scholarly journals Evaluating Biological Change in New Zealand Marine Reserves

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anjali Pande
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Marine Reserves ◽  
Marine Reserve ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
South Coast ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
The South ◽  
Key Species ◽  
And Control

<p>This study illustrates the importance of baseline surveys, why they are necessary and how best to conduct them. A proposed marine reserve site (the south coast of Wellington) was monitored for three years to establish a comprehensive baseline study. The results were used to recommend appropriate methodology for sampling in this area and also to establish which species are the best to use as indicator species to detect any possible change occurring in this area due to future reservation status. The 11 km stretch of coast surveyed, which included future reserve and control sites, was tested for heterogeneity, to prevent any future differences in sites being attributed to reservation status as opposed to natural variation. It was determined that an environmental gradient exists along the south coast, from east to west, most likely due to increasing wave exposure and increasingly strong tides and currents towards the west.  An established marine reserve (Kapiti Marine Reserve) was also monitored over the same period of time to establish what differences existed in size and abundance of key species between reserve and control sites. The data collected in this investigation were also compared to data collected immediately prior to reserve establishment to determine what changes had occurred over time. Results showed that sites inside the marine reserve supported a greater species abundance, and in some cases, larger size classes. There was some evidence for a general shift in the community structure particularly in algal plants. However, these results may have been confounded by the effect of one site that appeared to have a very high natural species diversity and abundance (even before reservation  status). It was concluded that the one-off survey conducted before establishment of this reserve was inadequate to use as a baseline against which to detect changes. No changes were found between the present study and the preliminary survey, although specific data analysis indicated a reserve effect. Continued sampling methodology for Kapiti Marine Reserve area was suggested. Raw data, on two key species (blue cod and rock lobster) from six marine reserves in New Zealand were investigated in an attempt to perform a statistical "meta-analysis" of the effects of marine reserves in New Zealand. A meta-analysis is different from a narrative review as it uses statistical methods to compare results across studies. This methodology has not been applied to studies of marine reserves before. The meta analysis conducted in the present investigation showed that generally marine reserves in New Zealand are having a positive effect, in terms of increasing size and abundance of individual species, as compared to control areas. There is some evidence for a latitudinal trend influencing the "effect size" (a statistical term indicating the magnitude of the treatment tested - in this case, reservation) of the reserves.</p>

scholarly journals Evaluating Biological Change in New Zealand Marine Reserves

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anjali Pande
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Marine Reserves ◽  
Marine Reserve ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
South Coast ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
The South ◽  
Key Species ◽  
And Control

<p>This study illustrates the importance of baseline surveys, why they are necessary and how best to conduct them. A proposed marine reserve site (the south coast of Wellington) was monitored for three years to establish a comprehensive baseline study. The results were used to recommend appropriate methodology for sampling in this area and also to establish which species are the best to use as indicator species to detect any possible change occurring in this area due to future reservation status. The 11 km stretch of coast surveyed, which included future reserve and control sites, was tested for heterogeneity, to prevent any future differences in sites being attributed to reservation status as opposed to natural variation. It was determined that an environmental gradient exists along the south coast, from east to west, most likely due to increasing wave exposure and increasingly strong tides and currents towards the west.  An established marine reserve (Kapiti Marine Reserve) was also monitored over the same period of time to establish what differences existed in size and abundance of key species between reserve and control sites. The data collected in this investigation were also compared to data collected immediately prior to reserve establishment to determine what changes had occurred over time. Results showed that sites inside the marine reserve supported a greater species abundance, and in some cases, larger size classes. There was some evidence for a general shift in the community structure particularly in algal plants. However, these results may have been confounded by the effect of one site that appeared to have a very high natural species diversity and abundance (even before reservation  status). It was concluded that the one-off survey conducted before establishment of this reserve was inadequate to use as a baseline against which to detect changes. No changes were found between the present study and the preliminary survey, although specific data analysis indicated a reserve effect. Continued sampling methodology for Kapiti Marine Reserve area was suggested. Raw data, on two key species (blue cod and rock lobster) from six marine reserves in New Zealand were investigated in an attempt to perform a statistical "meta-analysis" of the effects of marine reserves in New Zealand. A meta-analysis is different from a narrative review as it uses statistical methods to compare results across studies. This methodology has not been applied to studies of marine reserves before. The meta analysis conducted in the present investigation showed that generally marine reserves in New Zealand are having a positive effect, in terms of increasing size and abundance of individual species, as compared to control areas. There is some evidence for a latitudinal trend influencing the "effect size" (a statistical term indicating the magnitude of the treatment tested - in this case, reservation) of the reserves.</p>

scholarly journals Decline in New Zealand's freshwater fish fauna: Effect of land use

