Zealand Waters Research Articles

Biodiversity of an unknown New Zealand habitat: bathyal invertebrate assemblages in the benthic boundary layer

For the first time in New Zealand waters, marine invertebrate assemblages from the benthic boundary layer were sampled as part of a broad scale national biodiversity programme, Ocean Survey 2020. Macrobenthic assemblages were collected from ∼1 m above the seafloor at 16 sites on the Chatham Rise and five sites on the Challenger Plateau to the east and west of New Zealand. Depths ranged from 218 to 1,239 m. Nearly 80 000 individual organisms were caught and identified to 33 higher taxonomic groups. Taxa of the supra- and epibenthos as well as taxa with suprabenthic affinities were encountered. Relative abundance and taxonomic richness of the invertebrates between the Chatham Rise and the Challenger Plateau were compared. The crustacean superorder Peracarida proved to be a good group to be representative for abundance patterns of the benthic boundary layer. The peracarid order Tanaidacea was identified to species level, showing high species richness, with 77% of the species being new to science. The observed high levels of biodiversity and high abundances, particularly of copepods and peracarid crustaceans, suggest that this component of the marine fauna, in the benthic boundary layer plays a significant role in ecosystem functioning of New Zealand waters.

Tsunami Forecasting and Monitoring in New Zealand

New Zealand is exposed to tsunami threats from several sources that vary significantly in their potential impact and travel time. One route for reducing the risk from these tsunami sources is to provide advance warning based on forecasting and monitoring of events in progress. In this paper the National Tsunami Warning System framework, including the responsibilities of key organisations and the procedures that they follow in the event of a tsunami threatening New Zealand, are summarised. A method for forecasting threat-levels based on tsunami models is presented, similar in many respects to that developed for Australia by Allen and Greenslade (Nat Hazards 46:35–52, 2008), and a simple system for easy access to the threat-level forecasts using a clickable pdf file is presented. Once a tsunami enters or initiates within New Zealand waters, its progress and evolution can be monitored in real-time using a newly established network of online tsunami gauge sensors placed at strategic locations around the New Zealand coasts and offshore islands. Information from these gauges can be used to validate and revise forecasts, and assist in making the all-clear decision.

Isolation and Characterization of Diastereomers of Discorhabdins H and K and Assignment of Absolute Configuration to Discorhabdins D, N, Q, S, T, and U

Investigations of four different sponge populations of Latrunculia species collected in New Zealand waters has led to the characterization of a new diastereomer of discorhabdin H, named discorhabdin H2, confirmation of the structure of discorhabdin K ((+)-7), and presentation of a new diastereomer, discorhabdin K2 ((-)-8). In each case the structures were established by extensive NMR and MS studies and the absolute configurations interrogated by electronic circular dichroism (ECD). Absolute configurations were assigned to the known metabolites discorhabdins H, D, 2-hydroxy-D, N, and Q by comparison of ECD spectra with those recorded for discorhabdin alkaloids of defined absolute configuration, while the configurations of discorhabdins S, T, and U were assigned by semisynthesis from (+)-(6S,8S)-discorhabdin B.

Amphilepis neozelandica sp. nov., the first record of the Amphilepididae in New Zealand waters (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea)

A new species of Amphilepis is described from several locations around New Zealand. It is distinguished from congeners by the combination of a lack of tentacle scales, separated dorsal and ventral arm plates, ventral interradial disc scaling and characteristic sharp appearance to the disc edge. This is the first record of Amphilepididae from New Zealand waters, and current evidence suggests that it occurs between 900 and 1500 m off eastern and western New Zealand.

