Research and monitoring in Taputeranga Marine Reserve
A summary of the monitoring carried out in Taputeranga Marine Reserve and links to a selection of research publications from studies in the marine reserve.

Monitoring 

A baseline study carried out by scientists at Victoria University of Wellington from 1998 to 2000 recorded the species present in the planned marine reserve area before it was created in 2008.

Once the marine reserve was established, surveys at three sites inside and five sites outside the marine reserve recorded the number and size of fish, pāua, kina (sea urchin) and rock lobster (crayfish/kōura). A map of the monitoring sites is below.

The surveys were carried out each summer from 2009 to 2013. Fish were surveyed again in 2015 and 2016. Records of all the fish species encountered (33 different species) were made, but because many species were rare, analyses concentrated on the following eight common species: blue cod, red and blue moki, banded wrasse, butterfish, spotty, terakihi and trevally.

Diver.
Diver monitoring Taputeranga Marine Reserve
Image: DOC

These studies have created a valuable New Zealand data set to compare the changes in a marine environment following protection.

A strong collaboration between DOC and Victoria University of Wellington supports ongoing monitoring of the marine reserve. Many other research programmes are carried out in the marine reserve by university staff and students.

This marine reserve report card presents a status and trend for blue cod, rock lobster and butterfish, based on available data. Other species may be included in future versions of the report card.

Monitoring programme review

A 2014 review of this monitoring programme recommended several changes to ensure consistency in the results. One was to sample species in blocks of years and combine the data: eg. survey fish annually from 2015 to 2017 and invertebrates from 2018 to 2020. Other recommendations were to increase the number of sampling sites and monitor the spread of the invasive seaweed Undaria pinnatifida.

Communicating the monitoring results to the public and managing the data were also noted as priorities, given the high interest shown by the Wellington community in the marine reserve.

Biological monitoring in the marine reserve

Monitoring

Date

Reef fish, pāua, kina

1989

Intertidal communities

1995–1996

Reef fish, pāua, kina

1998, 2001

Reef fish, rock lobster, pāua, kina, kelp

1998–2000

Habitat type, dominant species

1999

Reef fish, rock lobster

1999–2000

Pāua

2003

Fish

2008–2010

Rock lobster, pāua, kina, other invertebrates

2008–2009

Habitat

2008–2009

Intertidal communities

2009–2011

Rock lobster, pāua, kina

2010

Habitat type, dominant species

2010

Fish, rock lobster, pāua, kina

2011

Fish, rock lobster, pāua, kina

2012

Fish, rock lobster, pāua, kina

2013

Fish

2015, 2016

Monitoring sites

Regular monitoring sites inside and outside Taputeranga Marine Reserve are shown below.

Taputeranga Marine Reserve monitoring sites.
Taputeranga Marine Reserve monitoring sites

Research

Selected publications related to Taputeranga marine reserve: