Using seafloor image data to build single-taxon and community distribution models for seabed fauna in New Zealand waters. Understanding the spatial distributions of seabed biodiversity is essential for effective management of the effects of human activities including fishing and mining. To improve understanding of seabed fauna distributions, we are developing a new database of benthic invertebrate occurrences in New Zealand waters by assembling quantitative data from all available seabed photographic surveys. By modelling the spatial relationships between taxon occurrences and environmental gradients across the region, we are able to predict the likelihood of individual taxa and communities being present in as-yet unsampled areas. In the first phase of the project, we concentrated on Chatham Rise; a region of high importance to commercial fisheries and with the highest density of available seabed imagery. Predictions from the models developed here are the first abundance-based models of benthic distributions in the New Zealand region and are the best-informed representations of seabed distributions on Chatham Rise to date, providing a resource that will have applications in marine environmental management and ecosystem research. All rasters are in a geotiff format at a 1000 m resolution cell size and projected to WGS 84 / Mercator 41 - EPSG:3994 coordinate system.

New Zealand is not immune to ocean acidification. The ‘Munida transect’ Time-series in sub-antarctic waters off Otago is the Southern Hemisphere’s longest-running record of pH measurements. Monitoring since 1998 has established a decline in pH that reflects the increase in atmospheric CO2 recorded at NIWA’s atmospheric research station near Wellington. The Munida time-series is led by NIWA’s Kim Currie, in collaboration with the University of Otago's Department of Chemistry. Every two months she has collected water samples along a 65-kilometre line from the tip of Otago Harbour out to sub-antarctic waters. This time-series is particularly valuable because it covers both subtropical and sub-antarctic waters in a one-day trip, so is in a unique location. During the transect University of Otago scientists measure the pH while Currie measures alkalinity, total dissolved inorganic carbon and CO2 as well as other related parameters. The supporting data help to determine what processes are causing changes in the properties of the water masses, including the changes in pH. For example, pH is linked to temperature and therefore varies between summer and winter and also year to year. Parameters in the data set include: XCO2_DRY - Mole fraction of carbon dioxide (dry air) in the headspace of the equilibrator, unit micromole / mole XH2O - Mole fraction of water vapour (dry air) in the headspace of the equilibrator, unit micromole / mole EQ_PRE - The pressure in the equilibrator head space in hectopascal EQ_TEMP - The temperature of the water in the equilibrator PCO2_WAT - The Partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the water body in units of microatmospheres

This data collection contains observations from CTD sensors attached fisheries trawls deployed by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and funded by the Ministry of Primary Industries. Data was sourced from SeaBird MircoCAT SBE 37 instruments which were attached to the headlines of trawl nets as part of fisheries research programs. The data is processed using the SBE Data Processing software and only the downcast of the cast is retained (because of the turbulence of the water generated by the trawl gear once the trawl is underway. Measured variables are temperature, depth, and salinity. The sensors on the CTD are all regularly calibrated by the manufacturer, but data are not calibrated in-situ.

Seafloor classification of the bathymetry dataset from the Queen Charlotte Sound / Tōtaranui and Tory Channel / Kura Te Au Hydrographic Survey LINZ Project HYD-2016/17-01 (HS51). Classification of the multibeam data based on the backscatter intensity as a proxy for substrate type. Classification was done using the ArcMap Image Classification tool using four classes. Training areas where picked to identify areas from high to low backscatter. These data are in raster geotiff format and include ESRI layer files and QGIS GML files for symbology.

Dataset contains vertical profiles of depth, temperature and salinity measured by SBE-19 and SBE-25 Conductivity, Temperature and Depth (CTD) probes between 2000/02/14 and 2020/11/23 at a station (45.833°S 171.500°E) in Subantarctic Surface Water (SASW) east of New Zealand from bi-monthly cruises of the R/V Munida and R/V Polaris II on the Munida time series transect.

Carbonate percentage of seafloor sediments from the New Zealand region from nzSEABED database. Data or descriptions of carbonate content are from the top 10 cm of the seafloor. The carbonate % represents the contribution of sediment produced by marine organisms (e.g. shells, skeletons). The converse (non-carbonate %) thus represents the contribution of sediment from the land (terrestrial sediment) transported to the marine environment primarily via rivers. The exception to this is that some regions there is also a significant contribution of authigenic minerals (minerals such as glauconite that are formed in the marine environment under specific conditions).

