Description: Habitat mapping of Te Whanganui-a-Hei Marine Reserve was carried out from Sidescan surveys by MetOcean Ltd in 2009 and later in 2013 diving and video surveys by DOC, detailed below;Te Whanganui-a-Hei Marine Reserve Habitat Mapping, eCoast Ltd. 2016. Report Summary:A Marine habitat survey using remote video was undertaken within and outside Te Whanganui-a-Hei Marine Reserve, Coromandel in November 2013. The aim of the video survey was to: 1) document main physical and biological habitat types in previously non-surveyed areas of the reserve; and, 2) use this information to update and build on a historical map of the reserve created in 2004. Video survey data along with historical habitat data were used to construct an interactive habitat map of the area. Habitat classifications were assigned in accordance with a draft Marine Habitat Classification Scheme produced for the Department of Conservation (Dohner, 2013). A total of 6 physical (abiotic) habitat types were classified within Te Whanganui-a-Hei Marine Reserve. Of these, 2 were soft sediment in nature (sand and coarse sand) and comprised > 60% of the reserve area; 2 were rocky reef (boulder and bedrock comprising > 24% of the reserve area), with the remaining habitat classifications a bivariate combination of sand and low-lying bedrock reef that alternated in dominance, i.e., sand and bedrock or bedrock and sand. Boulder reef was common < 10 m depth across the reserve mainland coast spanning the western inshore reserve boundary (Mussel Rock) to Gemstone Bay (eastern inshore boundary), which transitioned into either sand or sand and patchy bedrock reef with increasing distance offshore. Deeper bedrock reef > 10 m depth was typically associated with the many offshore islands contained within the reserve. A similar suite of physical habitat types occurred outside the reserve and, as such, there were no physical habitat types exclusive to either the reserve or non-reserve sample/survey areas. A total of 9 biological (biotic) habitat types were classified from the analysis of available data within Te Whanganui-a-Hei Marine Reserve. Habitats associated with rocky reef were algal dominated and exhibited predictable distributional patterns with depth. This included shallow Carpophyllum spp (0-3m depth), mixed algal habitat (3-8m depth), Ecklonia radiata habitat (10-15m depth) and Ecklonia radiata and sponge habitat (>15 m depth). In addition to algal-dominated habitats a biogenic sponge and sessile invertebrate community was unique to the reserve between Cook’s Bluff and Motukorure Island (Centre Island) within sand and bedrock habitat > 20 m depth. Biological communities associated with sand and coarse sediment were not obvious from video data, but were classified biologically as Epifaunal_infaunal community Type 1 associated with sand habitat and Epifaunal_infaunal community Type 2 associated with coarse sand habitat. All reserve habitat types were present within the non-reserve sample area; however, three habitat types Carpophyllum flexuosum, urchin barrens, and urchin barrens and macroalgae were exclusive to the non-reserve sample area. The distribution of main biological and physical habitats within and outside Te Whanganui-a-Hei Marine Reserve are presented, together with various features of the habitat map developed for this project. Areas for future development are also discussed.
Copyright Text: Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai
Description: Habitat mapping of Te Whanganui-a-Hei Marine Reserve was carried out from Sidescan surveys by MetOcean Ltd in 2009 and later in 2013 diving and video surveys by DOC, detailed below;Te Whanganui-a-Hei Marine Reserve Habitat Mapping, eCoast Ltd. 2016. Report Summary:A Marine habitat survey using remote video was undertaken within and outside Te Whanganui-a-Hei Marine Reserve, Coromandel in November 2013. The aim of the video survey was to: 1) document main physical and biological habitat types in previously non-surveyed areas of the reserve; and, 2) use this information to update and build on a historical map of the reserve created in 2004. Video survey data along with historical habitat data were used to construct an interactive habitat map of the area. Habitat classifications were assigned in accordance with a draft Marine Habitat Classification Scheme produced for the Department of Conservation (Dohner, 2013). A total of 6 physical (abiotic) habitat types were classified within Te Whanganui-a-Hei Marine Reserve. Of these, 2 were soft sediment in nature (sand and coarse sand) and comprised > 60% of the reserve area; 2 were rocky reef (boulder and bedrock comprising > 24% of the reserve area), with the remaining habitat classifications a bivariate combination of sand and low-lying bedrock reef that alternated in dominance, i.e., sand and bedrock or bedrock and sand. Boulder reef was common < 10 m depth across the reserve mainland coast spanning the western inshore reserve boundary (Mussel Rock) to Gemstone Bay (eastern inshore boundary), which transitioned into either sand or sand and patchy bedrock reef with increasing distance offshore. Deeper bedrock reef > 10 m depth was typically associated with the many offshore islands contained within the reserve. A similar suite of physical habitat types occurred outside the reserve and, as such, there were no physical habitat types exclusive to either the reserve or non-reserve sample/survey areas. A total of 9 biological (biotic) habitat types were classified from the analysis of available data within Te Whanganui-a-Hei Marine Reserve. Habitats associated with rocky reef were algal dominated and exhibited predictable distributional patterns with depth. This included shallow Carpophyllum spp (0-3m depth), mixed algal habitat (3-8m depth), Ecklonia radiata habitat (10-15m depth) and Ecklonia radiata and sponge habitat (>15 m depth). In addition to algal-dominated habitats a biogenic sponge and sessile invertebrate community was unique to the reserve between Cook’s Bluff and Motukorure Island (Centre Island) within sand and bedrock habitat > 20 m depth. Biological communities associated with sand and coarse sediment were not obvious from video data, but were classified biologically as Epifaunal_infaunal community Type 1 associated with sand habitat and Epifaunal_infaunal community Type 2 associated with coarse sand habitat. All reserve habitat types were present within the non-reserve sample area; however, three habitat types Carpophyllum flexuosum, urchin barrens, and urchin barrens and macroalgae were exclusive to the non-reserve sample area. The distribution of main biological and physical habitats within and outside Te Whanganui-a-Hei Marine Reserve are presented, together with various features of the habitat map developed for this project. Areas for future development are also discussed.
Copyright Text: Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai