Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Annual Review 2012

AEBAR 2012: Marine Biodiversity
Otolith microchemistry results for parore and snapper indicate strong connectivity between reef
and non-reef systems within the wider Hauraki Gulf ecosystem. The majority of fishes
sampled (both species) were likely to have originated as juveniles from lower salinity water
environments such as estuaries fringing the Gulf. For snapper, our data suggest that only a
small percentage of juveniles derive from reefs themselves. However, greater sampling
replication is now required across a range of reef sites to better define the ratio of reef- versus
estuary-derived juveniles, given the low percentage of reef-derived snapper.
ZBD2008-07 Carbonate Sediments: The positive and negative effects of land-coast interactions on
functional diversity (complete):
Land-coast interactions can profoundly influence coastal biodiversity and ecosystem function.
Estuarine primary productivity derived from phytoplankton, resuspended phytobenthos, aquatic
vegetation and fringing habitat plant material is exported to the adjacent coast on outgoing tides
and contributes to secondary production in the vicinity of the estuary mouth. However, landderived
sediments and contaminants that are discharged from estuaries can also stress open
coastal populations. The balance of these competing processes was evaluated using a
combination of laboratory and field investigations. A survey of two coastal locations (outside
Whangapoua and Tairua harbours on the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand) quantified
shifts in community structure in mollusc-dominated habitats and demonstrated that both
distance from the mouth of the estuary and the size and density of large shellfish living in the
sediments affect the composition and functionality seafloor communities. Tracing the
importance of different estuary-derived food resources (seagrass, mangrove, estuarine
phytoplankton and phytobenthos) using stable isotopes emphasized the importance of estuarine
productivity to coastal bivalve. The work in the field has been supplemented with laboratory
feeding trials, with the goal of verifying isotopic uptake rates in bivalve body tissues in a
carefully controlled experimental setting. Trophic connections have important effects on
coastal biodiversity. Understanding ecosystem processes and dynamics and their implications
for functional biodiversity emphasises the importance of shifting the management focus from
exploitation to resilience. Enhancing or maintaining this biodiversity will require more
integrative ecosystem-based management focused on maintaining the resilience of coastal
ecosystems.
Other research relevant or specifically linked to the projects above, are listed in Table 11.3.
Table 11.3: Other research linked to investigation of the role of biodiversity in the functional ecology of nearshore
and offshore marine communities.
MPI ZBD2005-04 Information on benthic impacts in support of the Foveaux Strait Oyster Fishery
Plan
ZBD2005-15 Information on benthic impacts in support of the Coromandel Scallops Fishery
Plan
ENV2005-23 Monitoring recovery of the benthic community between North Cape and Cape
Reinga
BEN2007-01 Assessing the effects of fishing on soft sediment habitat, fauna, and processes
CRI Core
purpose
HAB2007-01 Biogenic habitats as areas of particular significance for fisheries management
C01X1005— Management Of Cumulative Effects Of Stressors On Aquatic Ecosystems ;
CO1X0907 Coastal Conservation Management, Freshwater and Estuaries and Coasts and
Oceans
DOC Conservancy surveys
BNZ Biosecurity surveys
OTHER Universities
EMERGING ISSUES
Cumulative footprint of human activities; understanding cumulative impacts and risks; marine spatial planning
Land-base effects on marine biodiversity and inshore/offshore habitats; pollution in offshore
Ecosystem-based management and integrative governance
Defining marine ecosystem services, linking them to ecosystem function and societal values
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