Rock lobster research is under way across the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana this winter, with the Department of Conservation and its partners running surveys at five marine protection sites from 29 June through July.
Two contracted commercial vessels, Jackpot and Carolyn Marie, are carrying out the fieldwork. Around 50 baited cage traps are being deployed both inside and outside the protected areas, giving researchers a direct basis for comparing lobster populations in fished and unfished environments.
The five sites covered by the surveys are Te Hāwere-a-Maki/Goat Island, Tāwharanui, Kawau Island, Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island, and the Mokohīnau Islands.
Boaties spending time on the water near these locations may come across the research gear at the surface. The floats and cattle tags are marked 'research' and carry both a permit number and a contact phone number. DOC is asking anyone who encounters the pots to leave them undisturbed.
"We wanted to let the community and boaties know we'd be on commercial vessels inside marine protected areas," says DOC marine scientist Emma Kearney.
"If you see any lobster pots inside those areas, they're there for research purposes, so please leave them as they are."
On board Jackpot and Carolyn Marie alongside DOC staff are representatives from the University of Auckland, local iwi, and the commercial fishers who own the two vessels. Every lobster brought up in a trap is measured and its location recorded before being fitted with a tag that allows researchers to track its movements between protected zones and the surrounding fished waters. A small tissue clip is also collected for genetics analysis at the University of Auckland, after which each animal is returned to the water alive.
"We'll be recording size and location details, then tagging them to help understand how they move between marine protections and surrounding fishing areas," Kearney says. "We'll also take a small clip of tissue for the university to undertake genetics studies on the species, furthering our understanding of the population."
Because lobster potting is a standard commercial fishing method, the data gathered can be compared directly against existing fisheries records and against catch rates from outside the protected areas.
The surveys form part of a broader DOC programme aimed at building a baseline environmental picture of the Hauraki Gulf's marine environment during the first year of new marine protections. The programme covers both traditional marine reserves and the twelve new high-protection areas established across the inner Gulf. Those newer areas prohibit recreational and commercial fishing while permitting active restoration work, including shellfish reseeding and reef restoration.
Kearney sees particular value in working across both types of protection. "It's exciting to be working in both traditional marine reserves and the new high protection areas because over time we'll learn about the outcomes of this new tool, which combines protection and marine restoration," she says. "It's a new frontier in conservation beneath the waves."
A reminder that the inner Hauraki Gulf is closed to rock lobster fishing. Check the rules before heading out at mpi.govt.nz/rules.
More information on Hauraki Gulf marine protected areas is at .
