Seaweed Restoration

Science for Nature is initiating a Seaweed Restoration Project for the Hauraki Gulf and beyond in conjunction with the Kelly Tarlton Marine Wildlife Trust.

Seaweeds are a cornerstone species to a healthy marine environment and have suffered degradation from dragnet fishing, predation by kina and the impact of climate change on water temperatures.

This project, lead by Craig Thorburn, is looking to apply existing scientific knowledge to develop a practical toolbox for the reintroduction of red and brown seaweeds as well as sea grasses which are the nurseries of fish and shellfish species. These seaweed species do not attract the same attention and investment dollars as harvestable kelp but are critical to the life cycle of shellfish such as mussels which once formed the bedrock of the Hauraki Gulf marine system.

The project’s guiding principle is to develop restoration methods which are scaleable and at a realistic cost which makes implementation viable.