Regional Estuary Monitoring Programme trend report: 2001 to 2018

Report: TR 2021/05

Author: Hannah Jones

Waikato Regional Council’s Regional Estuary Monitoring Programme (REMP) focuses on monitoring intertidal benthic macroinvertebrates (i.e., animals that live in estuarine sediments) and sediment properties at 15 sites in three estuaries in the Waikato region: The Firth of Thames, Whāingaroa (Raglan) Harbour (both monitored since 2001) and Tairua Harbour (monitored since 2012). This report presents data collected over 17 years (from 2001 to 2018), summarises the state of, and trends in, estuarine health and provides recommendations for future monitoring.

Monitoring sites in the REMP vary in their general characteristics in terms of sediment mud content, macroinvertebrate community composition, sediment deposition rates, and elevation relative to tidal level, as well as their location within an estuary and geographic location within the Waikato Region. Estuarine health indices suggest most sites are currently moderately healthy, although two sites are in poor health and four sites are in good health.