,580
Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt
-0.2%
-1.1%
-2.5%
-27.0%
$666,222
Wellington City
0.0%
-0.2%
-1.0%
-25.2%
$878,702
Te-Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
-0.1%
-0.5%
-1.6%
-25.5%
$784,547

Regional results

Outside the main centres, Hawke’s Bay continues to lag a little, with Heretaunga Hastings and Ahuriri Napier both seeing values dip in January, alongside Whanganui. But many other areas either held steady or increased, with Waihōpai Invercargill up again (0.3%), as well as Te Papaioea Palmerston North and Tāhuna Queenstown.

Invercargill, Gore, Timaru, and Ashburton are the only parts of NZ where property values have surpassed their previous peaks.

“Some parts of Southland and Canterbury are rising a bit more than elsewhere due to property values being relatively low, and better affordability means buyers can arguably stretch a little more to secure the deal.”

“Meanwhile, most parts of the farming sector are currently faring well. This will be bolstering economic confidence in the provinces and supporting the housing market to some degree,” Mr Davidson added.

 Region
Change in dwelling values
Month
Quarter
Annual
From peak
Median value
Whangārei
0.0%
0.5%
-0.7%
-19.0%
$713,554
Ahuriri Napier
-0.3%
0.1%
0.0%
-18.8%
$706,633
Heretaunga Hastings
-0.4%
-1.4%
0.4%
-18.2%
$698,402
Te Papaioea Palmerston North
0.4%
0.9%
0.2%
-18.0%
$609,681
Tairāwhiti Gisborne
0.0%
0.7%
3.8%
-15.0%
$614,595
Whakatū Nelson
0.1%
-0.7%
-2.6%
-13.7%
$718,951
Rotorua
0.1%
1.5%
0.8%
-11.3%
$630,649
Whanganui
-0.4%
1.4%
1.7%
-11.1%
$499,222
Ngāmotu New Plymouth
0.0%
-0.3%
-0.3%
-5.8%
$705,552
Tāhuna Queenstown
0.8%
1.0%
0.2%
-3.5%
$1,768,507
Property market outlook

Mr Davidson noted that there will be several key themes to keep an eye on in 2026.

“Most expectations are for sales activity to continue to rise this year, bringing down the stock of unsold listings, and contributing to rising house prices.”

“Lower interest rates, a growing economy, and the likelihood of gradually falling unemployment are key factors underpinning that outlook.”

“However, anyone hoping for runaway increases in house prices could be disappointed. After all, the supply of existing property has already risen relative to our population, and dwelling consents now seem to be picking up again.”

“Debt to income ratio limits aren’t binding yet but they’re also a guardrail sitting in the background and will tend to restrain house price growth over the medium term.”

“First home buyers may not always keep such a high share of activity, but they’re likely to remain a strong force in 2026, due in no small part to solid access to low deposit finance at the banks.”

”Meanwhile, investors have also returned to the market but will be keeping a close eye on the politics, particularly around a possible capital gains tax and any discussions about interest deductibility.”

“All in all, it could prove to be another relatively subdued year for housing in 2026,” Mr Davidson concluded.
For more property news and insights, visit www.cotality.com/nz/insights.

Notes:

The Cotality Hedonic Home Value Index (HVI) is calculated using a hedonic regression methodology that addresses the issue of compositional bias associated with median price and other measures. In simple terms, the index is calculated using recent sales data combined with information about the attributes of individual properties such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, land area and geographical context of the dwelling.

 

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Unemployment rate at 5.4 percent in the December 2025 quarter – Labour market statistics: December 2025 quarter – Stats NZ news story and information release

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Climate News – Earth Sciences New Zealand Seasonal Climate Outlook February to April 2026

Source: Earth Sciences New Zealand

Earth Sciences New Zealand's Seasonal Climate Outlook for February to April 2026 is attached.
Highlights:
  • Weak La Niña conditions persist in the tropical Pacific but are on a weakening trend.
  • The traditional Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) was on the La Niña side of neutral in January 2026.
  • The Equatorial SOI (measuring the difference in atmospheric pressure between the eastern Pacific and Indonesia between 5oN and 5oS) was in the neutral range in January 2026 and convection and trade wind anomalies continued to reflect weak La Niña conditions.
  • The Relative Oceanic Niño Index (RONI) continued to weaken in January 2026.
  • This weakening of La Niña conditions is expected to accelerate in the coming months, with about an 80% chance for ENSO-neutral (El Niño – Southern Oscillation) conditions to return by the end of the forecast period.
  • For the next three month period as a whole, the atmospheric circulation pattern over New Zealand is expected to see anomalous high pressure to the south of the country, and anomalous low pressure just to the north, leading to an easterly quarter flow anomaly overall.
  • Slow-moving high pressure systems early in February should bring periods of traditional summer conditions to many parts of the country, interrupted by some shorter unsettled spells.
  • From about mid-February, the risk of tropical incursions may increase again. Further settled conditions may occur in the remainder of March, but overall rainfall anomalies could be heavily skewed if a single significant event occurs. A dramatic pattern change is not anticipated in April, with rainfall events most likely to come from the north, contrasting with high pressure systems still bringing periods of settled conditions.
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Tech – Avast Expands Scam Guardian Globally and Launches Deepfake Guard

Source: Botica Butler Raudon Partners for Avast

Avast Deepfake Guard runs on traditional lower and high-end Windows PCs, bringing advanced scam detection to millions of people across the globe

Auckland, Feb. 4, 2026 – Avast, a leader in digital security and privacy and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), today announced the full international availability of Avast Scam Guardian and Scam Guardian Pro on mobile devices, alongside the launch of Avast Deepfake Guard on Windows PCs, a new AI-powered feature designed to proactively analyse and detect malicious audio in video content. Together, these launches mark a significant expansion of the Avast scam protection ecosystem – extending coverage across mobile and PC, helping protect people wherever scams appear, from text messages to calls and video platforms.

