Facts
Spanning from Cape Rodney to Okakari Point, the marine reserve includes the waters 800m from shore including Goat Island. The marine reserve is also known as the Leigh Marine Reserve, but is best known as the Goat Island Marine Reserve.
The University of Auckland's Leigh Marine Laboratory is based adjacent to the marine reserve. Since fishing has stopped, marine reserve protection studies have been carried out to discover how a marine ecosystem functions in its natural state.
Map of Cape Rodney-Okakari Point
Marine Reserve. Click on image to view
larger (JPG, 53K)
This research helps us to use the reserve as a yardstick for judging the impact of our activities elsewhere. For this reason please be careful around any scientific equipment you may come across in the reserve.
Marine environment
Beneath the waves is a variety of habitats, from rocky shores exposed at low tide to deep reefs. Each habitat harbours its own creatures, from seaweed forests in the subtidal zone, where clinging animals like sea squirts, sea anemones, sponges and sea shells are found, to deeper waters dominated by sponge gardens.
View of the beach at the marine reserve
Divers should be careful not to break off small fragile invertebrate growths such as hydroids, sponges and ascidians.
Remember that all marine life is protected including kina (sea urchins), and that turning over underwater stones may kill or damage the light-shunning organisms that live underneath.