Is the world changing beneath the waves?

Kāwaroa Reef
Snorkelling at Kāwaroa
Flapjack seaweed
Octopus
Sargassum seaweed
Seaweed workshop
Divers and fishers /iwi who have been in and on the local waters for many decades have told us that the reefs and marine life is changing. But we do not know where and what changes occur and if these changes are driven by climate change (warmer waters, changing species, more storms) or other impacts.
Project objectives
1. Habitat type/condition: A simple qualitative citizen science method of divers taking underwater photographs that will be compared with existing records for that location.2. Abiotic variables: temperature and water clarity data will be assessed using fixed dataloggers at appropriate survey sites.3. Photograph, compare, evaluate habitat in Tapuae Marine Reserve by divers revisiting the most appropriate of 200 sites that were photographed for the Tapuae Marine Reserve 4. Collaboration with Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama and the Urenui Dive Club to review and revisit sites photographed at Parininihi Marine Reserve
Flapjack, Carpophyllum maschalocarpum
Eagle Ray at Kāwaroa

Seaweeds to identify at the workshop
Dictyota kunthii
Dictyota kunthii macro view