Physical, chemical and biological monitoring of water quality in estuaries within the Northland region for Northland Regional Council. Sampling sites are currently located in the Whangarei Harbour (WH), Bay of Islands (BOI) and Kaipara Harbour (KH), past data includes Hokianaga and Whangaroa Harours. Sampling frequency = 2monthly + 3 event driven sampling each year following heavy rainfall (WH, BOI), monthly (KH). Sampling began in 1986 (WH, BOI) and 2009 (KH) and is ongoing. Number of sites = 41 total currently. Since the start of the programme some sites have been dropped and some new sites have been added. Number of replicates = 1 per site. Measured variables = Water quality: salinity, DO%, DOmg/l, temp (YSI meter), Enterococci, faecal coliforms (Internal lab), TP, DRP, NNN, NH4, Turbidity (External lab), secchi, water depth (recorded in field). Sampling protocol & QA = Internal field monitoring manual and QA procedures. Water samples taken from top 0.5m of water column and sampling conducted at random tidal states, giving a more representative picture of water quality over time (WH, BIO) or high water (KH).

The tuna database contains groomed commercially collected tuna catch effort data from New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. Fishing methods: surface longline, troll, handline, pole and line, and trot line or Dahn line. Sampling frequency: variable. Database records started in 1980 and continue to present. Number of sites: variable. Extent of site: entire EEZ and beyond. Lat/Long provided for all data. Number of replicates: N/A. Measured variables: catch effort data including vessel name, location, catch effort, total catch weight, species caught, fishing method. Sampling protocol & QA: catch return data is required by law from all vessels within NZ EEZ. groomed data.

The Fish Catch Effort database contains catch effort data from a variety of species that have been groomed as part of the stock assessment process. Sampling frequency: variable. Data are from 1981. Number of sites: variable. Extent of site: entire EEZ (and sometimes beyond). Lat/Lon provided for all data. Measured variables: Information collected from commercial fishers describing their day to day fishing activities. Includes catch, fishing method, fishing locations, vessel ID and fisher ID. Sampling protocol & QA: Information collected from commercial fishers describing their day to day fishing activities. No QA.Commercial fishers are required, by New Zealand law, to supply the Ministry with commercial catch effort information. Put simply - catch effort information provides details on what the commercial fisher’s caught, where, when and how. Commercial fishers supply approximately 170,000 pages of such information each year. The Ministry operates a large catch_effort database ("warehou")that stores catch effort information describing commercial fishing from 1990 onwards. A separate database called "new_fsu" stores commercial catch effort data from the 1980s. In general, the existence of Catch Effort data is not documented elsewhere within the MPI website (exceptions are subsets of Catch Effort data which have been groomed as part of individual scientific research projects, which can be stored either on CD or in the fish_ce database). The best place to find information on the MPI catch_effort and new_fsu data is the Ministry’s Research Data Management group ([email protected]). You should also consider requesting a copy of the “Catch Effort reference library” CD. This CD contains a very extensive set of metadata and background information describing the collection, processing, storage and management of Catch Effort data, including tables of how much data is available for each species, fishing method, area etc. Note that in many other countries catch effort data are referred to as “logbook” or “catch logbook” data. Fishing methods included in these data: bottom trawl, midwater trawl, bottom longline

The ctd database contains conductivity, temperature, and depth readings taken from research trawl surveys. Sampling frequency: variable. The database contains records from 1982 to 1993, and contines again from 2002. Number of sites: variable. Extent of site: entire EEZ and beyond. Lat/Long provided for all data. Number of replicates: N/A. Measured variables: conductivity, temperature, and depth readings taken from research trawl surveys. Sampling protocol & QA: Physical oceanography data collected by Conductivity, Temperature and Depth probe, from depth slices on trawl surveys.

