Timeline of degradation events in New Zealand

By Dr J Floor Anthoni (2004- )
www.seafriends.org.nz/issues/cons/timeline.htm

It is easy to ignore degradation if it does not happen in one's own backyard. New Zealanders in particular live in a dream world of believing that their country is green and clean, a message loudly heralded by both government and commerce to lure more tourists to God's Own Country. But over the years, alarming messages have appeared in newspapers and elsewhere, and these are summarised here to leave no doubt about the seriousness and escalation of ill health in the sea. Perhaps there exist similarities with the situations elsewhere in the world, something we can learn from. As this subject has been my focus of study for 15 years, many observations will be mine alone. I hope others will learn how to observe and share their observations with me. Have you seen changes in the sea? Click here and report them for others.

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Timeline

As degradation intensifies, one sees more and more symptoms, as also new symptoms are seen for the first time. By recording these, perhaps an order of importance or severity can be established, which may lead to further understanding of the whole phenomenon. Here is a time line of events as they have been recorded or remembered. It is hoped that you, the reader, can add to it or make improvements. Question marks identify uncertainty.

1982?: black coral dies around the Poor Knights [observed by many divers] and further in the outer Hauraki Gulf, Simpson Rock, Great Barrier I. Young black coral trees can still be found around Port Fitzroy, Gt Barrier Island. [1]
1983?: mass mortality of demoiselles on the Poor Knights, Cavallis and Matauri Bay, noticed by many divers. [1]
1983: mass mortality of scallops and giant heart urchin (Brissus gigas) due to suffocating diatom slime (Cerataulina pelagica) [3]
1983?: brown fluff first noted in autumn at Goat Island. Some sea urchins die. This symptom comes back every autumn and intensifies. By 1994 it is an all-year event with mass mortalities of grazing snails and sea urchins. [1]
1983: mass mortality of some sponges, particularly the rough fingersponge (Callispongia ramosa). [1]
1984-1987: many instances of large areas of sick kelp, as if infected by fungus, seen by many divers and scientists. [1]
1987: Degradation recognised as a severe, recurring event with rapidly increasing intensity. [1]
1989-1990: 60% of adult breeding yellow-eyed penguins wiped out by a mystery virus that also killed albatross in Otago. [NZH19980521]
1990: Seafriends marine conservation centre established to save our seas. Why are we losing so much so fast? [1]
1992: mass mortalities of plankton-eating schooling fish (40-80%): blue maomao, trevally, koheru, jack mackerel, demoiselle. Also a sudden decline in pink maomao and wrasses. [1]

? long-finned triplefin (Ruanoho decemdigitatus) disappears. [1]

1993: kelpbed deaths in the outer Hauraki Gulf: Leigh, Tawharanui, Kawau, Little Barrier I, Great Barrier I, Arid I, Mokohinau, Hen & Chickens. Observed by many, including scientists. [1] [4]

Many sponges die and again Callispongia ramosa. [1]
Further decline in many fish species in the outer Hauraki Gulf, Poor Knights, Mokohinau, Mayor Island, Cavalli, Cape Brett. [1]

1994-96: mass mortalities of sea urchins from the far north to Mayor Island. [1]
1994: Many serious plankton blooms and the discovery that these are rather poisonous. Unfortunately no newspaper articles retained.
1995: brown fluff becomes a yearlong event and is observed in far away places. [1]

Brown fluff kills grazers in rockpools, Goat Island marine reserve. [1]
Mass bullkelp die-off (Durvillaea antarctica) on westcoast beaches, also noted in 1960 [9]
May: Tamaki Strait shellfish taking ban due to PSP toxin. [NZH19950516]
July 12: mass mortalities of pilchard (Sardinops neopilchardus) in the outer Haurak Gulf, lasting four weeks, seen by many [1]. The mortality is later attributed to a herpes-like virus. [8] [NZH19950627]
Aug: unusually large numbers of dead blue penguins near Whangarei. Birds were underweight, possibly from starvation or from same causes as pilchard deaths. [NZH19950815]

1996:

Shellfish ban from Cape Karikari to Parengarenga Hr. Domoic acid froM Pseudonitzschia 33ppm in water; 90ppm in scallop roe.

