Sea lettuce returns to Tauranga Harbour for summer

Sea lettuce at Waikareao Estuary. Photo/Kristin Macfarlane

There may be less sea lettuce this year than previous years but higher water temperatures are making it decompose quicker, leaving more odour lingering.

Toby Barach, principal advisor for Tauranga catchments at Bay of Plenty Regional Council, said for this time of year, the council had collected less sea lettuce than in 2015 and 2016.

Barach said the council had also found that as a result of higher water temperatures, sea lettuce was decomposing faster this season, causing more odour than in previous years, which could be why some people may be thinking it was worse.

Sea lettuce at Fergusson Park in December 2016. Photo/file

Sea lettuce had an ideal temperature range in which it likes to grow, Barach said, and the unseasonably warm start to summer meant water temperatures were also higher than usual.

"If this weather continues, the water will be perfect for swimming but too warm for sea lettuce which should mean less growth.

"This is what happened in the 2014/2015 summer where we saw minimal sea lettuce build ups due to warmer water temperatures."

Barach said the council had received reports of sea lettuce build-ups along the Kulim Park to Fergusson Park foreshore, as well as at Pahoia, Ongare Point and Kauri Point.

"These are common locations to find sea lettuce and we regularly check and clean these areas."