Areopaguristes, a generic replacement name for Stratiotes Thomson, 1899 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Paguroidea: Diogenidae)

Two species of Paguristes Dana, 1851 occurring in New Zealand waters, P. pilosus H. Milne Edwards, 1836 and P. setosus H. Milne Edwards, 1848, were the sources of errors and considerable confusion for many years. The misunderstanding regarding the identities of these taxa was further compounded by Filhol (1885) when he published a description of P. setosus Filhol, 1885, not realizing that this species had previously been published by H. Milne Edwards (1848) [see Forest & McLaughlin (2000: 77) for a historical account]. In his revision of the Anomura of New Zealand, Thomson (1899) redescribed Filhol’s Pagurus setosus, assigning it to his new genus Stratiotes Thomson as the type species. Although Alcock (1905) and Thompson (1930) expressed doubt about the validity of Stratiotes, it was not until Forest & McLaughlin (2000) reviewed all of the New Zealand species assignable to Paguristes, that Stratiotes was placed in synonymy with Dana’s taxon. However, when Rahayu (2005) found the gill number of Paguristes species in the collection of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris variable, she restricted Paguristes to species having 13 pairs of gills and reinstated Stratiotes for species with only 12 pairs. Unfortunately Stratiotes Thomson recently was found to be a junior homonym of Stratiotes Putzeys, 1846, (Coleoptera) and a replacement name became necessary. Areopaguristes is proposed as the replacement name; from the Greek Ares, the God of War, in combination with Paguristes. As Stratiotes means soldier, the proposed replacement name maintains the original sense of combat, while identifying the genus as closely allied to Paguristes s.s.; gender masculine. The type species, Pagurus setosus, is unchanged.

PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in Hector’s (Cephalorhynchus hectori hectori) and Maui’s (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) dolphins

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine (OC) pesticide levels were determined in blubber samples collected from stranded and incidentally by-caught Hector’s (Cephalorhynchus hectori hectori) and Maui’s (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) dolphins from New Zealand waters between 1997 and 2009. PCBs (45 congeners) and a range of OC pesticides including dieldrin, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), along with its metabolites DDE and DDD were determined. OC pesticides dieldrin, p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD and p,p′-DDT were present at the highest concentrations. Sum DDT concentrations ranged from 93.7 to 8210 (Mean=1358, S.D=1974) and 252.4 to 57,390 (Mean=12,389, S.D=18,161)μg/kg wet weight in females and males, respectively. Similarly, Σ45CB concentrations ranged from 45.5 to 981.3 (Mean=333.2, S.D=265.8) and 60.5 to 5574 (Mean=1833, S.D=1659)μg/kg wet weight in females and males, respectively. The transfer of ΣDDTs and summed PCBs (both as ΣICES7CBs and Σ45CBs) between a pregnant female and her unborn fetus was calculated at 5.7% and 4.3%, respectively. As the fetus was close to term, this likely represents the degree of placental transfer. Concentrations of OC pesticides determined in the present study are higher than those previously reported for Hector’s dolphins. Sum DDT and DDE/ΣDDT levels calculated reveal New Zealand’s legacy of DDT usage, particularly off the east coast of the South Island.

New species and new records of Caridea (Hippolytidae: Pasiphaeidae) from New Zealand

New species and new records of caridean shrimps are recorded from New Zealand. The hippolytid genera Leontocaris and Merhippolyte, and pasiphaeid genus Alainopasiphaea are reported for the first time from New Zealand waters, exemplified by three species of Leontocaris, Merhippolyte chacei and Alainopasiphaea australis, respectively. The three species of Leontocaris, M. chacei and A. australis were each previously known only from southern Australia. A new species of Lebbeus, the second to be recorded from New Zealand, is described. Lysmata vittata is recorded for the first time from New Zealand.

Chemical investigation of seven Australasian Cystophora species: New chemistry and taxonomic insights

Chemical investigation of seven species from the brown algal genus Cystophora collected throughout Australia and New Zealand resulted in the isolation of two new compounds, 9,10-farnesylacetone epoxide (1) from Cystophora moniliformis and 1′-(2′,4′,6′-trihydroxyphenyl)-13-hydroxyoctadeca-6 Z,9 Z,11 E,15 Z-tetraen-1-one (12) from Cystophora scalaris, and 16 others that have been previously reported. Structures were elucidated using spectrometric methods, particularly 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. Taxonomic implications of the chemical findings are discussed including the possibility that 1 may be an intra-specific marker for the Western Australian population of C. moniliformis, and that 12 may be diagnostic for populations of C. scalaris from New Zealand waters.

