Marine Bioblitz uncovers biodiversity bonanza

Monday, 29 October 2007

Wellington’s Marine Bioblitz has uncovered a biodiversity bonanza, identifying 551 species – including at least four new species during the month-long search.
Marine Bioblitz Co-ordinator Heather Anderson says the Marine Bioblitz – the world’s first – was a tremendous success in revealing the incredible diversity and richness of plant and animal life in Wellington’s marine environment.
“We knew that Wellington was rich in an abundance of marine life, but the variety and number of species found has been really exciting, and demonstrates how little we know about the underwater life that exists right on our doorstep.”
The Bioblitz, conducted in the area off Wellington’s south coast to be announced as the Kupe-Kevin Marine Reserve in January, found four new species:• A many-tentacled tube anemone found by NIWA scientist Malcolm Francis • A tiny red and green nudibranch (sea slug) found by Forest & Bird marine advocate Kirstie Knowles • A bryozoan (a tiny animal that builds a stony skeleton, also known as moss animals or sea mats) found by Kirstie Knowles and NIWA’s Adam Smith• A diatom (a single-celled phytoplankton) found by Margaret Harper of Victoria University.
Dive teams from Island Bay Divers and Dive HQ also found six more potential new species, including a minute “red blob” – the origin of which is so puzzling that the experts are completely baffled about what phylum it might belong to.
These discoveries will now be analysed in more detail by experts to determine whether they are indeed new species previously unknown to science
Another highlight of the Bioblitz was the appearance of two species of whale – an orca and a southern right whale.
Heather Anderson says the Bioblitz brought together scientists, conservationists, divers and the Wellington public and raised public awareness of Wellington’s unique marine biodiversity.
“The Kupe-Kevin Smith Marine Reserve will be New Zealand’s first marine reserve located so close to a major urban centre, and will be the first marine reserve in Cook Strait, which has a diversity of unique marine plants and animals. The marine reserve will play an important role in protecting this rich underwater world.”