TAURANGA MOANA BROADSCALE SURVEY MTM TEAM
JULY 2014
SURVEY DESIGN
Dec 2011 - Feb 2012
SUBSTRATE TYPE • Mainly sand • Similar mud content to other NZ estuaries • Te Puna & Apata have higher sedimentation
NUTRIENTS
Typical of slightly to moderately enriched estuaries
METALS
• All sites well within guidelines for the protection of marine life • Te Puna had relatively high levels compared to the rest of the harbour
MARINE ANIMALS AS INDICATORS OF HEALTH •
Physical variables are useful indicators of health
•
Animals living within the sediment are exposed to multiple stressors
•
Provide integrated assessment of overall health
DEVELOPING BENTHIC HEALTH MODELS Step 1: Determine the key anthropogenic stressors • • •
Sedimentation (silt/clay) Nutrients (TP, Chl a) Contaminants (Cu, Pb)
Step 2: Relate gradient to marine animals
SEDIMENTATION
NUTRIENTS
CONTAMINANTS
KEY SPECIES Model Sedimenta*on Nutrients Contaminants
Associa+on Low mud High mud Nega*ve Posi*ve Nega*ve Posi*ve
Species Scoloplos cylindrifer Scolelepis sp. Halopyrgus pupoides Oligochaeta Scolecolepides benhami Heteromastus filiformis Arthri9ca bifurca Nereidae Scolelepis sp. Scolecolepides benhami Heteromastus filiformis Amphipoda indeterminata Orbinia papillosa Scolecolepides benhami Heteromastus filiformis Arthri9ca bifurca Amphipoda indeterminata
Faunal Group Orbinid polychaete Spionid polychaete Gastropod Oligochaete Spionid polychaete Capitellid polychaete Bivalve (deposit feeding) Nereid polychaete Spionid polychaete Spionid polychaete Capitellid polychaete Amphipod Orbinid polychaete Spionid polychaete Capitellid polychaete Bivalve (deposit feeding) Amphipod
Feeding mode D (surface / sub-‐surface) D (surface) Microalgal and detrital grazer D D (surface deposit) D (sub-‐surface deposit) D P D (surface) D (surface deposit) D (sub-‐surface deposit) D D (surface deposit) D (sub-‐surface deposit) D
10
15
20
5
10
15
20
Nut Nucula shells hartvigiana
8
p = 0.0056
10 20 30 40
Heteromastus filiformis p < 0.001
10
15
20
5
10
10
Orbinia papillosa
15
20
% mud
20
5
30
0
p < 0.001
Scolecolepides benhami
20
5
10
p > 0.1
15
Nucula hartvigiana
4 6 8 10
2
3
% mud
Oligochaeta
20
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
15
4
10
14
5
p < 0.001
5
1
sity, number per core
0
10 20 30 40 50
2 0
No. per core
4
6
p < 0.001
Austrovenus stutchburyi Cockles
No. per core
density, number per core
Macomona liliana
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20
5
SPECIES RESPONSE CURVES - SEDIMENTATION
SPECIES RESPONSE CURVES - SEDIMENTATION
No. per core
Nereididae
ln (% mud)
OUTCOMES
•
Community based models of health of the harbour
•
Science and cultural indicators for long term monitoring
•
Species specific response curves for key species
CONTRIBUTORS • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Local iwi Aaron McCallion (Waka Digital) Alice Morrison (Bay of Plenty RC Summer Student) Bruce Gardner (Bay of Plenty Regional Council) Caine Taiapa (Manaaki Te Awanui) Cawthron Lab ID team Chris Battershill (University of Waikato) David Culliford (Bay of Plenty RC Summer Student) Derrylea Hardy (Massey University) Erin Brown (Waka Digital) Lydia Hale (Manaaki Te Awanui) Murray Patterson (Massey University) Nicole Hancock (University of Waikato) Stephen Park (Bay of Plenty Regional Council) …plus all the other volunteers that helped!