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Story: Acclimatisation

Portobello Marine Laboratory

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Portobello Marine Laboratory

The Portobello Marine Laboratory, on Otago Peninsula, was built in the early 1900s as a fish hatchery, and was partly funded by several acclimatisation societies. The laboratory worked to help acclimatise marine species such as Atlantic herring, turbot, European crab and Australian prawns. None of the releases was successful and the station soon changed its focus to studying native species.

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Hocken Collections, University of Otago

Permission of the Hocken Collections Uare Taoka o Hakena, University of Otago, must be obtained before any re-use of this image. Further information may be obtained from the Library through its website.

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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Acclimatisation – Early acclimatisation societies, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/17468/portobello-marine-laboratory (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 1 March 2009.