Large-scale tropical movements and diving behavior of white sharks Carcharodon carcharias tagged off New Zealand

Recent advances in our understanding of the spatial behavior of white sharks have been based on only 3 geographical areas: the waters off Australia, southern Africa, and the northeast Pacific Ocean. Here we report results from the first study in New Zealand waters using satellite tags to study sharks. We attached pop-up archival tags to 4 white sharks Carcharodon carcharias at the Chatham Islands, New Zealand, during April 2005. One tag released prematurely, but 3 others showed long-distance northward movements of 1000 to 3000 km across the open ocean, with 2 sharks moving to the tropical islands of New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Our results are similar to recent find- ings elsewhere of fast oceanic travel and well oriented navigation. Circumstantial information sug- gests that some of these movements could be part of a regular foraging migration where white sharks visit humpback whale wintering grounds to feed on carcasses and prey on newborn calves. Before embarking on large-scale movements, all sharks remained over the continental shelf near the Chatham Islands for 2.6 to 5.0 mo, rarely swimming deeper than 100 m. In contrast, during oceanic large-scale movements, they spent most of their time in the top 1 m of water, showing periodic dives to depths over 900 m. The diving behavior in combination with the large-scale movements from tem- perate to tropical waters results in the sharks experiencing a very wide range of water temperatures.

Algal-dwelling Eophliantidae (Amphipoda): description of a new species and key to the world species, with notes on their biogeography

Eophliantidae are poorly studied marine algal-dwelling amphipods with a wide distribution. A new species was found to excavate burrows across the main stem of Carpophyllum maschalocarpum (Turner) Grev. in the New Zealand subtidal, and a detailed morphological description of this amphipod is given. Bircenna macayai sp. nov. can be distinguished from other Bircenna species by a combination of the following characters: bilobed coxa 1, merus and carpus of pereopods 5–7 strongly extended posteriorly, crenulate basis of pereopod 7 and smooth posterior margin of epimeron 3, pereopod 7 basis longer than wide. A key to the fourteen world species of Eophliantidae is provided. Taxonomy, evolutionary sequences, functional morphology and biogeography of the Eophliantidae are briefly discussed. New Zealand and Australian shallow waters show the highest species diversity of Eophliantidae, containing both species bearing plesiomorphic and highly derived characters, suggesting that Australasia is an evolutionary centre for this amphipod family.

Mysidae (Mysida) of New Zealand; a checklist, identification key to species and an overview of material in New Zealand collections

Mysida are small, mostly marine crustaceans that are an important element of food webs, specifically as prey for several commercially important fish species. Taking their ecological and economical importance into account, relatively little attention is attributed to these organisms, and they are often neglected in biodiversity surveys and studies. To draw attention to these animals and stimulate research in New Zealand, we summarize information available for New Zealand Mysidae. We present a checklist of the 17 species recorded in New Zealand waters as well as a preliminary identification key to species based on the existing literature. We also provide an overview of mysid material available in collections in New Zealand.

Diatom (< 63 µm) distribution offshore of eastern New Zealand: Surface sediment record and temperature transfer function

Diatom microfossils preserved in 38 core top samples from offshore of eastern New Zealand are examined to develop the first offshore modern analogue dataset for diatoms in New Zealand waters. The sample set consists of seven, approximately E–W trending depth transects with samples from the continental shelf, slope and abyssal plain between latitudes 33° and 54°S. The identification of terrestrial and coastal species in open marine core top samples indicates that offshore transport of diatom microfossils occurs to an extent that could be useful for sediment provenance studies or at least to enable improved identification of transported versus in-situ deposition on the continental shelf. Cluster analysis and ordination indicate that the Chatham Rise and/or the overlying Subtropical Front are the most significant bathymetric/oceanographic features in the dataset as this location shows up as a major barrier or transition zone in terms of diatom distribution. The strongest environmental control on diatom distribution is the north–south sea surface temperature gradient. A statistically strong relationship ( r 2 = 0.81; RMSEP = 1.57) exists between diatom abundance and sea surface temperature making diatoms ideal for quantitative reconstruction of past sea surface temperatures in future paleoclimate studies.

