Celebrating Seaweek
This week the spotlight is on our oceans.
“Seaweek runs from 1 to 9 March and is a fantastic opportunity to connect with the moana” says Council’s Senior Coastal Scientist Katie Littlewood. “Each year, Seaweek partners with groups across Aotearoa to offer accessible opportunities for people to explore and learn about the ocean, inspiring a deeper connection to nature.”
“We are lucky to live in a place with such an incredible seascape. The Marlborough Sounds is unique, and we all have a collective responsibility to look after it” she said.
Council is partnered with several projects focussed on restoration. This includes the Tōtaranui Kelp Restoration Project in conjunction with Port Marlborough, the University of Auckland and Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui.
Four experimental sites in Tōtaranui were selected to research ways to restore rimurimu/seaweed and kelp, primarily by removing overabundant kina. Rimurimu forests are missing from over half of the reef area in Tōtaranui/Queen Charlotte Sound. Much of these reef areas are now dominated by kina barrens, a tohu or indicator of an ecosystem that is out of balance.
As part of Seaweek, Port Marlborough is hosting a public webinar tomorrow – Thursday 6 March - at 1pm to hear from Dr Nick Shears from Auckland University about the project.
“Removing kina from sites in Tōtaranui has encouraged the recovery of many significant rimurimu and kelp species’ said Katie. “However, this research highlights the imbalance occurring in our moana. While removing overpopulated kina helps restore biodiversity, removal on its own is not an efficient long-term restoration tool, as it does not address the underlying issue of the lack of kina predators,” she said.
During the webinar, Dr Shears will present on the topic of kina barrens and the effect of reducing kina densities in these areas to restore kelp forests and encourage other associated species to return to the ecosystem.