Located in the Bay of Plenty Conservancy, this marine reserve was established in 2006. An initial baseline habitat survey was completed. Monitoring at this reserve targets subtidal reef benthic communities and key species (abundance and population size structure of mobile invertebrates, sessile invertebrates, algal communities and other selected key species (e.g. paua, kina) occurring on rocky reefs, boulder reefs, biogenic reefs). Sampling frequency = irregular. Depths sampled: 0-400 m. Methods used to collect data: UVC, photograph

Information from various farms around the Marlborough Sounds - collected as part of initial establishment of farms, annual monitoring or to change consent conditions. Diverse array of farms but collectively may be viewed as a long-term dataset. Temporal coverage: Date of first record unknown, but is ongoing Number of sites: A number of farms around the sounds Main marine environment sampled: Coastal Depth zone: Unknown Sedimentary type: Primarily soft Community association: Unknown Sampling method: Diver observations - camera/video, drop cams, grab samples, bathymetry, invertebrate cores Parameters collected: Sediment chemistry, community composition, mussel shell drop-off Measured variables: Presence/absence of species, community composition, various sediment parameters Species/community data: Benthic invertebrates, algae Other data collection: Unknown Will continue to collect data as and when required Quality assurance: Yes – for sediment parameters

Located in the Southland Conservancy, this marine reserve was established in 1995. An initial baseline habitat survey was completed. Monitoring at this reserve targets subtidal reef benthic communities and key species (abundance and population size structure of mobile invertebrates, sessile invertebrates, algal communities and other selected key species (e.g. paua, kina) occurring on rocky reefs, boulder reefs, biogenic reefs); subtidal fish species associated with rocky reefs, boulder reefs, biogenic reefs; and targeted subtidal rock lobster monitoring surveys. Sampling frequency = irregular. Depths sampled:0-50 m. Methods used to collect data:UVC, BUV, photograph, pot.

Commercial arrow squid fishery database contains a discrete time series (1989-1994) copy of commercial catch effort data (all methods) from the New Zealand arrow squid fishery. This database is used to calculate biological reference points such as Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) in terms of Current Annual Yield (CAY) and Stock assessment. Fishing methods used: trawl and jigging Sampling frequency: variable. Database records started in 1989 and continue to 1994. Number of sites: variable. Extent of site: entire EEZ, but most records from Tasman Bay. Lat/Long provided for all data. Number of replicates: N/A. Measured variables: Commercial squid fishery catch and effort data, for both commercial species (Nototodarus gouldi & N. sloanii). Data include sea temperature, depth, location, fishing method, fishing vessel, date, catch weight, species, trawl speed, trawl time, location. Sampling protocol & QA: Commercial Arrow squid fishery catch and effort data.

Located in the Southland Conservancy, this marine reserve was established in 1995. An initial baseline habitat survey was completed. Monitoring at this reserve targets subtidal reef benthic communities and key species (abundance and population size structure of mobile invertebrates, sessile invertebrates, algal communities and other selected key species (e.g. paua, kina) occurring on rocky reefs, boulder reefs, biogenic reefs); subtidal fish species associated with rocky reefs, boulder reefs, biogenic reefs; and targeted subtidal rock lobster monitoring surveys. Sampling frequency = irregular. Depths sampled: 0-250 m. Methods used to collect data:UVC, BUV, photograph, pot.

This record summarises a monitoring survey of receiving water from Bell Island regional sewerage outfall in Waimea Inlet and Tasman Bay. Benthic surveys are done at the same time. Temporal coverage: from 2001 (ongoing) Number of sites: 19 sites in Waimea Inlet, 4 sites at nearby Tahunanui & Rabbit Island beaches (2001), 12 in Waimea Inlet, 11 in Tasman Bay (2005), 12 in Waimea Inlet, 11 in Tasman Bay (2006), 13 in Waimea Inlet, 6 in Tasman Bay (2011) Sampling Frequency = Irregular (2001, 2005, 2006, 2011) Main marine environment sampled: Estuarine Depth zone: N/A Sediment type: Soft Community association: Mudflats Sampling method: Water samples, in-situ water measurements, shellfish samples, field observation Parameters collected: Water chemistry, shellfish, water bacteriological analyses Measured variables: Ammonia-N, Nitrate-N, Nitrite-N, TN, DIN, DRP, TP, Faecal coliforms (seawater and shellfish), enterococci (seawater and shellfish), salinity, temperature, chl-a, turbidity, phytoplankton Species/Community data: Shellfish (cockles, tuatua, green-lipped mussels) Other data collected: Benthic survey carried out at same time as this study Collection: ongoing Quality assurance: Yes