Protecting people, aquatic environments and the economy from threats
Managing Risk
Managing Risk
Protecting people, aquatic environments and the economy from threats
Protecting people, aquatic environments and the economy from threats
Aotearoa New Zealand’s aquatic systems face a growing and increasingly complex range of threats. Pests, pathogens, harmful algal blooms, chemical contaminants and climate disruption can quickly affect ecosystems, communities, industries and market access.
Cawthron works with government, regulators and industry to move from reactive responses to proactive, science-led risk management by anticipating threats, detecting them early and acting quickly to reduce their impact.
For a food-exporting nation, getting ahead of risk is critical. Early detection and coordinated response can protect production, trade, communities and ecosystems while building long-term resilience.
Summary of key actions
Identify and understand aquatic hazards
Develop better surveillance and early detection systems
Assess risks to people, ecosystems, animals and industries
Develop strategies to prevent and reduce harm
Strengthen readiness and response
Communicate risk and support collective action
Identify and understand aquatic hazards
Cawthron develops and improves methods to identify and measure pathogens, pests, chemicals, toxins, pollutants and other hazards in aquatic environments, food supply chains and aquatic products.
We also research where significant hazards come from, how they behave and what happens to them over time. This includes harmful microalgae and cyanobacteria, bacteria and viruses, marine pests and diseases, plastics and chemical contaminants.
This includes the development of ecological and climate risk frameworks to support sustainable development, cumulative impact assessment, adaptive management and proactive ecosystem stewardship.
This knowledge helps government, industries and communities understand emerging threats and decide how best to manage them.
Develop better systems for detecting aquatic threats early
Early detection gives people more time to act before a threat spreads, including pests, disease, contaminants, harmful algal blooms or climate-related risks.
Cawthron develops and tests surveillance systems for marine biosecurity, aquatic animal health, food safety and environmental monitoring. These combine proven approaches with tools such as DNA testing, sensors and digital technologies.
The aim is to detect threats quickly and accurately, supporting earlier investigation and response.
Assess risks to people, ecosystems, animals and industries
Cawthron assesses the likelihood and potential consequences of biosecurity, food safety, aquatic animal health, environmental and climate-related hazards.
Our risk assessments consider potential effects on people, farmed and wild species, aquatic ecosystems, production systems and market access.
We use recognised international approaches to provide independent evidence for policy, regulation, investment and operational decisions.
Develop strategies to prevent and reduce harm
Cawthron develops technologies, tools and practices to reduce the likelihood of marine pests, aquatic diseases and food safety hazards arriving, spreading or causing harm.
This may include prevention measures, treatment options, monitoring programmes, operational changes and tools to improve ecological and climate resilience.
We work with partners to develop approaches that are practical, proportionate and supported by robust evidence.
Strengthen readiness and response
When a threat emerges - such as a biosecurity incursion, disease outbreak, harmful algal bloom or contamination event - decision-makers need reliable evidence and practical tools to act quickly.
Cawthron develops readiness and response approaches that help determine the scale of a problem, target interventions, assess whether management is working and support long-term control where eradication is not possible.
Our aim is to help Aotearoa New Zealand lead the development of effective approaches for eradicating or suppressing aquatic threats.
Communicate risk and support collective action
Clear communication is critical during biosecurity events, food safety incidents, disease outbreaks and other aquatic emergencies.
Cawthron develops risk communication and community engagement approaches that help government, industries, iwi and communities understand threats and respond effectively.
By connecting scientific expertise with local knowledge and observations, we can increase awareness, strengthen monitoring networks and support coordinated action.
Blue Climate Solutions
Beyond our core risk management work, Cawthron is investing in a long-term flagship programme - Navigating blue climate solutions: Enabling safe, scalable, and nature-positive solutions for climate stability. We aim to develops scientifically robust frameworks, tools, and technologies to help Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific navigate climate-related risks to coastal and freshwater systems.
This programme draws on our deep scientific understanding of natural and societal processes to assess and monitor the benefits and limits of options ranging from marine ecosystem restoration and carbon dioxide removal to coastal adaptation. We use our position as a trusted, independent institution to help stakeholders distinguish robust, long-term solution pathways from short-sighted fixes, and to inform approaches proposed by external agencies.
News and case studies
Work with us
Whether you're a government agency shaping biosecurity or food safety policy, a regulator managing coastal development, or an industry operator seeking independent risk assessment and diagnostics, Cawthron has the expertise, tools, and track record to support you.
