Science Centres: Coasts
In this issue we bring you news of recently completed research on: Tauranga Harbour sediments, the Separation Point fishing exclusion zone, the Bay of Islands Coastal Survey, and mapping coastal environmental values.
The Bay of Islands coast is under increasing pressure from human activities, both land-based and marine. As part of the government’s Ocean Survey 20/20 programme, Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) commissioned NIWA to carry out a comprehensive survey of the region’s seafloor habitats and biodiversity.
The New Zealand coast is a marine biodiversity hotspot, inhabited by an estimated 65 000 species, many of unique to New Zealand. Knowing what we have and where is crucial to protecting this wealth of biodiversity and the environmental services it delivers. A recent mapping project meets this need.
What will future land use and climate change do to sediments entering southern Tauranga Harbour? To find out, Environment Bay of Plenty commissioned NIWA to model the sources and fates of sediments under various scenarios over a 50-year period.
Research has revealed key differences in seafloor communities and habitats inside and outside the Separation Point trawl fishing exclusion zone in Tasman Bay. These have important implications for valuable benthic fisheries in the area.