Opito trawling survey

6 sites around Opito were sampled using suction dredges and cores to characterise benthic biota in trawled and non-trawled areas. Project commissioned by DoC. Purpose: To assess the impact of scallop dredging on coastal soft-bottom macrobenthic communities, in order to provide information as to the likely effects of mechanical disturbance to the seafloor caused by fishing activities.

Depth, particle size, and benthic biota from suction and core replicates.

Opito Bay, Coromandel Peninsula

1990 - 1992

At each of the 6 sites sampled – 5 suction replicates of 25 x 25cm samples, benthos >2mm mesh collected 12 core replicates of 10cm diam x 12 cm were taken and benthos collected from >0.5mm mesh.