Environmental monitoring and reporting in accordance with resource consents for salmon farming.

Temporal coverage: 2011 (on-going)

Number of sites: 6 salmon farms, 5-10 stations per farm in Queen Charlotte Sound (Ruakaka, Te Pangu, Clay Point, Otanerau) and Pelorus Sound (Forsyth Bay, Waihinau)

Sampling Frequency: Annual

Main marine environment sampled: Coastal (Sounds)

Depth zone: Subtidal

Sediment type: Soft

Community association: Mud

Sampling method: Grab samples, drop cameras, Van Dorn sampler, field observations

Parameters collected: Sediment, water, in-fauna, bacterial

Measured variables: Sediment: total free sulphides, redox potential, particle size, organic content, odour, metal concentrations (Cu, Zn), sediment outgassing; Community: in-fauna abundance and diversity; Bacterial mat coverage; Water column: near-bottom dissolved oxygen, nutrients (nitrate-N, nitrite-N, ammoniacal-N and dissolved reactive phosphorous)

Species/Community data: Benthic invertebrates

Other data collected: Rocky reef monitoring is also carried out for Te Pangu and Clay Point

Collection: ongoing

Quality assurance: Yes