Iongairo, a collaborative project to deepen our understanding of coastal marine ecosystems around Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū/Banks Peninsula, has delivered the most comprehensive seafloor and habitat maps in Waitaha/Canterbury to-date.

After several years exploring marine habitats in this culturally, ecologically and economically important area, the Iongairo partners were proud to launch their interactive maps at a public event in Akaroa.

The maps are the result of extensive fieldwork and modelling, and will help rūnanga, communities and agencies make more informed decisions about ecosystem management.

Iongairo is a partnership between papatipu rūnanga of Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū, the Department of Conservation, and Environment Canterbury, with the University of Otago serving as the project’s science partner. ‘Iongairo’ represents the relationship between Papatūānuku and Tangaroa in Te Ao Māori — signifying the special relationship between the whenua/land and the moana/ocean.

Ōnuku Rūnanga Chairperson, Rik Tainui, said it was the opportunity of a lifetime for Ōnuku.

“We hadn’t done any extensive work with any agency in the harbour before and I just thought, this is brilliant. We’re going to use the data that’s been collected to help us determine where we should plant, and do things that can slow down sedimentation which isn’t helping our moana. We won’t have to guess like we’ve done in the past.”

Wairewa Rūnanga mana whenua mana moana team leader, Robin Wybrow, said the most important part of the project was the collaboration and relationships.

“A really important part of the mahi was the foundation work, with all the partners coming together to determine how the research project would take place, our shared values, and the direction it needed to take. The group just clicked, which was a pleasant surprise.”

Environment Canterbury chief scientist, Dr Fiona Shanhun, said that this resource represents a significant collaborative effort to help enhance the way we look after coastal marine ecosystems, now and for future generations.

“The Iongairo project has provided incredible insights into the marine ecosystems around Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū, enriching our knowledge of diverse seafloor habitats and offering more information than ever before to enable kaitiaki and coastal managers to explore connections between the land and the sea.”

“Data collected will also help researchers detect and assess possible impacts from climate change and human activities on key habitats and taonga species.”

Department of Conservation Marine Ranger, Tom MacTavish agrees that information is paramount for conservation.

“Better marine conservation relies on improving our understanding of what we have here in the moana, where these habitats are and how these ecosystems are affected by what’s happening on the land.”

University of Otago research fellow, Dr Matthew Desmond, echoed that the Iongairo project was a great opportunity to develop more accurate models and datasets for the area.

“By understanding on a finer scale what’s happening in each reef system, we can better manage them and understand their health. What we achieved by having all these partners on board was greater than what we could have achieved on our own.”

About the kaupapa/project:

• In 2021, Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) conducted hydrographic survey work around Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū/Banks Peninsula for navigational shipping purposes. The survey extended along the coast from Awaroa/Godley Head to Birdlings Flat, including Akaroa Harbour, and out to five kilometres offshore.
• Through a financial commitment by Environment Canterbury (in the 2021-31 Long-Term Plan) and the Department of Conservation, and with support from rūnanga, the hydrographic survey was expanded to include important shallow water (<10 m) areas of the coastline from Birdlings Flat to Goat Point that would otherwise not have been mapped.
• Combining this additional work with LINZ’s survey provided an opportunity to leverage funding to improve rūnanga, community and agency understanding and management of seafloor habitats and ecosystems around Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū/Banks Peninsula.
• Outputs from the Iongairo project represent the most detailed information on any coastal marine environment in Waitaha/Canterbury. The extensive fieldwork has generated a rich pool of environmental data.
• The core project output is an interactive online map that documents the geological and biological characteristics of seafloor habitats around Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū/Banks Peninsula. Information available via the interactive map transforms our ability to make informed coastal planning and environmental management decisions.

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