Marine protected areas design, review and guidance
Tools and guidance to help the design of a network of well-connected MPAs in New Zealand that represents all types of marine environments.
New Zealand Marine Protected Areas: Principles for network design
Published: 2019
This paper provides an overview of the fundamental principles of designing an effective network of marine protected areas, including representation, replication, adequacy, viability and connectivity.
New Zealand Marine Protected Areas: Principles for network design (PDF, 6,242K)
New Zealand Marine Protected Areas: gaps analysis
Published: 2019
A report on how well the current network of MPAs represents the variety of marine habitats we have in New Zealand coastal waters based on two design criteria: representation and replication.
New Zealand Marine Protected Areas: gaps analysis (PDF, 1,998K)
Quantitative targets for marine protection: a review of the scientific basis and applications
Published: 2020
A literature review of quantitative and qualitative targets for marine protection including:
- the scientific basis for these targets
- examples of how targets have been applied to marine protected areas in New Zealand, with comparisons to the UK, USA, and Australia.
A review of the objectives of New Zealand's marine reserves
Published: 2020
This report:
- summarises the objectives for the 44 marine reserves established in NZ to date
- reviews what objectives may need to be considered in potential future marine protection.
A review of the objectives of NZ marine reserves (PDF, 8,832K)
A review of habitat use, home range, and connectivity for New Zealand species
Published: 2020
This report examines habitat use, home range size, dispersal, and connectivity patterns for certain New Zealand marine species. It discusses the need to take species-specific requirements into account when planning and establishing marine protected areas.
A review of habitat use, home range, and connectivity for NZ species (PDF, 2,467K)
Guidance for the use of decision-support tools for identifying optimal areas for biodiversity conservation
Published: 2020
This report outlines how to use predictive species distribution models, point records, and polygon datasets in Zonation for spatial conservation prioritisation, including how to address data uncertainty and overlap.
Evaluating the effectiveness of marine protected areas in New Zealand: Theme 1 - Design element
Published 2021
This report presents a methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of MPAs and MPA networks using the design principals of :
- viability
- adequacy
- representativity
- replication
- ecological connectivity
- areas of importance
- integration with other spatial management measures.
Evaluating representativity of marine spatial management areas using the New Zealand Seafloor Community Classification
Published 2025
This paper presents an evaluation of the representativity of benthic communities within current spatial management areas across New Zealand's marine environment. The evaluation is based on a novel approach that uses the extent of each New Zealand Seafloor Community Classification (NZSCC) group within spatial management areas, estimates of within‐ and between‐group similarities and taxonomic richness.
Achieving full representativity of seafloor biodiversity with minimal expansion: exploring a strategy for New Zealand marine conservation
Published 2026
This paper uses the New Zealand Seafloor Community Classification (NZSCC) and the conservation planning software Zonation to explore how representativity of benthic communities could be enhanced across spatial management areas (including protected areas) in New Zealand’s marine environment.
Ecosystem responses to marine protection
How marine protection influences ecosystem structure, function, and resilience, with a focus on biodiversity and habitat integrity.
Communicating the value of marine conservation using an ecosystem service matrix approach
Published 2019
This paper presents a matrix method for evaluating Ecosystem Service Potential (ESP) in New Zealand's benthic marine habitats. This method can be used to identify and monitor the non-market benefits of supporting and regulating services in current or proposed MPAs.
Communicating the value of marine conservation using an ecosystem service matrix approach – doi.org
Aotearoa New Zealand Marine Activity-Pressure Matrix: Development report for the first five activity groups
Published 2025
This report explains how the Activity-Pressure Matrix links different human activities in New Zealand’s marine environment to the pressures they place on ocean ecosystems.
Aotearoa New Zealand Marine Activity-Pressure Matrix: Development report for the last six activity groups
Published 2026
This report completes the Activity-Pressure Matrix linking different human activities in New Zealand’s marine environment to the pressures they place on marine biodiversity.
Assessing the potential displacement of recreational fishing from marine protected areas using a spatial prioritisation decision-support tool
In prep 2025
This paper explores the spatial relationship between recreational fishing effort and the predicted habitat suitability of the main target fish species in the Hauraki Gulf in northern New Zealand.