The Game Empowering Ocean Explorers to Citizen Scientists

Invasive species cost the global economy over 420 billion dollars each year. To combat this threat to the New Zealand economy and oceans, card game Marine Invaders is teaching the community about unwanted species lurking under the waves.
While most New Zealanders can readily identify land-based pests like rats, possums, and stoats, that awareness doesn't extend to our marine environment. Knowledge about which species should or shouldn’t be in our moana is far less. While the ocean may seem cryptic, however, everyday beach-walkers, rockpool explorers, boat owners, swimmers, divers and kai moana gatherers, are people who notice first if something is not quite right. The mission of Marine Invaders is to empower the people who are in the water every day to become a citizen scientist and increase community reporting to Biosecurity New Zealand.

Marine Invaders is a New Zealand-made marine biosecurity card game designed to raise awareness about the impact of invasive species on native marine biodiversity, human health and economic risks. The game teaches players to recognise disastrous pest species, like Caulerpa brachypus, a species of concern along New Zealand’s north-eastern coastline, and how these species arrive and can quickly out-compete native species.

Bringing the competition between native and invasive pest species into our homes, schools and community on dry land, Marine Invaders has quickly become a popular educational tool in schools around New Zealand. Since being available to schools with a House of Science membership in the Invasion Busters / Ngā Kaiārai Kaiurutomo bookable kit, in the last 12 months, has been booked 150 times – that’s 450 teachers and 11,000 students.

"I have used Marine Invaders with primary schools and high schools, in marae-based learning settings, and at home with my own kids. The kids especially appreciate the Aotearoa-NZ focus of the game with great pictures, and they drive lots of interesting discussions during play about species they have seen or heard about, and sometimes they surprise me with their ethical questions on managing native and invasive species.”  – Dr Shari Gallop, Scientist and Educator

Developed out of the Coastal Marine Field Station at the University of Waikato, game designer Elizabeth Copeland was the recipient of KiwiNet Emerging Innovator Programme funding, catapulting the launch of the game into market and available at marineinvaders.com
The game isn’t all doom and gloom either, there are some highlighted ways in which native species can thrive too. Backer of the winning Fish of the Year/ Te Ika o Te Tau 2024, the humble Spotty – Notolabrus celidotus, Elizabeth is dedicated to raising awareness of the difficulties that taonga species face, using the game as a platform – with artistic stylings of beloved species such as kina, little penguin, pipi, and toheroa helping to bring the mission to life.

The next stages are international expansion, as Marine Invaders is getting an Australian version in a project with University of Newcastle, The Wollotuka Institute and DeadlyScience. Currently, there is an open poll to find out about locally culturally significant marine species for NSW.
To find out more - check out the post

“By voting, you will help us create a meaningful and educational card game that highlights the rich marine biodiversity and cultural heritage of NSW. Your input ensures that the game reflects the values and traditions of NSW Aboriginal communities.” - DeadlyScience