1997:

Jan: Shellfish in Bay of Islands affected by toxic bloom Alexandrium minutum. [NZH19970118]
Feb: 5 sperm whales strand on Farewell Spit and die. [NZH19970225]
May: Shellfish ban in eastern Bay of Plenty. Some people suffer tingling mouths and 3 days abdominal pain. [NZH19970517]
Dec: toxic algae found in Whangarei Hr, but shellfish beds not closed. [NZH19971219]

1998: in spring (Jul-Sep) 5 out of 6 crayfish walk out of the Goat Island marine reserve and they are caught outside. [1] [5]

Stalked kelp rapidly invades the urchin habitats of all places that had kelpbed death in 1993, but not outside this area. [1] [6]
Jan: Cat's eye snails (Turbo smaragdus) disappear from Piha, perhaps through harvesting. [NZH19980105]
Feb: massive shellfish deaths on Northland beaches due to heat and/or toxic plankton blooms. [NZH19980213]
Feb: nearly 200 Napier beach bathers fall ill to toxic algae. [NZH19980212]
Feb: beachgoers off the Wairarapa coast experience nose and eye irritations & sore throuats due to toxic algal blooms. Shellfish ban Gt Barrier I. [NZH19980206]
Feb/March: mass die-off of bullkelp along the west coast of the North Island, perhaps caused by a tonge of warm water.[9][NZH19990528]
Feb/March: various kinds of jellyfish sting bathers. Stingy stringy thingy Praya dubia [RT19980326] [NZH19980321]
March: algal bloom of Gymnodinium mikimotoi kills Wellington Harbour. Temperatures above 20ºC. [NZH19980318]
March: Water up to 4 degrees warmer than normal recorded beyond the continental shelf off Northland. [NZH19980323]
May: a ban on collecting and eating shellfish between Opotik and Whakatane. [NZH19980514]
May: yellow-eyed penguin deaths expected to amount to 90% of young birds by mystery virus [NZH19980521]
July 6: Mass washups of parchment tubeworms (Chaetopterus variopedatus) on North Shore beaches. [NZH 19980706]
Oct 15: Foam originating from dense plankton blooms washes up on Makara Bch, Wellington [NZH19981015]
Oct 22: massive pilchard kill in Australia, feared to come to NZ. [NZH19981022]
Oct 30: 288 pilot whales strand in Doughboy Bay, Stewart Island, perhaps unrelated to pollution. [NZH19981030]
Nov: a mystery epidemic kills up to one third (1461) of Hookers sea lion pups and 45 (20%) breeding females at Auckland and Campbell Islands. Islands closed to tourists. [NZH 19981202, 19980206]

1999: For years the Bluff oysters have been decimated by Bonemia disease. Eight Auckland beaches closed for swimming due to bacterial contamination [NZH19990114]

Feb: dead and dying blue penguins wash up on Bay of Plenty beaches, thought due to food shortage at sea or plankton toxins. [NZH19990211]
Sep: charter boats report a sudden drop in kingfish numbers north of Mangawhai, perhaps caught as by-catch during pilchard fishing, or because their food, pilchards were diminished. [NZH19990930]
Sep: extensive westcoast shellfish deaths near Wanganui. [NZH19990924]
Oct: mysterious black skirt disease blights the cormandel scallop industry. It spread from Waiheke I to Tauranga. [NZH19991018]
Dec: 4 dead dolphins (3 Common + 1 Bottlenose) in the Bay of Islands, found around Cape Brett. [NZH20000113]

2000: Mangroves are spreading due to increased levels of mud deposition

Jan: poisoned oysters in the Bay of Islands linked to sewage. [NZH20000127] Black-skirt disease of scallops around Coromandel Pen. [NZH2000126]
Feb: an epidemic devastates 60-90% coastal kina colonies, reported by Auckland Marine Laboratory in Leigh. [NZH20000221]
May: an explosion of the hairy sea hare (Bursatella glauca) at Auckland's beaches, an indication of failing sewage systems. [NZH 20000516]
May: an exposion of Sea Bathers Eruption stings many swimmers. [NZH20000510]
Sep: the parchment tube worm (Chaetopterus variopedatus) is found spreading and damaging scallop beds from Houhora to Tauranga. [NZH20000626]
May-Nov: the entire NI westcoast shellfish fishery closed because of a Gymnodinium catenatum bloom with record levels of poison (PSP), extending south into Wellington Hr. [NZH 20001122]
Nov: 2 common dolphins die for unknown reasons high up in the Matakana estuary.
Nov: toxic algal bloms in Hawkes Bay, Kaipara, Rodney [NZH20001117]

2001: mass mortality of pankton feeding fish (50-90%): blue maomao, trevally, koheru, jack mackerel, demoiselle, kahawai [1]

Banded perch (Hypoplectrodes huntii) disappears [1]
Blue-dot triplefin () disappears [1]
Rapid decline of butterfish (Odax pullus) in many places. [1]
Parore (Girella tricuspidata) seen with white welts on their bodies. Many die in the four years afterwards. Seen by many [1]
Many sponges die: orange finger sponge, Aaptos, golden and pink golfball sponges, various species of Polymastia, two species of Callyspongia and more, but some recover. [1]
Jan: high levels of PSP plankton toxin causes shellfish closure and fish kills in Northland. [NZH20010112]
Mar: shellfish ban in Marlborough. [NZH20020301]
Jun: a plague of bluebottle jellyfish on eastcoast beaches [NZH200406??]

