Jellyfish are a diverse group of gelatinous zooplankton found throughout New Zealand's marine environments, from sheltered bays to open coastal waters. Several native and migratory species inhabit the country's Exclusive Economic Zone, contributing to marine food webs and occasionally impacting human activity through blooms and stings.
New Zealand's position in the temperate South Pacific supports a wide variety of jellyfish species. These organisms, belonging primarily to the phylum Cnidaria, class Scyphozoa (true jellyfish), and class Cubozoa (box jellyfish), are often seasonally abundant and can drift considerable distances due to ocean currents. Some species are native, while others appear periodically due to shifts in currents, climate, and water temperature.