16. Bryozoan coral beds
Map ID Number: 16
Location: Tasman Bay/D’Urville Island, Otago Shelf, Foveaux Strait
Approximate area: Originally patchily distributed over around 410km2, now probably less than 140km2 in extent off Abel Tasman National Park. Other areas exist off D’Urville Island and Otago Shelf in which the bryozoan habitat is probably patchily dist
Description of area:
The bryozoan coral beds comprise erect bryozoan growths and molluscan shell, associated with a high diversity of sessile and mobile epibiota, forming a nursery ground for juveniles of commercial fish.
Biological attributes:
Celleporaria agglutinans (“Tasman Bay coral”) and Hippomenella vellicata are the predominant habitat-forming species off northern South Island. Cinctipora elegans is the predominant habitat-forming species on the Otago Shelf, but H. vellicata is common there too. The Cinctiporidae is an endemic bryozoan family having gigantism – i.e. exhibiting the largest zooids in the class Stenolaemata.
Criteria applied:
Species diversity; species richness; dependency for other species; aggregations; threatened habitat; habitat complexity.
Status and management:
Only the area off Abel Tasman National Park is protected from bottom trawling (since 1980) but regeneration of the bryozoan habitat appears to be slow.
State of information:
Some published papers and a report to the Ministry of Fisheries have been produced.
References and further reading:
Bradstock and Gordon (1983), Gordon et al. (1994).