Tairua Harbour - estuary monitoring results

Sediment-dwelling organisms

The sediment-dwelling organism community in Tairua Harbour is made up of a broad range of taxa groups. Bivalves (shellfish – cockles, pipi) and polychaetes (marine worms) are not as dominant as they are in the Firth of Thames, Whāingaroa (Raglan) and Coromandel Harbour. Crustaceans are a lot more abundant in Tairua Harbour, in particular isopods (sea woodlice) and amphipods (shrimp like crustaceans). Other taxa (oligochaetes) and gastropods (snails) are also relatively abundant.

For further monitored results (estuary health indicators) please go to the estuary health LAWA website. A detailed analysis of all trends in our results as well as the relationships between sediment properties and sediment-dwelling communities are investigated in our latest trend report.