OS 20/20 Bay of Islands Coastal Survey - Phase II Progress

29 October 2009 – Prepared by David Mole (OS 20/20 Coordinator)

3. Background:

Three main objectives;

–

Survey sea bed bathymetry and substrate and review the relevant physical andbiological literature relevant to the study area;

–

Measure the biological communities (e.g. bacteria, sediment infauna, birds, fish, etc) atrelevant sampling scales within the study area; and

–

Measure sediment composition, accumulation rates and sources in the inner Bay of Islands survey area to determine pre- human habitation and more recent rates and probablesources of sediment delivery to the coastal zone.

4. Project location:

Divided into two zones, offshore suitable for RV Tangaroa and inshore suitablefor smaller vessels like RV Kaharoa

Zone 2

(outer zone), an area from 50 to200 metres water depth extending northwards to Spirits Bay and southwards to the Poor Knights Islands

Zone 1

(inner zone) is within the Bay of Islands from mean high water spring to aline from Cape Brett to Cape Wiwiki including Motukokako Island.

5. Project Timetable

Divided into two phases

Phase I - (Bathymetry) 2008 (

Completed

)-Phase II - (Biodiversity/Sediments) July 2009 – June 2010

6. Phase II ProgressSurvey operationZone/DepthTime periodData sets/sampling tools

Offshore: RV

Tangaroa

Zone 2/>50m1 – 21 July

•

Water column (CTD, DTIS,RS/underway sampling, filtering,uwADCP, bacteria production andbiomass)

•

Benthic (DTIS, CTD, sleds, &multicorer)

•

Fish (DTIS, BUV, Beam trawl,trawl or dredge)

•

Megafauna (observations)

Complete

Public Consultation oninshore survey design14 – 15 July

Complete

Inshore:

Waikare

Zone 13 – 8 August

•

Seafloor and sediments (boomer)

Complete

Offshore & inshore: RV

Kaharoa

Zone 1&2/10-50m8 August - 7September

•

Fish (HOBT, BUV) – 10 days

•

Seafloor and sediments (multicore,CTD, gravity core, moorings) –10 days

•

Seafloor habitats (DTIS) – 10days

Complete

Inshore:

Rangatahi III

&other small vessels, diveteamsZone 1/0-20mAug – JanMay

•

Water column (CTD, filtering,uwADCP, bacteria production andbiomass)

•

Seafloor and sediments (cores &sleds, towed video, diver countsand observations)

•

Megafauna (observations)

Under Action

7. Images from Deep Tow Image System (DTIS):

Clean silt free reef outcrop showing an abundance of gorgonians and coralline algaeExposed reef showing a cover of silt over the rocks and a relatively low level of biodiversity