THE LOVE RIMURIMU
RESTORATION PROJECT
Imagine the Blue Belt of Wellington sustaining a healthy and vibrant ocean forest; able to absorb more carbon than trees, improving water quality and providing habitat for thousands of marine creatures. Regenerating our seaweed forests is a way to make this a reality - and it’s what this project is all about.
Our Plan.
By improving conditions and restoring sites in the harbour with juvenile and adult seaweeds, we hope to set up the right environment for regeneration- helping nature to be a self-sustaining and healthy ecosystem again.
These sites will take up carbon, restore habitat and strengthen our marine ecosystem - making it more resilient into the future. But we must act soon, and we must be prepared to learn and innovate along the way.
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Current reality.
Seaweeds, like our forests on land, are affected by our changing world. Increasing air and water temperatures, degradation through sea bottom trawling, overfishing and pollution have reduced their extent in many coastal areas. Wellington harbour is no exception to the global trend.
In many places, the water is loaded with sediments and seaweed munching kina (sea urchin) numbers have exploded as large fish that usually keep the population in balance have been removed.
Stepping stones to success
The Sites
As Wellington’s coastline is very large, it is crucial that we start by focusing on sites where we believe we can succeed and those that have a history of harbouring healthy seaweed stands.
Selecting where we begin these trials is an important part of the first phase of the project. Mātauranga and western science will help to guide us in this process.
The Seaweeds
Research has shown that not all seaweed species cope with stressful environmental conditions in the same way.
Some species are more stress-tolerant than others or can adjust to changing conditions more quickly.
Initially, we are focusing on large brown species that are fast-growing, are more stress-resistant but also provide a range of different habitats for marine organisms.
The Tools
We’ll be trialling a range of different regeneration methods to help identify the right options for Wellington harbour.
There are a range of different re-seeding techniques we can try, learning from overseas examples, and giving new local approaches a go.
We’ll work with research partners, mana whenua, community groups and industry who will also bring their skills and knowledge to the challenge ahead.
Meet the core team of Love Rimurimu