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https://theconversation.com/nzs-first-marine-reserve-is-turning-50-the-lessons-from-its-recovery-are-invaluable-268184>
"New Zealand’s first legislated marine reserve, established 50 years ago around
Te Hāwere-a-Maki/Goat Island north of Auckland, was also among the very first
in the world.
During the decades since then, marine scientists have been monitoring changes
and tracking significant transformations in the ecosystem – from bare rocky
reefs to thriving kelp forests.
Officially known as the Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve, the 556
hectares of protected waters and seabed became New Zealand’s first no-take zone
in 1975.
Back then, very little grew on the shallow rocky reefs. It took almost three
decades for kelp forests to reestablish following the slow recovery of crayfish
and snapper stocks.
These predators play an essential role in keeping marine reef ecosystems
healthy because they eat kina (sea urchins) which otherwise increase in numbers
and mow down kelp forests.
Once crayfish and snapper were able to mature and grow, the kelp forests
returned. Their recovery in turn provided a nursery for juvenile fish and many
species came back.
We now see parrotfish, black angelfish, blue maomao, red moki, silver drummers,
leatherjackets, octopus and several species of stingrays. Bottlenose dolphins
and orca pass through occasionally.
The reserve features a far higher density of fish and other marine life than
outside its boundaries. But despite the protection, fish are not as plentiful
within the reserve now as they were in the late 1970s.
The ongoing changes within the protected area are helping us to understand the
impact of commercial and recreational fishing."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