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Joy ◽  
KJ Foote ◽  
P McNie ◽  
M Piria
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Freshwater Fish ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Fish Distribution ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Freshwater Fish Fauna ◽  
Over Time

© 2019 CSIRO. The number of New Zealand's freshwater fish listed as threatened has increased since 1992 when the first New Zealand threat classification system list was compiled. In this study, temporal and land cover-related trends were analysed for data on freshwater fish distribution, comprising more than 20 000 records for the 47 years from January 1970 to January 2017 from the New Zealand Freshwater Fish Database. The analysis included individual species abundance and distribution trends, as well as an index of fish community integrity, namely the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI). Of the 25 fish species that met the requirements for analysis to determine changes in the proportion of sites they occupied over time, 76% had negative trends (indicating declining occurrence). Of the 20 native species analysed for the proportion of sites occupied over time, 75% had negative trends; 65% of these were significant declines and more species were in decline at pasture sites than natural cover sites. The average IBI score also declined over the time period and, when analysed separately, the major land cover types revealed that the IBI declined at pasture catchment sites but not at sites with natural vegetation catchments.

Population ecology of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and interference competition with Pacific rats (R. exulans) on Raoul Island, New Zealand

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant Harper ◽  
Dick Veitch
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Population Ecology ◽  
Rattus Norvegicus ◽  
Interference Competition ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Baseline Data ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Competitive Interference ◽  
Norway Rats

Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) are sympatric with, and more often trapped, than the smaller Pacific rat (R. exulans) on Raoul Island, New Zealand. Rats were removed from a four-hectare grid by trapping and poisoning in the winters of 1994, 1995 and 1996. Pacific rats were trapped in increasing numbers only after Norway rats were removed. Norway rats also ate significantly more bait than Pacific rats. Competitive interference of Pacific rats by Norway rats was apparent, which casts doubt on the ability to accurately monitor individual species abundance within assemblages of rat species and to effectively manage them in control grids. Snap-trapping lines provided baseline data on the abundance of the two species before, during and after the removal grids were operated. Maximum abundances of rats were recorded in late summer and autumn following spring and summer breeding.

scholarly journals Decline in New Zealand's freshwater fish fauna: Effect of land use

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Joy ◽  
KJ Foote ◽  
P McNie ◽  
M Piria
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Freshwater Fish ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Fish Distribution ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Freshwater Fish Fauna ◽  
Over Time

© 2019 CSIRO. The number of New Zealand's freshwater fish listed as threatened has increased since 1992 when the first New Zealand threat classification system list was compiled. In this study, temporal and land cover-related trends were analysed for data on freshwater fish distribution, comprising more than 20 000 records for the 47 years from January 1970 to January 2017 from the New Zealand Freshwater Fish Database. The analysis included individual species abundance and distribution trends, as well as an index of fish community integrity, namely the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI). Of the 25 fish species that met the requirements for analysis to determine changes in the proportion of sites they occupied over time, 76% had negative trends (indicating declining occurrence). Of the 20 native species analysed for the proportion of sites occupied over time, 75% had negative trends; 65% of these were significant declines and more species were in decline at pasture sites than natural cover sites. The average IBI score also declined over the time period and, when analysed separately, the major land cover types revealed that the IBI declined at pasture catchment sites but not at sites with natural vegetation catchments.

Variation in mussel and barnacle recruitment parallels a shift in intertidal community structure in the Cook Strait region of New Zealand

2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (10) ◽  
pp. 1221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul Demello ◽  
Nicole E. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Intertidal Zone ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
South Coast ◽  
The South ◽  
Sessile Invertebrates ◽  
High Zone ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
High Intertidal Zone

Recruitment influences populations and communities of marine organisms to varying degrees and across a range of spatial scales. We hypothesised that recruitment plays a role in maintaining different intertidal invertebrate assemblages between two nearby locations in New Zealand (Wellington Harbour and the south coast), long reported to have dramatically different communities (with greater cover of sessile invertebrates in the Harbour). Sites in Wellington Harbour were hypothesised to have higher monthly recruitment rates of mussels and barnacles and greater barnacle colonisation after 1 year. Surveys were conducted to quantify community differences. In Wellington Harbour, the mid-intertidal zone was dominated by the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the barnacle Chamaesipho columna and the high intertidal zone by C. columna. In contrast, on the south coast mussels were almost completely absent from both tidal heights and barnacles (predominantly Chamaesipho brunnea) were sparse. In the high zone, monthly recruitment and long term colonisation (over 1 year) of barnacles was much greater in the Harbour; in the mid-intertidal zone, mussel recruitment was up to two orders of magnitude greater in the Harbour than the south coast. Species-specific recruitment patterns differed between the locations, however and were consistent with those of adult abundance.

