NIWA’s new research vessel, Kaharoa II, embarked on a mission in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park/Ko te Pataka kai o Tīkapa Moana Te Moananui-ā-Toi to film underwater habitats.

The survey was the maiden science voyage for the new vessel, which was officially christened by Minister Judith Collins.

The research is being done on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand and is supported by the Department of Conservation and Seafood New Zealand. It will focus on seafloor communities across reefs, sand, and mud habitats in one of New Zealand’s most valued and intensively used coastal spaces.

NIWA marine ecologist Dr. Mark Morrison said the new technology on Kaharoa II will enhance how scientists conduct their work.

One of the underwater cameras to be used in the survey. (Image credit: Luke McPake/NIWA)

“We’ll be collecting baseline information on what habitats are present in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park using a state-of-the-art camera system to collect underwater imagery. We can see what’s happening in real-time, and this has been improved by the new fiber cables onboard Kaharoa II,” said Dr. Morrison.

In addition to daytime surveys, scientists will work during the night to capture images of fish sleeping on the seafloor and the nocturnal species that use the dark to forage. The underwater cameras are equipped with powerful lights, which will appear from the shore as lit-up domes in the water in shallower areas.

The vessel will move from the shallowest parts of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park to the deepest edge of the shelf in the park, an area that we know very little about.

The cameras will be used to gather underwater imagery, like this butterfly perch swimming among sponges from a survey off Tokomaru in 2023. (Image credit: CoastCam/NIWA)

“Restoration of marine habitats and ecosystems requires knowledge of what is there now. Without this information, it is not possible to set proper restoration goals and objectives. A Hauraki Gulf Marine Park-wide survey of this intensity, range of habitats, and depth span has not been done before. Additionally, this voyage will return to some locations previously sampled by NIWA in 2015 with towed cameras to see if or how the undersea landscape and biodiversity have changed,” said Dr. Morrison.

Fisheries New Zealand’s acting Director of Science and Information, Dr. Rich Ford, says the Hauraki Gulf is important to all New Zealanders, and its waters and islands are home to a diverse range of species.

“The next-level camera technology onboard Kaharoa II will provide a better view of the species and habitat that live below the surface and give us valuable baseline data to support longer-term monitoring and management of the Hauraki Gulf,” said Dr Ford.

Kaharoa II will be operating in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park from August 27 to September 10.