Our Story
A SUMMARY
This regionally and nationally recognised project aims to discover and document the subtidal rocky reef communities found in the South Taranaki Bight.
Initially focusing on one target reef (approx. 11km offshore and depth of approx. 23metres), a number of surveys will be conducted throughout the year allowing us to capture the ecological variance across seasons. A range of basic scientific methods will be employed by local community groups to survey the reef. It is hoped that this research effort will continue into the future and expand to incorporate additional reefs.
Six survey methods employed are: A camera (situated for many weeks at a time on the reef, until retrieved for maintenance) taking short video bursts overnight and day, benthic (reef floor) surveys involving a diver transect method, with the diver capturing images of 0.5m2 quadrats randomly situated around the reef, fishing surveys (conducted by Hawera High School and Patea Area School), baited underwater video, acoustic surveys through a loaned hydrophone and we conduct plankton trawls.
AWARDS
Awards - 2016-2017: The Project won the 'Protecting our Coasts and Oceans' category in the 2017 Green Ribbon Awards, held at Parliament on the 8 June. And in 2016 won a Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Award for 'Environmental Action in the Community'.
Partners in the Project are: South Taranaki Underwater Club, Hawera High School, Patea Area School, Te Kaahui o Rauru and Te Runanga o Ngati Ruanui Trust.
The Project is fortunate to have had since its inception (until early 2017) the support of scientific officer Thomas McElroy who holds a Bachelor of Science majoring in marine biology, ecology and biodiversity with a Masters in Marine Conservation. In early 2017 Thomas left to go overseas. Fortunately for the Project - Joshua Richardson had joined the Project back in 2016 and has been a treasured addition. Joshua holds a Masters in Marine Science. The Project also has two other scientists working with us - Nicole Sturgess (assists with benthic analysis) and Charlotte Borra (assist with plankton). We also have Luke Colmer, a qualified PADI instructor, who after joining the team, headed north in 2019. Luke stays in touch with us over distance and we're extremely fortunate to have his diving/marine expertise on hand.
The Project has made efforts to engage with the wider scientific community and now collaborates with Auckland University’s Leigh Marine Lab, Dr Radford, an acoustic specialist, Andrew Stewart of Te Papa (fish ID work), NZ sponge specialist at NIWA, Dr Kelly and Sadie Mills of NIWA for other species ID work. CSIRO Australia scientist Julian Uribe Palomino has assisted with plankton ID, as well as NIWA’s Janet Grieve.
All species observations are uploaded to 'I-naturalist NZ' an extremely user-friendly free database available to anyone. This database allows us to share all our results and connect to a wide network of experts who can validate our sightings. Check out ‘Coastblitz Patea’.
AWARDS
In June 2019 the Project was presented with the prestigious Wyland Award at the NZUA’s AGM. In November 2019 Project Reef Life, the South Taranaki Underwater Club and our Project Partners were awarded (at the NZ Coastal Society’s Annual Conference) the prestigious Terry Healy Coastal Project Award.
Initial funding: for the Project came as part of the Government’s National Plan for Science in Society - via the 'Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment' (MBIE) funding the ‘Curious Minds’ initiative (young people, communities and scientists collaborate on a locally relevant science project.) In 2015 the Curious Minds initiative was launched and Taranaki (administered by Venture Taranaki) was one of the pilot regions given funding. “Project Reef” received funding from the first and second funding rounds of just under $20k respectively. The local charter vessel owners supported the MBIE funded project taking discounted charter trips for the local high school students.
Major Funder: ‘Project Reef’ is extremely grateful for the ongoing support of the Toi Foundation (previously known as the TSB Community Trust).
Toi Capital funding:
2016 supported the purchase of our high quality diver’s underwater camera.
2018 enabled us to build a ‘first of its kind’ camera set up – a camera that could remain at the Project Reef taking video footage day and night (our ‘Spy-camera’). We began with a Mark I version, and substantial improvements have been made over time, resulting in two Mark II versions, ‘Eagle Ray’ and ‘Sting-ray’.
2018 enabled us to build ‘South Taranaki proof’ equipment such as a baited underwater video (BUV) frame, and plankton net frame.
2022 supported the build of the Marine Frame located at Ōhawe on Te Rangatapu Trustee land.
Toi Program funding:
Over the years' applications for Program funding to the TSB Community Trust/ Toi have been made – which supports us for some of the running of this Project, analysing, and storing vast quantities of data, outreach, and equipment maintenance.
Volunteer time: Boat time and diver time – this is fully donated by the South Taranaki Underwater Club (STUC) members. Project team members donate all time when engaged in our community art projects or museum installations.
Museum exhibitions: Aotea Utanganui, the South Taranaki Museum during 2016/2017. Puke Ariki Museum (New Plymouth) exhibition “Reef Alive” opened in 2021, followed in 2023 by addition of a stunning diorama showing both ‘the offshore Project Reef’ biodiversity, as well as the Version I ‘spy-camera’.
Other highlights: photographs of sponges, taken by co-Project lead,Bruce Boyd, have made their way into versions 2,3 &4 of the NIWA Sponge Guide, whilst a new sponge species was found at Ōhawe by co-Project lead Karen, and is now acquisitioned into NIWA as a holotype!
The Project is thankful to Creative Communities South Taranaki funding, which has supported the following:
2018: Completion of a mural depicting the Project Reef, in Pātea (Creative Communities funding assisted)
2020: ‘Pātea Pou’. Marine based Corten steel sculptures on poles leading to Patea’s Mana beach installed - Pātea Area School helping with the designs (Creative Communities funding assisted)
