Meet Jack

From mowing lawns to protecting our coastlines: how Jack Bowick became the Bay of Plenty’s newest marine biosecurity ambassador.

Jack Bowick (pictured) is one of a cast of people up and down the North Island’s coastline that spends his working hours talking with boaties about marine pests.

Raised in Hamilton, he would visit Whaingaroa/Raglan from time to time but only discovered the magic of the ocean while studying environmental management at Tauranga’s Toi Ohimai Institute of Technology and working to achieve his dive qualifications.

It was the phenomenal experience of deep diving at Tuhua/Mayor Island that really hooked him. “We went into the fish bowl, it was so vibrant, with a wall of blue maomao and demoiselle cruising past.” 

The experience moved him to focus his studies on marine biology where he first learned of the field of marine biosecurity, initially joining Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s marine biosecurity team through its Summer Assistance program, working on the stretch of coast from Opotiki to Bowentown near Waihi. 

From day to day he visits boat ramps, marinas, attends boat shows and events, and talks with people about marine pests and how they can stop their spread. 

He says that part of that is gauging what people already know, and answering questions - the most common being around what pests are already in the Bay of Plenty, and questions about the invasive seaweed, exotic caulerpa. 

“The level of damage that marine pests can cause is incredible,” he says. “It’s satisfying playing a role in protecting our coastlines.”

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