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Tairua Estuary shellfish and benthic habitat mapping and assessment of sediment contamination (2009/10)

TR 2011/31
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Report: TR 2011/31

Author: M Felsing & H Giles

Abstract

Shellfish are major components of estuarine communities. Apart from their value as a food resource, shellfish perform important ecosystem services.

Although relatively resilient compared to other types of intertidal biota, shellfish populations may be sensitive to a number of pressures associated with human activities, including sediment contamination. This project aimed to map the distribution and abundance of three species of shellfish in Tairua Estuary: the cockle (Austrovenus stutchburyi), the pipi (Paphies australis) and the wedge shell (Macomona liliana). The distributions of estuary sediment types, estuarine vegetation and sediment trace elements and organic compounds were also mapped.