Marine Biodiversity Stocktake of the Waikato Region

Marine (including coastal) biodiversity is important for the healthy functioning of marine ecosystems, and for ecosystem productivity. Every organism plays a role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem, so an ecosystem with high biodiversity is generally more resilient to change. Protecting or maintaining biodiversity therefore helps to protect the health of our ecosystems. Biodiversity is also important for the provision of ecosystem services, which are the benefits that mankind receives or values from natural habitats. For marine ecosystems these include food provision, water filtration, nutrient regulation and storm protection. This report covers different ecological groups (benthic communities, estuarine and coastal vegetation, fish, birds and marine mammals) and four subtidal biogenic habitats that are known to be of specific importance for these ecological groups (rhodolith beds, shellfish beds, seagrass beds and sponge gardens). This report provides a useful summary of available biodiversity data in the Waikato Region. This report provided an overview of available information for different ecological groups and habitats in the Waikato region’s CMA at different scales (e.g. Hauraki Gulf, specific estuaries and/or harbours) and time periods. The references and information presented provide a basis to assess the (historic) presence of particular species and habitats in the Waikato region’s CMA and can also be used to identify knowledge gaps in the availability of data. The data may also be useful to assess trends over time, but when doing this, different methods, observers, efforts and purposes of the various surveys and inventories need to be taken into account.

For each ecological group the report provides an inventory of completed surveys and information on the presence of particular species and/or habitats. The sections subsequently provide information on vulnerable life stages of species and the sensitivity of species and/or habitats to specific pressures. For each of the subtidal biogenic habitats a general description is provided followed by information on their known distribution in the Waikato Coastal Marine Area, their importance for biodiversity and pressures on these habitats. Includes soft sediment benthic communities, rocky reef communities, coastal and estuarine vegetation (including invasive species), threatened species, fish, birds, marine mammals and shellfish.

Regional

See report

This report considers all freely available data. There may be additional unpublished or

Data reported in technical report (see attached link)

Report freely available for download.

Completed 2015.