Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour Sediment Plate Monitoring – January 2022 survey Technical Report
- Author
- Stevens, L.; Rabel, H.; Forrest, B.
- Year
- 2022
- Journal / Source
- Salt Ecology Report
- Publisher / Organisation
- Salt Ecology
- Number
- 90
- Pages
- 23
- Summary
- As part of ongoing work monitoring and providing scientific advice for managing catchment sediment inputs to Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour, Greater Wellington Regional Council contracted Salt Ecology to undertake annual sediment monitoring within the Harbour. The monitoring involves measuring sedimentation at nine intertidal and nine subtidal sites, assessing changes in sediment mud content, and visually assessing sediment redox status (oxygenation). In addition, changes in the spatial extent of mud-dominated sediment are measured on six fixed transects adjacent to subtidal sites. In January 2020, widespread deposition of mud-dominated sediments was recorded in the northern and western Pāuatahanui Inlet. In December 2020, a decrease in the spatial extent of intertidal mud was coincident with an increase in subtidal deposition, suggesting mud mobilised in the intertidal zone was likely deposited in nearby subtidal areas. The current report presents the results of the 2021/2022 annual monitoring, undertaken between 19-22 January 2022. The report compares findings to previous monitoring results and established or provisional estuarine health metrics (‘condition ratings’).