Events Calendar

NATURE TALKS

What makes the sub-tidal reefs off South Taranaki unique?

As part of the monthly NATURE TALKS series, the topic 'What makes the sub-tidal reefs off South Taranaki unique?" will be presented by two leading members of Project Reef Life - South Taranaki, Karen Pratt and Joshua Richardson.

Project Reef Life - South Taranaki is an innovative citizen-science project that has been studying one particular reef, 11km off Patea, for the past three years. The project is a joint initiative involving the South Taranaki Underwater Club, Te Kaahui o Rauru, Te Runana o Ngati Ruanui Trust, Hawera High School and Patea Area School. It is funded by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment under the Ministry's 'Curious Minds' initiative.

Along with support from the TSB Community Trust, the project has brought to light the amazing biodiversity of this reef, including its possible significance as a nursery for juvenile blue cod. In 2016 the Project was given a Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Award for 'Environmental Action in the Community' and followed this up by winning the 'Protecting Our Coasts and Oceans' category in the 2017 Green Ribbon Awards held at Parliament in June 2017.

In this talk Karen and Joshua will describe and illustrate what they have found out about life on the reef. Their methods have included direct observations, developing some ground breaking tools for monitoring the reef remotely, and engaging the local community by involving students from two local schools. They will also discuss their involvement with policy makers and politicians, both locally and nationally, over the need to conserve these undersea communities.

Given the interest regionally in the debate over offshore mining in the South Taranaki Bight and its possible adverse environmental impacts, this talk comes as a timely reminder that our seas and seabeds contain resources other than just mineral ones.