This data collection contains water column observations from CTD probes and water bottles deployed by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and its predecessor, the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute. A variety of instruments where used in this dataset, including: Sea-Bird SBE 911Plus CTD

Ocean acidification conditions around the New Zealand coast are being measured to establish baseline conditions and to quantify future change. The NZOA-ON is a network of coastal sites around the country – a mix of pristine and urban sites, and sites which are of particular interest to regional councils, the aquaculture and fishing industries, and sites of scientific interest. Data will be used to determine local conditions, and to provide a baseline against which to measure future change. This network is linked into the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON The network uses existing data collection infrastructure where possible to take advantage of auxiliary data and historic records. Sampling partners collect fortnightly water samples, liaise regarding shipment and logistics, and assist with deployment of the sensors. Sampling partners collecting the water samples, possibly as part of existing monitoring programmes, have access to the data to help them with their own management strategies. Sampling partners include regional councils, the Department of Conservation, and aquaculture industries. Water samples are taken fortnightly at each site (see Figure 1 for the sampling sites) by the sampling partners, then the full crates are returned to Dunedin for analysis of acidity parameters - alkalinity and total dissolved inorganic carbon (to develop a long-term data series). We then calculate pHT, pCO2, carbonate ion concentration, and saturation states. NIWA provides sampling partners with bottles, crates, chemically resistant gloves and training (including health and safety information). The actual sampling isn’t difficult, however sampling partners are required to use a droplet bottle to add a couple of drops of mercuric chloride (which is toxic) into the full sample bottles, so that the seawater is ‘preserved’ until it gets to the lab. SeaFET pH sensors[2] are deployed for 4-5 months at each site, and are moved from site to site to help determine short term variability at each location. Additional parameters are measured at the Dunedin and Firth of Thames sites, so that these sites meet the extra requirements of the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON). The network uses data collection infrastructure where possible to take advantage of auxiliary data and historic records.

We generally enjoy good water quality in the Sounds however some activities can impact on that. Sewage, run-off from land, sedimentation, vessel discharge, marine farm discharges and boat maintenance activities can all have a negative effect. Water quality monitoring was established in Queen Charlotte Sound/Tōtaranu in 2011 and in Pelorus Sound/Te Hoiere in 2012. Information collected each month on temperature, nutrient levels, phytoplankton and seawater chemistry is proving to be important for understanding how the Sounds ecosystems work. Council’s coastal monitoring programme provides essential information for good decisions on resource consents, future planning and protection for the Sounds. This scientific data will also feed into a national database run by Land Air Water Aotearoa (LAWA), alongside the recreational bathing data. This can be accessed via the link below to LAWA monitored beaches. For more information contact Dr Steve Urlich, Marlborough District Council coastal scientist steve.urlich@marlborough.govt.nz or Ph: 03 520 7400. Council has developed a Coastal Report Card to summarise annual monitoring results for key water quality parameters from Tōtaranui/Queen Charlotte Sound and Te Hoiere/Pelorus Sound. The 2015/16 report card can be found, along with a comprehensive analysis of monitoring data from 2014/15 by following the link below. https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/environment/coastal/coastal-reports-and-special-investigations In addition, there are: a) Corresponding CTD data (incl DO, fluorometry etc). b) Phytoplankton cell counts at each water quality station c) Zooplankton counts from the water-quality samples (to June 2014). Near-bed samples are collected using a Van Dorn at about 2 m above seabed. Up until June 2014, the near surface samples were also collected using a Van Dorn – at about 1 m below sea-surface. From July 2014, near-surface samples have been collected using a hose-sampler that extends from surface to approx. 15 m below surface (so collects a depth integrated sample). Up until June 2014, POC and PON were measured. Thereafter, PC and PN were measured.

The rugosity of the bathymetry dataset from the Queen Charlotte Sound / Tōtaranui and Tory Channel / Kura Te Au Hydrographic Survey LINZ Project HYD-2016/17-01 (HS51). Rugosity (or roughness) of the seafloor is the ratio of surface area to planar area, and is a measure of terrain complexity. Calculated over 3 x 3 neighbouring cells. In the benthic environment, ecological diversity can generally be correlated with environmental complexity. As such, rugosity is often used to help identify areas with potentially high biodiversity. These data are in raster geotiff format and include ESRI layer files and QGIS GML files for symbology.