Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Annual Review 2012

AEBAR 2012: Marine Biodiversity
in progress. From these trials and reviews, recommendations on the best approach for future
assessments of the direct effects of changes in ocean pH on these key fauna will be made.
Other research relevant or specifically linked to the projects above, are listed in Table 11.5.
Table 11.5: Other research linked to effects of climate change and variability on marine biodiversity.
MPI SAM2005-02 Effects of climate on commercial fish abundance
ENV2007-04 Climate and oceanographic trends relevant to New Zealand fisheries
MBIE C01X502 Coasts & Oceans Centre
DOC Baseline surveys; protected deepsea corals (Tracey et al. 2011; Baird et al. 2012)
OTHER University of Otago-NIWA shelf carbonate geochemistry and bryozoans
Geomarine Services-foraminiferal record of human impact
Regional Council monitoring programmes
EMERGING ISSUES (this objective)
What papers can be generated on the effects of climate change on marine biodiversity in NZ in time for 5 th
IPCC report?
How does climate change influence marine microbial diversity, species mix and biogeochemical roles?
How will harmful toxic algal blooms be affected by warming seas? (e.g. Chang 2003, Chang et al. 2003)
11.3.6. Progress on Science Objective 6. Biodiversity metrics and
other indicators for monitoring change
In the mid 1990s, monitoring of marine biodiversity and the marine environment was a topic of
considerable discussion, yielding several reports on developing MfE indicators 62 However, since the
publication of MfE’s indicators in 2001, a much reduced set of core indicators that relate to the
marine environment have been reported on 63 . A new international initiative launched in 2010
“Biodiversity Indicators Partnership 64 ” provides guidelines and examples of biodiversity indicators
developed around the globe, however, Oceania does not appear to have any partnership identified.
The link between this initiative and OECD environmental indicators is unclear.
A serious gap identified by Green and Clarkson (2006) 65 in their review of progress on
implementation of the NZBS was the lack of development of an integrated national monitoring system
(see Biodiversity Research Programme 2010: Part 4). Efforts to respond to this gap within the
Biodiversity Programme resulted in the immediate initiation of a 5-year Continuous Plankton
Recorder project, and a series of workshops to determine how best to approach monitoring on a
national scale (ZBD2008-14). [One objective of monitoring would be to test the effectiveness of
management measures.]
Projects
ZBD2004-10 Development of bioindicators in coastal ecosystems.
62
Downloadable MfE reports Confirmed indicators for the marine environment 2001, ME398; An analysis of
potential indicators for marine biodiversity 1998 TR44; Environmental Performance Indicators: an analysis of
potential indicators for fishing impacts 1998 TR43; Environmental Performance Indicators: Summary of
Proposed Indicators for the Marine Environment 1998, ME296; Environmental Performance Indicators: Marine
environment potential indicators for physical and chemical processes, and human uses and values 1998 TR45;
Potential coastal and estuarine indicators - a review of current research and data 1997 TR40; Monitoring and
indicators of the coastal and estuarine environment - a literature review 1997 TR39
63
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/environmental-reporting/about/tools-guidelines/indicators/core-indicators.html
64
www.bipnational.net/IndicatorInitiatives
65
Green, W.; Clarkson, B. (2006). Review of the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy Themes.
269