Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Annual Review 2012

AEBAR 2012: Appendices: Past projects
BIODIVERSITY continued
Project Code Project Title Specific Objectives Status Citation/s
ZBD2006-03 Antarctic coastal marine
systems
ZBD2006-04 Chatham/challenger
oceans 20/20
ZBD2005-02 Marine Environment
Classification Project
ZBD2005-09 Rocky reef ecosystems -
how do they function?
Integrating the roles of
primary and secondary
production, biodiversity
and connectivity across
coastal habitats
1. Quantify patterns in benthic community structure and function at two coastal
Ross Sea locations (Terra Nova Bay and Cape Evans).
2. Quantify benthic community structure and function at selected locations in
Terra Nova Bay and Cape Evans.
1. To collect seabed fauna, sediment samples and photographic images along
transects in the Chatham Rise and the Challenger Plateau, as determined by the
sampling protocol described in the Voyage Programmes for Voyages 2 and 3 of
the project. Multibeam data should be collected opportunistically as time allows.
2. To describe the distribution of broad macro epifauna groups (I.D. level to be
determined at sea during Surveys 2 & 3), their relative abundance, the substrate
and habitat types, including representative photographic images of each sea-bed
habitat and associated fauna along transects in the survey areas.
3. To provide a description of the observed evidence of fishing along transects.
4. To provide indicative measures of alpha biodiversity (richness, number of
taxonomic groups) at appropriate scales within and between transects, and
between the Chatham Rise and the Challenger Plateau.
5. To determine broad scale variability in sea-bed habitats and associated
biodiversity within and between MEC classes at 20 class level.
6. To process and archive biological samples and data into databases and
collections for future analysis in meeting the Overall Objectives above.
1. Co-fund the Marine Environment Classification Project (being done by NIWA)
with the Department of Conservation.
1. To develop a qualitative numerical model of how New Zealand’s rocky reef
systems are functionally structured
2. To quantify the effects of human predation, and environmental degradation
across reef gradients – top-down, or bottom-up functioning?
3. To advance our understanding of how subtidal reef systems are fuelled
through primary and secondary production (from a range of sources), the role
that biodiversity plays, and how this varies across different reef settings.
4. To quantify how subtidal reef systems are linked with other habitats and
ecosystems at broader spatial scales, including the connectivity of MPAs with
other habitats and areas.
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Completed Cummings et al. 2003;
2006b; 2008; Thrush &
Cummings 2011; Thrush et
al. 2010
Completed Nodder 2008; Nodder et al.
2011
Completed Snelder et al. 2005; 2006;
Leathwick et al. 2006a; b; c
In the process MacDiarmid et al. In Press c
of publication