Abstract

In April 2001 Environment Waikato initiated the Regional Estuary Monitoring Programme (REMP) at permanent monitoring sites in the southern Firth of Thames and Whaingaroa (Raglan) Harbour. The programme focuses on intertidal sediments and their benthic macrofauna communities as "indicators" of the health of the Region's estuaries. The objective is to determine the current status of, and monitor the temporal changes in benthic macrofauna communities that may occur as a direct or indirect consequence of catchment activity and/or estuary development. Details of the rationale and design of the programme are provided in full in Turner (2000 and 2001).

This report presents the results for the sediment-monitoring component of the REMP between the commencement in April 2001 and April 2003. Detailed results for the ecological component are available in Turner & Carter (2004).

Regional Estuary Monitoring Programme: Sediment Monitoring April 2001 to April 2003 [PDF, 664 KB]

Contents
Acknowledgements	i
1 Introduction	5
2 Methods	6
2.1 Field sites	6
2.2 Sample collection and processing	8
2.2.1 Surficial sediment grain-size	8
2.2.2 Sediment organic matter content	8
2.2.3 Rates of sediment deposition and erosion	8
2.2.4 Sediment level: Buried plate measurements	9
3 Results and discussion	11
3.1 Surficial sediment grain-size	11
3.1.1 Southern Firth of Thames	12
3.1.2 Whaingaroa Harbour	16
3.2 Sediment total organic carbon and total nitrogen	19
3.2.1 Southern Firth of Thames	19
3.2.2 Whaingaroa Harbour	20
3.3 Sediment level: buried plate measurements	23
4 Recommendations	23
Literature cited	25
Appendix 1 - NZMG GPS Positions	27
Appendix 2 - Total organic carbon and total nitrogen content results	28
Appendix 3 - Cross-shore surveys	33
Appendix 4 - Changes in sediment elevation	34

Regional estuary monitoring programme: sediment monitoring April 2001 to April 2003

Abstract

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