Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Annual Review 2012

11.1. Introduction
AEBAR 2012: Marine Biodiversity
This chapter summarises the development and progress of the MPI Marine Biodiversity Research
Programme 2000-2012 and reviews the work commissioned in the context of national and global
concerns about biodiversity and the maintenance of the marine ecosystem in a healthy functioning
state, as identified by the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy (NZBS, Anon 2000).
11.1.1. Halting the decline in biodiversity
In June 2000, the ‘New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy– Our Chance to Turn the Tide’ (NZBS) with the
over-arching objectives “to halt the decline of biodiversity in New Zealand and protect and enhance
the environment” was launched as part of New Zealand’s commitment to the international Convention
on Biological Diversity 1993 (Anon 2000). To meet long-term goals of the NZBS, a comprehensive
plan, with stated objectives and actions
1 , was developed to address biodiversity issues in terrestrial, freshwater and marine systems. The
Desired Outcomes by 2020 for the marine environment (Coasts and Oceans, Theme 3) in the NZBS
were stated as:
• “New Zealand's natural marine habitats and ecosystems are maintained in a healthy
functioning state and degraded marine habitats are recovering.
• A full range of marine habitats and ecosystems representative of New Zealand's indigenous
marine biodiversity is protected.
• No human-induced extinctions of marine species within New Zealand's marine environment
have occurred.
• Rare or threatened marine species are adequately protected from harvesting and other human
threats, enabling them to recover.
• Marine biodiversity is appreciated, and any harvesting or marine development is done in an
informed, controlled and ecologically sustainable manner.”
In the marine environment, biodiversity decline is characterised not only by extinctions or reduction
in species richness and abundance, but also by environmental degradation such as species invasion
and hybridisations, habitats that have been diminished or removed, and the disruption of ecosystem
structure and function, as well as ecological processes (e.g. biological cycling of water, nutrients and
energy). Measuring the decline of marine biodiversity is complicated by the ‘shifting baseline
syndrome’, a common obstacle to useful biodiversity assessment and monitoring 2 . Furthermore the
size range of organisms sampled is often limited to macroscopic. Changes (declines) in biodiversity
metrics at a macroscopic level may not detect potentially large changes in biodiversity in smaller
sized organisms below our sampling threshold that may also be critical to marine ecosystem health
and well-being.
Responsibility for addressing Theme 3 of the Biodiversity Strategy was allocated across government
departments with active roles in the management of the marine environment, including the
Department of Conservation (DOC), the Ministry for Environment (MfE), and the Ministry of
Fisheries (now MPI) 3 .
1
The New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy with its stated goals, objectives and actions can be viewed at
http://www.biodiversity.govt.nz
2
A National Approach to Addressing Marine Biodiversity Decline (Australian Government-available on line at
www.environment.gov.au/coasts/publications/marine-diversity-decline/index.html
3
https://www.biodiversity.govt.nz/picture/doing/programmes/index.html
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