Macrofaunal community responses to marina-related pollution on the south coast of England and west coast of France

2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myriam D. Callier ◽  
Robert L. Fletcher ◽  
Clifford H. Thorp ◽  
Denis Fichet
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Community ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Heavy Metal Concentration ◽  
South Coast ◽  
Biotic Index ◽  
The South ◽  
Community Characteristics ◽  
Benthic Environment ◽  
Macrofaunal Community

This study evaluates the influence of man-made activities on the benthic environment at two different marinas: Southsea Marina on the south coast of England, and Minimes Marina on the Atlantic coast of France. We assessed the differences in: (1) sediment percentage organic matter, particle size and heavy metal concentration, using copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) as contamination indicators; (2) sediment elutriate toxicity (LC50) using algal (Fucus serratus) bioassay; and (3) benthic community characteristics (number of species, abundance, most contributing species (SIMPER) and biotic index (AMBI)). Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was performed to relate the abundance of species to the environmental variables. At both marinas, we observed an increasing gradient of contamination from outside to the innermost sites. At both marinas, the lowest macrofaunal abundance was recorded at the innermost sites and differences in benthic community structure were observed between sites. At Southsea Marina, the cirratulids Tharyx marioni and T. killariensis and the cossurid Cossura pygodactylata dominated sites outside, while the opportunistic species Capitellides girardi dominated the innermost sites. At Minimes Marina, the cirratulid Streblospio shrubsolii was abundant outside and at the middle sites but was almost absent at the innermost sites. The biotic index—AMBI—indicated that sediments in the innermost sites were heavily disturbed at Southsea Marina and slightly to moderately disturbed at Minimes Marina. In Southsea, the AMBI was positively correlated to the sediment metal concentrations (Cu, Zn and Cd) and elutriate toxicity (LC50), while in Minimes the AMBI was positively correlated to the % of sediment fine particle and elutriate toxicity (LC50).

scholarly journals The ecology of Sepia australis (Cephalopoda: Sepiidae) along the south coast of South Africa

2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 945-955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mandisile Mqoqi ◽  
Marek R. Lipiński ◽  
Anne G. V. Salvanes
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Temperature Anomaly ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
South Coast ◽  
The South ◽  
Austral Spring ◽  
Region Temperature ◽  
Size Groups ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Mqoqi, M., Lipiński, M. R., and Salvanes, A. G. V. 2007. The ecology of Sepia australis (Cephalopoda: Sepiidae) along the south coast of South Africa. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 945–955. The influence of abiotic factors (depth, region, temperature, salinity, and oxygen) on the abundance of the cuttlefish Sepia australis was investigated using data from bottom-trawl stations occupied in April/May (austral winter) 1988 and August/September (austral spring) 2001 off South Africa' south coast. April/May survey data for 1999, 2003, and 2004, and August/September data for 2003 and 2004 were used to assess regional or depth-related patterns in abundance. Temperature differences in the two years mainly analysed influenced distribution and abundance significantly. Abundance increased eastwards in 2001 presumably because of a high-temperature anomaly stretching westwards (i.e. limiting the species abundance to the west), whereas abundance increased westwards in the more typical winters of 1988, 1999, 2003, and 2004. Abundance increased with depth in spring 2001, 2003, and 2004. Smaller sizes of mature males may indicate that they mature earlier than females. The main prey of all size groups and maturity stages was crustaceans, and there were no size- or maturity-related changes in diet. It appears that S. australis is an opportunistic feeder dependent on whatever prey of appropriate size is abundant at any time. However, the data show an array of patterns, some likely to be the result of biological flexibility in response to a changing environment. Other patterns are part of more stable, well-balanced ecological characteristics of the species.

