Trial indicators for an ecological integrity assessment, Abel Tasman coast
Introduction
This report is an assessment of the ecological health of the Tonga Island Marine Reserve and wider Abel Tasman coastline. It trialled new methods for monitoring New Zealand’s coastal ecosystems. Published 2013.Download the publication
Factsheet: Coastal ecosystem monitoring - the big picture (PDF, 13,050K)
Report: Trial indicators for an ecological integrity assessment (EIA), Abel Tasman coast (PDF, 6,174K)
Summary
DOC is developing new monitoring methods for a new marine monitoring and reporting framework. Based on the concept of ecological integrity, the framework will enable DOC to monitor and report on the effectiveness of its marine conservation management, particularly in marine reserves.
Based on a series of field surveys and desktop based research, this report assessed a suite of candidate indicators of ecological integrity for the New Zealand marine environment—applicable to the marine reserve and to unprotected areas along the Abel Tasman coastline.
The new data includes remote video imagery. It contributes to a snapshot of the environmental status of this region and provides a permanent record for more detailed analyses and future changes.