Department of Conservation Marine Classification System

Marine reserves are a key tool for protecting biological diversity. A network of marine reserves will assist in protecting New Zealand's marine heritage by being complementary and representative of the full variety of New Zealand's habitats and marine life. The selection of appropriate marine reserve sites follows a process of (i) identification of biogeographic regions and coastal marine units within these biogeographical regions; (ii) recommended areas for marine protection based on ecological value criteria undertaken by a panel of experts, and finally (iii) identification from the previous recommended selection of areas for protection based on economic/customary/social/pragmatic criteria by a community panel. Purpose: To protect a network of marine environments.

Biogeographic regions at meso-scale (100's-1,000's km), coastal marine units at micro-scale (10's-100's km), and criteria for identifying potential sites for a functioning network of marine reserves. Summary of available marine literature/information.

New Zealand wide

Waikato coastline –

1992

Workshops to define biogeographic regions and coastal marine units. Information gathered from published data and expert knowledge. Development of criteria to identify potential sites for a functioning network of marine reserves using specialist recommendations. Frequency of collection: One off collation of information and network design

based on available limited information Gaps in collection: Not reported Data quality: N/A Attribute accuracy: based on available limited information Completeness: Not reported

reports, maps Digital Format: GIS

Identification of potential marine reserves and the networking capacity of proposed and established marine reserves.

Not available yet? See Kathy Walls.

Draft

Additional comments: Walls & McCrone (2000) contains an extensive reference and bibliography list. Related information: MfE's Marine Environments Classification.