Annual secondary production of two estuarine mysid species (Mysidacea: Mysidae) inhabiting an intermittently closed estuary, south-eastern New Zealand

2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian W. T. Lill ◽  
Gerard. P. Closs ◽  
Candida Savage ◽  
Marc Schallenberg
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Secondary Production ◽  
Annual Production ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Turnover Rates ◽  
The South ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
Key Species ◽  
Food Conditions

Estimates of secondary production are essential to understanding how communities function. Estimates of secondary production for key species such as mysids are scarce, especially in estuarine environments. There are no estimates for mysid production in intermittently closed estuaries in the world, and no estimates for endemic New Zealand mysids. The current study presents length–mass models for two mysid species (Tenagomysis chiltoni Tattersall, 1923 and T. novae-zealandiae Thomson, 1900) from the south-eastern coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Kaikorai Lagoon, a small intermittently closed estuary, supported a large average annual biomass of T. novae-zealandiae (861.77 mg m–2) and T. chiltoni (971.90 mg m–2). The Hynes average-cohort method was used with length–mass models to estimate the annual production of breeding populations of T. chiltoni and T. novae-zealandiae collected over a year in parts of the Kaikorai Lagoon. Compared with similar temperate ecosystems worldwide, the studied ecosystem indicated high annual production (11 328.8 mg m–2 year–1 and 6585.2 mg m–2 year–1) and turnover rates (P : B) (13.16 and 6.78) for T. novae-zealandiae and T. chiltoni, respectively. High annual secondary production may be due to relatively stable hydrological and food conditions found in intermittently closed estuaries, leading to dense stable populations that are maintained through much of the year.

scholarly journals Decline in New Zealand's freshwater fish fauna: Effect of land use

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Joy ◽  
KJ Foote ◽  
P McNie ◽  
M Piria
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Freshwater Fish ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Fish Distribution ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Freshwater Fish Fauna ◽  
Over Time

© 2019 CSIRO. The number of New Zealand's freshwater fish listed as threatened has increased since 1992 when the first New Zealand threat classification system list was compiled. In this study, temporal and land cover-related trends were analysed for data on freshwater fish distribution, comprising more than 20 000 records for the 47 years from January 1970 to January 2017 from the New Zealand Freshwater Fish Database. The analysis included individual species abundance and distribution trends, as well as an index of fish community integrity, namely the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI). Of the 25 fish species that met the requirements for analysis to determine changes in the proportion of sites they occupied over time, 76% had negative trends (indicating declining occurrence). Of the 20 native species analysed for the proportion of sites occupied over time, 75% had negative trends; 65% of these were significant declines and more species were in decline at pasture sites than natural cover sites. The average IBI score also declined over the time period and, when analysed separately, the major land cover types revealed that the IBI declined at pasture catchment sites but not at sites with natural vegetation catchments.

scholarly journals Stakeholder Engagement Strategies for Designating New Zealand Marine Reserves: a Case Study of the Designation of the Auckland Islands (Motu Maha) Marine Reserve and Marine Reserves Designated Under the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Management Act 2005

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
James Mize
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Marine Reserves ◽  
Marine Reserve ◽  
Negotiation Process ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Marine Management

<p>In recent years, marine reserves (areas of the sea where no fishing is allowed) have enjoyed increased popularity with scientists and agencies charged with management of ocean and coastal resources. Much scientific literature documents the ecological and biological rationale for marine reserves, but scholars note the most important consideration for successful establishment reserves is adequate involvement of the relevant stakeholders in their designation. Current guidance for proponents of marine reserves suggests that to be successful, reserves should be designated using "bottom-up" processes favouring cooperative management by resource-dependent stakeholders, as opposed to "top-down" approaches led by management agencies and international conservation organizations. However, there is a dearth of guidance as to how to identify relevant stakeholders, and what constitutes adequate engagement. New Zealand provides a unique opportunity for study of the two different approaches, with examples on both ends of the spectrum. The recent establishment of the Auckland Islands (Motu Maha) Marine Reserve under the designation framework provided by the Marine Reserves Act 1971 demonstrates a "top-down" approach; the designation of eight marine reserves as a component of the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Management Act 2005, legislation that marks the culmination of a lengthy community stakeholder negotiation process, demonstrates a corresponding "bottom-up" design. A comparison of the two approaches elicits issues relevant to managers in considering designation approaches to follow in comparable situations elsewhere. In this thesis, the author identifies and categorizes potential stakeholders by applying a framework modified from World Conservation Union ("IUCN") stakeholder assessment processes adopted for terrestrial reserves and guidance for establishing marine protected areas. The researcher describes the two designation processes using a case study methodology, relying on secondary research materials and primary data from targeted interviews. The analysis considers relative relevance of the groups using a stakeholder model developed in the corporate social responsibility movement of the management field. In closing, the author proposes a heuristic model for managers to use when analysing stakeholder dynamics in future marine reserve designations when considering whether to use a "top-down" or "bottom-up" approach.</p>

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