Avast Deepfake Guard is designed to run on Windows PCs*, delivering powerful protection on today’s devices while shining on the latest generation of AI PCs from Intel and Qualcomm. By bringing AI-driven deepfake scam detection to devices people already own, Avast is expanding access to advanced protection at a time when scam deepfakes are becoming more convincing and widespread.

“Deepfakes are a serious threat, but they’re a symptom of a larger problem: deception,” said Leena Elias, Chief Product Officer at Gen. “AI-generated content on its own isn’t inherently harmful. The risk comes when scammers use it to create urgency, apply pressure, and take advantage of trust. That’s what Avast Deepfake Guard is built for: helping people understand when something may be manipulated and make safer decisions in the moment. By expanding Avast Scam Guardian globally on mobile, we’re empowering people worldwide to identify and avoid scam calls, texts and emails with confidence.”

As video becomes the default way people learn, communicate, and make decisions, scammers have followed the audience. In Q4 2025, across devices where the new Gen video scam detection was active, Gen Threat Labs detected 159,378 instances of unique deepfake scamsthat combined manipulated media with clear scam intent, showing how frequently they are being used for fraud. In New Zealand, fake tutorial scams, such as YouTube tutorials and step-by-step guides on other sites that claim to offer free downloads or software, surged by 152% in 4Q.

YouTube accounts for the largest share of blocked deepfake-enabled scam videos on PCs, followed by Facebook and then X. Most deepfake scams also appear as part of normal viewing, not as downloads, attachments, or links, meaning they’re woven into everyday video consumption and hide in plain sight, making them harder to spot.

Avast Deepfake Guard works to detect these surreptitious scam deepfakes in real time, directly on the device for greater speed and privacy, and warns you before you fall victim.

Deepfake Guard is now included in Avast Premium Security and supports English language video analysis across major platforms including Facebook, DailyMotion, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, Vimeo, X, and YouTube.

For more information, visit https://www.avast.com

*Deepfake Guard is an opt-in download with manual detection for lower specification PCs running Windows 11, 8GB of RAM and 4 CPU cores. Traditional high-end PCs must run Windows 11 and have a minimum of 16GB of RAM and 6+ CPU cores on their processors.

Disclaimer

Avast Deepfake Guard functionality may vary depending on device type and system capabilities. The feature supports AI PCs powered by Intel? Core™ Ultra processors, and Qualcomm Snapdragon? X series chips where automated detection is enabled. On traditional high-end PCs, Deepfake Guard is available with automated detection disabled by default, but people may choose to enable it, acknowledging a minimal potential impact on system performance. On lower-end traditional PCs, Deepfake Guard is not installed by default; people may opt to install the feature, however automated detection is not recommended on these devices due to potential performance impacts.

About Avast

Avast is a leader in digital security and privacy, and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted consumer brands. Avast protects hundreds of millions of users from online threats, for Mobile, PC or Mac, and is top-ranked and certified by VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, SE Labs and others. Avast is a member of the Coalition Against Stalkerware, No More Ransom and Internet Watch Foundation. Learn more at Avast.com.

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Universities – Widespread loss of marine sponges possible as heatwaves intensify – VUW

Source: Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

More intense marine heatwaves as a result of climate change could lead to the mass loss of a sponge species found around Aotearoa New Zealand, a new study suggests.

The study found a temperature increase of just 1°C above previous marine heatwave peaks could cause the widespread death of Rowella lancifera, a sponge common in shallow waters around the coast. 

“We know marine heatwaves are already affecting sponge populations, but our latest research shows the effects could be much more severe as heatwaves intensify,” said Professor James Bell, a marine biologist at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and study co-author.

Marine heatwaves are increasing as the climate warms. In 2022, a marine heatwave was linked to the mass bleaching of more than 50 millionCymbastella lamellata sponges in Fiordland and caused almost half to die. 

“In previous marine heatwaves, most shallow-water sponge species actually survived. However, in our recent lab tests we found a 95 percent mortality rate when the Rowella lancifera sponge was exposed to slighty warmer temperatures than those recorded in 2022,” said Professor Bell.

The highest water temperature used in the lab tests was 21.5°C, just 1°C warmer than the top temperature recorded during the 2022 marine heatwave in Fiordland.

The study involved 96 Rowella lancifera sponge specimens. They were collected from sponge populations living at two different water depths so researchers could assess whether depth affected the animal’s response to rising temperatures.

“We saw the same strong stress response, regardless of the water depth at which the sponge had been living. Our results suggest we’re only a 1°C increase away from losing numerous populations of this sponge—and very likely other sponge species too,” said co-author Manon Broadribb, a PhD candidate at Te Herenga Waka.

Given the key role sponges play in the marine environment, the widespread loss of sponge populations would have major flow-on effects, she said.

“Sponges cover up to 70 percent of our rocky reefs, providing habitat for other species and recycling nutrients in the water column that support marine life. With marine heatwaves becoming more intense and occuring more often, there’s a very real risk we could see the mass loss of sponges with ecosystem-wide effects.”

Results of the study are published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article/293/2064/20251103/480041/Differing-temperature-regimes-have-no-impact-on?searchresult=1