Rocky reefs are a major component of coastal ecosystems throughout New Zealand.They are highly productive systems supporting a suite of invertebrate species of significance to commercial, recreational, and customary fishing e.g. abalone, urchins and rock lobster (Morrison et al. 2009). However, the impacts of pollutants on rocky reefs have been largely ignored as it is thought that pollutants are rapidly flushed out of the system by wave action. As discussed above, however, pollutants may affect rocky reef populations in the water column via planktonic larval stages.