Integrated Catchment Management

Coastal and Marine

Motueka delta

Motueka delta

Introduction

Productivity - and therefore the economic value - of the coastal marine environment is dependent on an adequate supply of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, to support photosynthetic (plant) uptake and growth. Either an over or an under supply can negatively impact on the sustainability of coastal resources.

There are three major sources of plant nutrients in coastal seawaters:

The relative importance of these nutrient sources is not well understood. There are good reasons to believe, however, that the first source - terrestrial nutrients dictated by land use practices - may have important impacts on the structure and function of the coastal sea environment. Discharge of freshwater and the terrestrial materials this water carries may affect essential ecosystem dynamics (like primary production) and characteristics (like biodiversity).

To quantify the importance of these effects it is necessary to identify the nature, magnitude and spatial extent of freshwater influences on the coastal sea environment.

Coastal productivity is also dependent on an adequate supply of light for photosynthesis. Sediments discharged into the coastal environment through freshwater tributaries can effect the light availability for plant growth. In addition, when these sediments settle to the sea floor, they can play an important role in dictating the physical and chemical properties (and consequently the plant and animal communities) of the benthic environment.

Coastal productivity and, perhaps more importantly, the quality of the coastal resource can also be affected by a wide variety of contaminants discharged through freshwater tributaries. We require more information regarding the mechanisms of release of contaminants into the coastal environment and how they may impact on coastal resources.

Researchable Issues

Research Areas

Benthic diatom AGM 2006 - Russell Mincher

Benthic diatom

AGM 2006 - Russell Mincher


Publications (Selection)

Year Title File Size
2004 Water column stratification and the spatial and temporal distribution of phytoplankton biomass in Tasman Bay, New Zealand: implications for aquaculture.  
2006 Bugs’n’mud: E. coli, turbidity and flow relationships for the Motueka River doc       185KB
2003 Benthic and planktonic microalgae in Tasman Bay: biomass distribution and implications for shellfish growth. pdf       716KB
2007 River outwelling plumes: good or bad places to farm mussels? pdf       156KB
2003 Catchment nutrient discharges: good and bad news for the management of fish and shellfish resources in Tasman Bay.  
More publications on this topic »
All ICM publications »

Presentations (Selection)

Year Title File Size
2010 Theme 3: Marine – Catchment Linkages pdf       3.40MB
2005 Intertidal and Subtidal Habitats of the Motueka River Delta. pdf       6.95MB
2005 The Motueka River plume ecosystem. pdf       1.85MB
2010 Integrated Research, Monitoring and Management at the Catchment Scale (from rainwater to the sea, and everything in between) pdf       1.50MB
2006 Fine Scale Assessment and River-Sea Links in the Motueka Catchment.  
More presentations on this topic »
All ICM presentations »

Primary Contacts:


Image - Paul Gillespie Paul Gillespie  EmailSend email to paul
Phone: 03 548 2319
Fax: 03 546 9464
Institute
Cawthron Institute
Expertise
Estuarine & marine microbial ecology
go to top
Page last updated Tuesday, 20 November 2007

Research areas

Delta habitat mapping Ecosystem models of Tasman & Golden Bays Faecal bacteria in the Motueka River Fine sediment: bringing the geomorphology and biology together Long term in–situ data collection in Tasman Bay River plume ecosystem Sediment generation, delivery and impacts Tasman Bay productivity

Research Highlight

FRST research reviews Marine modelling – how are we doing? River outwelling plumes: good or bad places to farm mussels? Tracing Sediment from the mountains to the Bay