Fish distribution data, Mayor Is. (Tuhua) marine reserve 1993

Ken Grange

doi:10.15468/2gyeiy

Fish distribution data, Mayor Is. (Tuhua) marine reserve 1993

Citation

Grange K (2019): Fish distribution data, Mayor Is. (Tuhua) marine reserve 1993. v1.1. Southwestern Pacific Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) Node. Dataset/Occurrence. https://nzobisipt.niwa.co.nz/resource?r=mayorisfishes&v=1.1 https://doi.org/10.15468/2gyeiy accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-13.

Description

The Mayor Island (Tuhua) marine reserve was created in January 1993. A pre-reserve survey had already compiled algae, invertebrate, and fish species lists, with distributional data and habitat descriptions (Jones & Garrick 1991). They recorded a total of 54 fish species and presented the relative abundances of each. These data were essential for site selection and replication in the present survey,which was undertaken in March/April 1993, only 3 months after the reserve was established. Fieldwork for the present survey was undertaken by Department of Conservation (Bay of Plenty Conservancy) and NIWA-Oceanographic staff, as well as 2nd-year marine biology students from the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic. It was designed to provide background data on numbers of fish species present, numbers of individuals, their distribution within sites and depth, and to ascertain whether there were differences between "reserve" and "control" sites. These data would then be available for comparisons with those obtained after the reserve had been in place for some time, and would provide assistance for reserve management as well as the wider scientific questions recently outlined by Rowley (1992) on whether marine reserves act as spillover areas to enhance fisheries adjacent to their boundaries.

Only the presence data is presented in this dataset. The analysis of the fish length data is given in the final report by Grange (1993).

Sampling Description

Study Extent

Mayor Island (Tuhua)

Sampling

Based on the previous survey (Jones & Garrick 1991), sites around Tuhua were chosen to cover most of the expected habitats both within and outside the reserve. Sites within the reserve were paired with controls outside, based on similar habitat descriptions, slope,exposure, algal cover, and substrate.

Method steps

At each site, 2 sets of transects were sampled, stratified by depth. Within each depth zone (which depended primarily on available habitat), 3 (occasionally 4) randomly placed replicate 50m x 10m transects were swum by two divers. A very small number of transects were sampled as 25m x 10m; counts for these were scaled before analysis.All fish seen were identified, counted, and their lengths estimated. Pairs of divers were continually rotated throughout the survey to reduce observer bias, and all personnel involved in fish counts practiced estimating sizes of plastic fishes underwater before commencing the quantitative counts.

Additional info

marine, harvested by iOBIS

Taxonomic Coverages

Geographic Coverages

Mayor Island (Tuhua), Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

Bibliographic Citations

Grange, KR., 1993. An analysis of fish abundance and distribution data, Mayor Is. (Tuhua) marine reserve baseline survey, 1993. Conservation Advisory Science Notes No. 40, Department of Conservation,Wellington. 34p. -

Contacts

Ken Grange
originator
position: Principal Scientist
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
P.O. Box 14-901
Wellington
NZ

Ken Grange
metadata author
position: Principal Scientist
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
P.O. Box 14-901
Wellington
NZ

Ken Grange
administrative point of contact
position: Principal Scientist
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
P.O. Box 14-901
Wellington
NZ