You may turn up at the coastline to find there’s a “red tide” (an algal bloom), said Niwa marine ecologist Matt Pinkerton. That’ll mean you and your pets will have to stay out of the water. If there’s still some sand remaining, you might notice fewer shells and larger dumps of seaweed, ripped out by more intense storms. The seaweed dumps could rot, making life unpleasant, Pinkerton said. Large swarms of jellyfish may be another unwelcome sight, he added. And that’s if you can get to the sea at all – steps, handrails and jetties are likely to suffer more frequent damage, from storms and erosion.