During the summer 25/26 season the extra-limital Needlefishes were back again at Muriwai, but this time they were also found in the Nelson, Kaikoura, and South Island West Coast samples. We still don’t have a species for this family, something we need to investigate further. The Catlins sample recorded some Anchovy making it the furthest south record for this warm-water species. It is yet another indication that climate change may result in a different diet composition for kororā – and making other prey species available for other seabirds. 
Overall, the diet of kororā living on the east coast of both islands is a lot more varied compared to everyone else for most samples. No immediate intuitive explanation is available for this. Every sampling period uncovers more species in their diet and there are now 15 fish families represented at more than 10% relative read abundance (RRA). 

New fish families that crossed the 10% threshold:

• Gurnards, Trigildae family

• Halfbeaks, Hemiramphidae family