21f68788-ee6b-b21d-66fd-6178ad6ed3d6 eng utf8 dataset custodian NIWA National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research +64 4 386 0300 voice +64 4 386 0574 facsimile 301 Evans Bay Parade Hataitai Wellington 6021 New Zealand curator@niwa.co.nz http://www.niwa.co.nz Website of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand - experts in environmental science Data curator 2015-06-09T16:38:01 creation ISO 19115-3 urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326 OGP NZST/NZDT Benthic habitats, macrobenthos, and surficial sediments of the nearshore South Taranaki Bight 2015-06-08T21:43:00 creation 2015-06-08T21:43:00 revision Seabed sampling of the nearshore region of the STB was conducted during a 3-day field survey undertaken from the 28th February to the 2nd March 2013. Seabed habitats were characterised at 36 sites (26 nearshore sites and 10 cross-shelf sites), using underwater video footage and still images (photo-quadrats). Representative habitats were then sampled using a benthic grab for surficial sediments and a benthic dredge to collect surficial macrobenthic specimens. Ninety-two percent of the seabed along the nearshore region of the STB was characterised by extensive soft-sediments that supported few macrobenthic organisms. The remaining 8% of the seabed (five sites) comprised hard substratum in the form of either low to moderate relief hard rock (6%) or variable relief mudstone (2%) outcrops. In contrast to mudstone outcrops, which supported low or negligible amounts of macrobenthos, hard rock outcrops supported abundant and diverse assemblages, with the two dredges sampled at Site 5 and 6 accounting for more than 25% of all specimens and 61% of all species collected during the survey. Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd (TTR) applied for consents for iron sand extraction in the South Taranaki Bight (STB). NIWA’s initial modelling predicted that activities associated with extraction of seabed sediments would produce down-current plumes of suspended sediments and deposition of fine-sediment within the nearshore marine environment directly offshore from the Whanganui River estuary. This has potential to alter water clarity and increase sediment deposition to the seabed with implications for the benthic assemblage, particularly benthic primary production and suspension feeding organisms. As very little was known about the types of habitats and organisms that occur in the nearshore region of the STB, NIWA was contracted by TTR to survey and describe the benthic flora and fauna within this region. Anderson, T.J., MacDiarmid, A. and Stewart, R. 2013. Benthic habitats, macrobenthos and surficial sediments of the nearshore South Taranaki Bight. Prepared for Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd. NIWA Client Report No: NEL2013-012. 44pp. completed pointOfContact NIWA Tara Anderson scientist author NIWA Alison MacDiarmid scientist author NIWA Rob Stewart Principal Technician vector biota environment oceans Taranaki Region: Inner-shelf between Hawera and Foxton 174.169336,-39.586302 174.619335,-39.843889 174.828515,-39.892037 175.069226,-40.036447 175.205237,-40.172494 175.215673,-40.403959 175.173816,-40.610783 175.079663,-40.761488 174.975073,-40.745676 175.016931,-40.578999 175.058788,-40.332224 174.95409,-40.156458 174.629773,-40.036447 174.263489,-39.811743 174.096166,-39.691126 174.096166 175.215673 -40.761488 -39.586302 2013-02-28 2013-03-02 https://dc.niwa.co.nz:/niwa_dc/srv/api/records/21f68788-ee6b-b21d-66fd-6178ad6ed3d6/attachments/TTR_benthic_s.png thumbnail png benthic communities benthic ecology benthic environment benthic invertebrates habitat underwater video cores grain size dredges macrofauna soft-sediments rocky reefs dynamic-sediments continental shelf TTR11301 TTR11301 theme NIWA Project Codes 2012-01-01 publication NIWA_ProjectCode 1) while some surficial infauna were collected in the epifaunal dredge samples, infaunal surveys were not undertaken. Core samples were collected for sediment grain size but no infauna were collected. Confidential client data, for use by NIWA staff only. Permission from client is required for any use of these data. NIWA contact: Alison MacDiarmid Permission from client is required for any external use of this information. NIWA contact: Alison MacDiarmid confidential eng https://dc.niwa.co.nz/niwa_dc/srv/metadata/21f68788-ee6b-b21d-66fd-6178ad6ed3d6 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--metadata-URL Point of truth URL of this metadata record TTR inshore dataset: Benthic data have been processed, checked, summarily analysed and reported on. dataset TTR inshore dataset Permission from client is required for any external use of this information. NIWA contact: Alison MacDiarmid restricted