2002-2004: localised mass mortalities of sea urchins and other grazers due to brown fluff. [1]

Sharp decline in most resident fish of the Poor Knights Islands [7][1] and Mayor Island. [1]
Arid island and the northern end of Little Barrier have become very degraded. [1]
Kelpbed thins in many places. No kelp recruits replacing it. Coralline algae taking over. Arid I, Cape Brett. [1]
Feb: yellow intestinal seasquirt plague (Didemnum sp) in Whangamata Harbour, also found in Tauranga and Nelson. [NZH20020112, 20020208]
Oct: thousands of fish of all species killed in Orewa Harbour by toxic algae. [RT20021015]
Nov-Dec: very large red tide (Noctiluca scintillans) plankton blooms in the western Hauraki Gulf. [NZH20021102,20021204]

2003: Oct: PSP toxins reported well above regulatory limits, along the west coast from Ohawa to Maunganui Bluff. [NZH20031002]

For years, the sea lettuce has been increasing in Tauranga Harbour, stinking as it rots. Everywhere in Northland magroves are expanding.
Jan: in the past 18 months 5 Brydes whales found dead i NZ waters. [NZH20030108]
Jan: 39 stranded pilot whales die at Stewart Island. [NZH20030106]
Jan; rare beaked whale found alive in the Whau River near Auckland. [NZH20030129]
Jun: Oyster harvest in the Bay of Islands closed due to toxins (PSP). [NZH20030620] Toxin alerts extend over the entire Hawkes Bay (PSP) and South Island NW coast (DSP). [NZH20030610]
Jun: 11 Auckland beaches closed for swimming due to bacterial contamination. [NZH20030625]

2004: first occurrence of black rot in pink paint, Leigh, Little Barrier I. [1] The newspapers report on the Foreshore and Seabed debate and new marine reserve proposals, but little on effects from degradation.

Dec: a pod of 74 pilot whales strand at Opoutere Beach (Coromandel) and 21 survive. [NZH20041201]
Dec: a 10m sperm whale found dead between Karekare and Whatipu on Auckland's west coast [NZH20041201]

References
[1] Anthoni J F: personal observations and photography.
[2] Various newspapers: NZH= New Zealand Herald; RT= Rodney Times;
[3] Taylor F J, Taylor N J, Walsby J R (1985): A bloom of the planktonic diatom Cerataulina pelagica, off the coast of northeastern New Zealand in 1983, and its contribution to an associated mortality of fish and benthic fauna. Int Revue ges Hydrobiol 10, 1985, 6 773-795.
[4] Babcock RC, Cole R G (1993): The extent of die-back of the kelp Ecklonia radiata in the Cape Rodney to Okakari Pt Marine Reserve. Advice to the Department of Conservation
[5] Dept of conservation: Monitoring results of Leigh marine reserve. Various reports.
[6] Babcock R C, Kelly S, Shears N T, Walker J W, Willis T J: Changes in community structure in temperate marine reserves. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 189:125-134 (1999)
[7] Denny C M, Willis T J, Babcock R C (2003): Effects of Poor Knights Marine Reserve on demersal fish populations. DOC Science Internal Series 142. Department of Conservation. 34p.
[8] NIWA report
[9] Hayward, B. W.; Morley, M. S. 2004: Intertidal life around the coast of the Waitakere Ranges, Auckland, Auckland Regional Council Working Report No. 111. 102 p.

a dead black coral tree with magenta anemones

f042026: (2004) the hardiest organism of all, pink paint is now under attack of a mysterious black rot, seen in three places from Leigh to Little Barrier. The photo shows how the rot progressed from the dark green patch to the light green one, through the white into the black margin, leaving dead pink paint behind. This is the latest symptom.
f021807: (left photo) In 1983 black coral trees died in northern NZ. This must have been a 2.5m tall tree. Now it has snared a fishing line while magenta jewel anemones grow around its thickest parts. Demoiselles and butterfly perch swimming past. This was the first symptom.

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