We examined the response of four species of New Zealand marine algae ( Ecklonia radiata, Apophlaea lyallii, Rhodymenia spp., Ulva lactuca ) and a sea urchin ( Evechinus chloroticus ) to spatial variation in ultraviolet radiation (UV‐R) by examining the concentration of UV‐R absorbing compounds known as mycosporine‐like amino acids (MAAs). The purpose was to understand how, and the degree to which, local marine species could po...