Marine reserves are listed below from north to south. Get a list of marine reserves A-Z.
If a marine reserve isn't listed, no reports are available. If you want to submit a report to this list email marine@doc.govt.nz.
General monitoring reports
- DOC's monitoring and reporting system
- National overview of biological monitoring in New Zealand's marine protected areas (PDF, 631K)
- Scientific and biodiversity values of marine reserves - a review (PDF, 3,210K)
- How long should marine reserves be monitored for and why? (PDF, 155K)
Factsheets
Read short factsheets about marine projects:
Kermadec Islands Marine Reserve
Benthic community structure and water column characteristics at two sites in the Kermadec Islands Marine Reserve (PDF, 287K)
A depth-stratified ecological survey was conducted of the abundance and percentage cover of macrobenthic species and of the water column at two sites (Meyer Island and West Chanter Island) 2 km apart.
Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve
A literature review on the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve (PDF, 1164K)
The overall aim of this project is to collate and review scientific information that has been generated on the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve since 1983 to increase our overall understanding of the Poor Knights Islands ecosystem.
Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve
Motukaroro Island Whangarei Marine Reserve UVC reef fish and crayfish monitoring 2012
A report on the monitoring work carried out on crayfish and reef fish over summer 2012 at the Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve.
Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve
The objectives of this project done were to determine the current population status of J.Edwardsii (spiny lobster) within the Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve.
Fish monitoring reports:
Lobster monitoring reports for both Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve and Tāwharanui marine reserves:
Tāwharanui Marine Reserve
Counting rock lobsters to monitor ecosystem health (PDF, 14,900K)
A factsheet summarising the key aspects of this research.
Lobster monitoring reports:
- See Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve reports above.
Fish monitoring reports:
Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve
Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve monitoring
Te Makutu Marine Reserve
Motu Manawa-Pollen Island Marine Reserve
Whanganui A Hei (Cathedral Cove) Marine Reserve
Monitoring (PDF, 228K) as part of a field trip resource.
Tuhua (Mayor Island) Marine Reserve
Recovery of targeted reef fish at Tuhua Marine Reserve – monitoring and constraints: Part 1 (PDF, 408K) and Part 2 (PDF, 222K)
Tapuae Marine Reserve
Reef fish of the Sugar Loaf Islands (Ngā Motu) Marine Protected Area (PDF, 348K)
Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve
Te Angiangi and Te Tapuwae o Rongokako marine reserves: Intertidal paua and kina monitoring (PDF, 1,330K)
The findings of monitoring intertidal paua and kina populations within and surrounding Te Angiangi and Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserves, aimed at establishing whether populations of these species have demonstrated any response to protection.
Reef fish monitoring (PDF, 1,252K)
The results of five years of reef fish monitoring in Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve, aimed at describing the reef fish communities of the area and determining whether any changes have taken place within the reserve that may be attributable to protection.
Collation of data for ecosystem modelling of Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve (PDF, 372K)
Te Angiangi Marine Reserve
See Te Angiangi and Te Tapuwae o Rongokako marine reserves report above.
Taputeranga Marine Reserve
Taputeranga Marine Reserve monitoring report (PDF, 5,620K)
Long Island - Kokomohua Marine Reserve
Long Island monitoring report (PDF, 2,660K)
This report presents data collected from the marine reserve and adjacent control sites over a period of 22 years (1992 to 2014)
Horoirangi Marine Reserve
Horoirangi Marine Reserve report on rocky shore biological monitoring: 2006-2013 (PDF, 3,100K)
Significant increases in the abundance and size of marine species in Tasman Bay marine reserves confirm their conservation benefits. Research shows that 20 years after the reserve was created, there are more than seven times as many crayfish and 40 times as many blue cod over 30 cm.
Tonga Island Marine Reserve
Tonga Island Marine Reserve report (PDF, 1,828K)
Significant increases in the abundance and size of marine species in Tasman Bay marine reserves confirm their conservation benefits. Research shows that 20 years after the Tonga Island Marine Reserve was created, there are more than seven times as many crayfish and 40 times as many blue cod over 30 cm.
A shag count in Abel Tasman National Park (PDF, 1,960K)
A factsheet on shags living in Abel Tasman National Park.
Pohatu Marine Reserve
DOC is running a rock lobster tagging project, and needs your help to find out the movement patterns and growth rates of lobster in the Pōhatu Marine Reserve area.
Fiordland marine reserves
Te Awaatu channel (The Gut) Marine Reserve
Te Tapuwae o Hua Marine Reserve
Relative abundance of blue cod (Parapercis colias) in Milford and Doubtful Sounds in 2006 (PDF, 38K)
Taumoana (Five Fingers Peninsula) Marine Reserve
Fiordland marine reserves monitoring results
Ulva Island-Te Wharawhara Marine Reserve
Baseline Ecological Monitoring of theUlva Island / Te Wharawhara Marine Reserve (PDF, 1,389K)