New weapon in fight against invasive aquatic weeds NIWA freshwater scientist Dr Daniel Clements trials a submerged invasive weed detector that uses artificial intelligence in a test flume in Hamilton. Image: NIWA. '); } else { // } A combination of artificial intelligence and scientific ingenuity looks set to be the next step forward in protecting Aotearoa New Zealand’s lakes and rivers from invasive aquatic weeds. Management and detection of invasive submerged weeds costs millions of dollars annually, but NIWA researchers have developed a way to detect and identify submerged weeds. This technology will enable agencies to survey far larger areas more efficiently than is currently possible, and potentially lead much faster responses to new incursions.