Spatiotemporal habitat use by breeding sooty shearwaters Puffinus griseus

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 391:209-220 (2009) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07932 Spatiotemporal habitat use by breeding sooty shearwaters Puffinus griseus Scott A. Shaffer1,*, Henri Weimerskirch2, Darren Scott3, David Pinaud2, David R. Thompson4, Paul M. Sagar5, Henrik Moller3, Graeme A. Taylor6, David G. Foley7,8, Yann Tremblay1,9, Daniel P. Costa1 1Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, California 95060-5730, USA 2Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France 3Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, New Zealand 4National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, 301 Evans Bay Parade, Wellington, New Zealand 5National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, 10 Kyle Street, Riccarton, Christchurch, New Zealand 6Department of Conservation, PO Box 108, Kilbirnie, Wellington, New Zealand 7Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, University of Hawaii, 1000 Pope Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA 8National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 1352 Lighthouse Avenue, Pacific Grove, California 93950, USA 9Centre de Recherche Halieutique Méditerranéenne et Tropicale, IRD, 34203 Sète cedex, France *Email: shaffer@biology.ucsc.edu ABSTRACT: Breeding sooty shearwaters Puffinus griseus cycle between long (11 to 14 d) and short (1 to 2 d) foraging bouts at sea, but no information exists on bird behavior during these trips. We tested the hypothesis that shearwaters use these long trips to travel to distant Antarctic waters compared to remaining in local waters. Patterns of habitat use of 28 breeding sooty shearwaters were studied using 6 g archival data loggers that recorded location, environmental temperature, and diving behavior. Dive activity was compared to remotely-sensed environmental data to characterize the habitats visited by shearwaters on long and short trips. Sooty shearwaters traveled predominantly (70% of all long trips) to cold oceanic waters along the Polar Front (mean ± SD, 1970 ± 930 km from colony) on long trips or remained within warmer neritic waters of the New Zealand shelf (515 ± 248 km from colony) on short trips. Diving depths (mean depth 15.9 ± 10.8 m, max depth 69.9 m, n = 2007 dives) were not significantly different between excursion types. Activity patterns suggest that shearwaters commuted between distant foraging grounds (e.g. Polar Front) and the breeding colony and that more than 95% of diving activity occurred during daylight hours. Although shearwaters traveled primarily to Antarctic waters on long trips, occasional trips around New Zealand waters were observed; all but 2 birds were from the northern-most study colony. Oceanic habitats in Antarctic waters were substantially different from neritic habitats around New Zealand, indicating that shearwaters experience dramatically different environmental conditions associated with each excursion type. The ability of sooty shearwaters to use 2 vastly different habitats provides greater flexibility for maximizing resource acquisition during breeding and reduces competition near the colony. KEY WORDS: Activity · Archival data logger · Diving · Geolocation · Puffinus griseus · Tracking ·Sea surface temperature · Sooty shearwater Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Shaffer SA, Weimerskirch H, Scott D, Pinaud D and others (2009) Spatiotemporal habitat use by breeding sooty shearwaters Puffinus griseus. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 391:209-220. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07932 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 391. Online publication date: September 28, 2009 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2009 Inter-Research.

