MTM TEAM

TAURANGA MOANA BROADSCALE SURVEY

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 Associa+on Species Faunal  Group Feeding  mode           Sedimenta*on Low  mud Scoloplos  cylindrifer Orbinid  polychaete D  (surface  /  sub-­‐surface)     Scolelepis  sp. Spionid  polychaete D  (surface)     Halopyrgus  pupoides Gastropod Microalgal  and  detrital  grazer     Oligochaeta Oligochaete D   High  mud Scolecolepides  benhami Spionid  polychaete D  (surface  deposit)     Heteromastus  filiformis Capitellid  polychaete D  (sub-­‐surface  deposit)     Arthri9ca  bifurca Bivalve  (deposit  feeding) D     Nereidae Nereid  polychaete P Nutrients Nega*ve Scolelepis  sp. Spionid  polychaete D  (surface)   Posi*ve Scolecolepides  benhami Spionid  polychaete D  (surface  deposit)     Heteromastus  filiformis Capitellid  polychaete D  (sub-­‐surface  deposit)     Amphipoda  indeterminata Amphipod   Contaminants Nega*ve Orbinia  papillosa Orbinid  polychaete D   Posi*ve Scolecolepides  benhami Spionid  polychaete D  (surface  deposit)     Heteromastus  filiformis Capitellid  polychaete D  (sub-­‐surface  deposit)     Arthri9ca  bifurca Bivalve  (deposit  feeding) D     Amphipoda  indeterminata Amphipod            

SPECIES RESPONSE CURVES - SEDIMENTATION 5 10 15 20

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

dens

ity, n

umbe

r per

cor

e

Arthritica bifurca

p > 0.1

5 10 15 20

010

2030

4050

Austrovenus stutchburyi

p < 0.001

5 10 15 20

1020

30

Heteromastus filiformis

p < 0.001

5 10 15 20

02

46

8

dens

ity, n

umbe

r per

cor

e

Macomona liliana

p = 0.0056

5 10 15 20

010

2030

40

Nucula hartvigiana

p < 0.001

5 10 15 20

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

Oligochaeta

p > 0.1

5 10 15 20

01

23

45

dens

ity, n

umbe

r per

cor

e

Orbinia papillosa

p < 0.001

5 10 15 20

24

68

1014

% mud

Scolecolepides benhami

p > 0.1

5 10 15 20

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

% mud

Scolelepis sp.

p > 0.1

5 10 15 20

01

23

45

67

% mud

dens

ity, n

umbe

r per

cor

e

Scoloplos cylindrifer

p < 0.001

5 10 15 20

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

dens

ity, n

umbe

r per

cor

e

Arthritica bifurca

p > 0.1

5 10 15 20

010

2030

4050

Austrovenus stutchburyi

p < 0.001

5 10 15 20

1020

30

Heteromastus filiformis

p < 0.001

5 10 15 20

02

46

8

dens

ity, n

umbe

r per

cor

e

Macomona liliana

p = 0.0056

5 10 15 20

010

2030

40

Nucula hartvigiana

p < 0.001

5 10 15 20

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

Oligochaeta

p > 0.1

5 10 15 20

01

23

45

dens

ity, n

umbe

r per

cor

e

Orbinia papillosa

p < 0.001

5 10 15 20

24

68

1014

% mud

Scolecolepides benhami

p > 0.1

5 10 15 20

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

% mud

Scolelepis sp.

p > 0.1

5 10 15 20

01

23

45

67

% mud

dens

ity, n

umbe

r per

cor

e

Scoloplos cylindrifer

p < 0.001

% mud

No.

per

cor

e

% mud N

o. p

er c

ore

Cockles

Nut shells

SPECIES RESPONSE CURVES - SEDIMENTATION

ln (% mud)

No.

per

cor

e

Nereididae

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!