A replacement name in Hemiptera Dipsocoridae

The name Harpago has been used at least five times in the genus-group in different zoological groups. The first description we know of is that of Harpago Morch, 1852 (p. 60) for a subgenus of Pterocera Lamarck, 1799, in the gasteropodan family Strombidae (Mollusca). This is currently used either as a subgenus of Lambis Bolten, 1798 or as a genus of its own. It is an available name with three included species: Strombus chiragra Linnaeus, 1758 (= Lambis harpago Bolten, 1798), L. arthritica Bolten, 1798 (= Pteroceras rugosum Sowerby, 1842) and Pterocera pseudoscorpio Lamarck, 1822. This being a manuscript genus by Klein, it was later adopted by Adams & Adams (1854, p. 260) independently, describing it as a new genus. This use is a complete homonym and synonym of Morch’s nominal taxon. It included only two species: L. arthritica Bolten and L. chiragra (Linnaeus). The next use is Harpago Linnavuori, 1951 (p. 102), described as a subgenus of Cryptostemma Herrich-Schaeffer, 1835, being its type species by monotypy Cryptostemma (Harpago) castaneovitreus [sic!] Linnavuori, 1951, from Turkey. This subgenus was accepted and used by later authors, e.g. by Linnavuori (1959), Wagner, (1960), Josifov (1967) and Kerzhner (1995). Pluot-Sigwaldt & Pericart (2003) reranked it as a genus after the discovery of the peculiarities of its female genitalia. This change was accepted by Streito & Pericart (2005) in their revision of the genus and by Heiss & Pericart (2007) in their revision of the Palaearctic species of the infraorder Dipsocoromorpha. We propose here the replacement name Raunocoris nom. nov., honouring Rauno Linnavuori (with his written permission, following the Code of Ethics of the International Code of Zological Nomenclature and with our most sincere thanks for his kindness). Its gender is masculine and its stem is Raunocore-. This genus is strictly Mediterranean and three species are currently considered as valid (all new combinations from Harpago): Raunocoris medius (Rey, 1888), Raunocoris castaneovitreus (Linnavuori, 1951) and Raunocoris maroccanus (Wagner, 1960). Later, this name was used by Turner (1982, p. 118) for a genus of fossil shark teeth (Elasmobranchii). The same author (Turner, 1983, p. 38), realizing that her genus was pre-occupied, replaced it with Harpagodens. The last use we are aware of is that of Harpago Gordon, 1989 (p. 1335) for a genus of gymnolaemate Bryozoa (Lekythoporidae) from New Zealand waters. The author has already sent a replacement name to press (Gordon, pers. comm.).

Ulva, Umbraulva and Gemina: genetic survey of New Zealand taxa reveals diversity and introduced species

The genetic diversity of the green algal genus Ulva sensu lato in the New Zealand region was surveyed, examining rbcL sequences of 581 samples from a wide geographical range. Twenty-four genetically distinct taxa were discovered in New Zealand waters, belonging to three genera–Ulva (19 species), Umbraulva (four species) and Gemina (one species). Of the 19 species of Ulva reported here, 13 could be identified to the species level based on morphological and genetic data. The remaining six species cannot currently be assigned to known species groups due to a lack of close homology with sequences in GenBank. These species may include undescribed endemic taxa, recognised taxa for which rbcL sequences are not yet available, or may represent cryptogenic species. The genus Umbraulva is recorded for the first time for the New Zealand region and for the Southern Hemisphere. Of the four species distinguished, one is considered to be introduced to the region and the other three are undescribed indigenous taxa. Subantarctic samples provide the first evidence of the genus Gemina since its description in 1952: sequence data confirmed that Gemina is distinct from Ulva and Umbraulva. A number of the species identified in this study can be distinguished through a combination of growth form, morphological, ecological and distributional characters. However there remain considerable problems in distinguishing a number of other species by morphological characters alone. Based on information such as distribution in New Zealand (percentage of samples occurring in highly modified environments and/or areas with frequent vessel traffic), as well as the genetic similarity of New Zealand samples to material from overseas, we have concluded that at least five species have been introduced to the New Zealand region: Ulva armoricana, U. californica, U. flexuosa, U. lactuca and Umbraulva olivascens.

Shallow genetic and morphological divergence among seaperches in the South Pacific (family Scorpaenidae; genus Helicolenus)

The phylogenetic relationships among populations of seaperch, Helicolenus spp., in the south-west Pacific were examined with mtDNA markers. Parts of the cytochrome b gene [459 base pair (bp)] and the control region (448 bp) were sequenced in 58 specimens from the south-west Pacific and four specimens of Helicolenus lengerichi from Chile. Only one clade was recognized in New Zealand coastal waters, despite a wide range of colour morphs. This clade also occurred in the mid Tasman Sea on the Norfolk Ridge and around Tasmania and Victoria. A second sympatric clade was identified around Tasmania and Victoria and to the west of New Zealand. A third allopatric clade was identified to the north of New Zealand and in deep water on the Chatham Rise and a fourth clade on the Foundation Seamounts and the Louisville Ridge. Helicolenus lengerichi from Chile formed a fifth clade. Assuming a molecular clock, the clades were estimated to have diverged c. 0.7-2.6 million years ago. Only two clades, around Tasmania and Victoria, were separated using morphology, colour (in live) and dorsal-fin soft ray counts and were confirmed as Helicolenus percoides and Helicolenus barathri. Two characters, orbit diameter and colour variation, previously used to identify two species in New Zealand waters were unreliable characters for species discrimination. Principle component analyses of 11 morphological measures from 67 individuals did not delineate the clades. A canonical discriminant analysis was able to separate four of the five clades, but mean discriminate probabilities were low (77.6%), except for the five Chilean specimens of H. lengerichi (100%).

Microsatellite DNA markers and morphometrics reveal a complex population structure in a merobenthic octopus species (Octopus maorum) in south-east Australia and New Zealand

Five polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and then used to assess the population genetic structure of a commercially harvested merobenthic octopus species (Octopus maorum) in south-east Australian and New Zealand (NZ) waters. Beak and stylet morphometrics were also used to assess population differentiation in conjunction with the genetic data. Genetic variation across all loci and all sampled populations was very high (mean number alleles = 15, mean expected heterozygosity = 0.85). Microsatellites revealed significant genetic structuring (overall FST = 0.024, p < 0.001), which did not fit an isolation-by-distance model of population differentiation. Divergence was observed between Australian and NZ populations, between South Australia and north-east Tasmania, and between two relatively proximate Tasmanian sites. South Australian and southern Tasmanian populations were genetically homogeneous, indicating a level of connectivity on a scale of 1,500 km. Morphometric data also indicated significant differences between Australian and NZ populations. The patterns of population structuring identified can be explained largely in relation to regional oceanographic features.

First records of Thryaplax Castro, 2007 and Calocarcinus Calman, 1909 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) from the Kermadec Islands, New Zealand

Among the Brachyura from the Kermadec Islands in the invertebrate collection of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand (NIWA), are two specimens representing two deep-water species previously not known from the region. Both specimens were collected at the same station, together with the paratypes of the parthenopid crab, Garthambrus tani Ahyong, 2008. The new records are reported below to formally document their occurrence at the Kermadec Islands, New Zealand; both also represent the first records of their respective genera from New Zealand waters. Measurements of specimens, in millimetres, refer to carapace length (cl) and carapace width (cw).

Causes of mortality in stranded Common Dolphin (Delphinus sp.) from New Zealand waters between 1998 and 2008

Post-mortem examinations provide valuable information on sources of mortality for marine mammal populations. However, no published data exist to describe causes of death in the New Zealand population of Common Dolphin (Delphinus sp.). In order to examine the proportion of human and non-human induced mortality affecting this population, necropsies were conducted on 133 individuals that stranded around the New Zealand coastline between 1998 and 2008. Of these, 92.5% (n=123) were found as beach cast carcasses, with just 7.5% (n=10) as live strandings that subsequently died or that were euthanized on humane grounds. The sample included 54 males, 67 females and 12 animals of unknown sex from a range of age classes. Of the individuals for which cause of mortality could be established, 41.2% (n=35) were classified as human induced, with 28.2% (n=24) of carcasses exhibiting evidence of net entanglement. A further 10.6% and 32.9% of mortality was attributable to disease and natural (non-human related) causes, respectively. Few examples of disease were detected, but this may be at least partly a consequence of sampling constraints. Of the carcasses assessed, 68.6% of individuals exhibited some form of parasitism. Parasites identified were typical of the genus and considered to be present in low to moderate burdens. The proportion of beach cast carcasses exhibiting evidence of net entanglement suggests that fisheries-related mortality maybe higher than that previously considered for the New Zealand Common Dolphin population.

DrillACE concept for New Zealand waters

The Maari DrillACE Well Head Platform (WHP) was installed offshore New Zealand during the second quarter of 2008 for the designated operator OMV New Zealand Ltd. The platform was engineered and designed by Arup and Clough. Clough was responsible for engineering, procurement, construction and installation activities on the project, with Arup undertaking the design of the primary steel structure, including the plated base, deck and tubular jacket. The Maari WHP was the third ACE platform and the second DrillACE platform to be installed. This paper considers a number of the unique features of the structural design of the Maari DrillACE platform that were encountered during this project as well as providing a background on the ACE platform concept.