Marine |

Poupou marine reserve markers unveiled in Fiordland

Department of Conservation — 01/04/2014

By Te Anau Conservation Services Ranger, Chloe Corne

Unique, individually carved poupou marine reserve markers were installed across Fiordland and unveiled in a special ceremony. Read on to discover how it was done…

Each poupou has a unique face and body design carved by Bubba Thompson

For the Fiordland Marine Guardians, the unveiling of newly erected poupou marine reserve markers in Charles Sound/Taiporoporo represented an important milestone and was the rewarding culmination of several years’ collaborative planning.

In his address during the unveiling ceremony, Guardians Chairperson Malcolm Lawson, acknowledged the significant effort put forward by the collaboration of the Fiordland Marine Guardians, DOC and local iwi from the Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka (the mandated Iwi Kaitiaki) on behalf of the wider Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

Karanga perfomed by Rangimarie Suddaby, of the Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka, during the unveiling ceremony on board the DOC vessel ‘Southern Winds’

While marine reserves are traditionally marked with white triangles, the poupou project derived from a mutual desire to put in place marine reserve markers more in keeping with the natural and cultural heritage of the fiords.

For Ngāi Tahu, the poupou symbolise enduring kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of Te Moana o Atawhenua (Fiordland).

Poupou at Wet Jacket Arm, Acheron Passage, overlooking the sound, with Fiordland Bottlenose Dolphins in the background

Poupou cut an impressive figure from the walls of the fiords

The project—led by Stewart Bull, the Ngāi Tahu representative on the Guardians, and project managed by DOC Senior Ranger Richard Kinsey—commissioned Bubba Thompson, a skilled local carver from the Awarua Rūnanga, to design and carve the poupou.

Each has the same basic shape, but with varying design differences in the face and body.

Designed to be both attractive and functional, they will be named after various ancestors from Kai Tahu Whānui history.

Production and installation of the poupou was jointed funded by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and DOC.

So far, ten poupou have been installed, in sometimes challenging wind and sea conditions.

High winds and steep, slippery rocks make installing some of the poupou difficult. Here Pete Young braces Allan Harms so that he can use the drill, while Ronnie Bull (above) keeps the poupou straight

Still to be installed are the markers for Te Hapua Marine Reserve in Sutherland Sound and Te Tapuwae o Hua (Long Sound) Marine Reserve.

DOC and the Fiordland Marine Guardians are yet to decide if the markers for the older reserves in Milford and Doubtful Sounds will be changed.

Fourteen new poupou, newly arrived from Bluff

With the new poupou now in place, marking not only the marine reserves but an important part of New Zealand’s cultural heritage, all of the DOC staff involved are celebrating it as a significant achievement and are looking forward to installing the last few poupou in the remaining reserves.

In Fiordland, Marine Charles Sound, Fiordland Marine Guardians, Marine, Marine Reserves, Ngai Tahu, Poupou

Feed the penguins: Generous partnerships provide for hungry chicks

Department of Conservation — 11/03/2014

Sometimes our native species have it tough out there in the wild. This year large numbers of yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho chicks – natives of coastal Otago – have had a particularly challenging first few months of life.

Yellow-eyed penguin chicks have thick fluffy feathers that they shed between three and four months old – which is about the age of this chick

Two of the 80 underweight chicks currently in the care of Penguin Place.

Two of the underweight chicks at Penguin Place

Every year in November/December yellow-eyed penguin chicks begin to hatch around the wild beaches of the Catlins, Otago Peninsula and North Otago.

There are often a few that are abandoned by their parents or aren’t well fed, and need to be removed from their nests. But this year a late breeding season and lack of fish to eat has meant a large number of chicks have gone hungry and many have died.

Fortunately, around 80 of these chicks and juveniles are now in the care of Penguin Place.

Penguin Place is a privately run conservation effort and tourism operation, funded through the guided tours they conduct. This project began in the mid 80’s as a family-run conservation project and nature tourism experience. They now carry out a range of conservation work including a research programme, trapping predators, providing safe nest boxes, restoring a stretch of coastline to prime penguin habitat, and rehabilitating sick and injured penguins in its penguin hospital.

Penguin Place’s Lisa King (at rear) and DOC’s Andrea Crawford, look on as the chicks are rounded up for their dinner

Throughout the breeding season, a small team of DOC rangers and volunteers monitor the penguin nesting grounds, conducting health checks of the chicks to make sure they are well fed and gaining weight.

Aviva Stein (Zoologist), Leith Thomson (Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust Ranger), Eiren Sweetman (DOC volunteer) and Guy Brannigan (DOC Trainee Ranger), weighing yellow-eyed penguin chicks in the Catlins

Those that are showing signs of starvation or other ailments are removed from the nest where needed and taken to safe havens like Penguin Place till they fatten up and are ready for release.

DOC Trainee Ranger Guy Brannigan with four underweight yellow-eyed penguin chicks in the Catlins, on their way to Penguin Place. These chicks lost up to 1kg and would have died before fledging if left in the wild.

DOC Trainee Ranger Guy Brannigan with four underweight yellow-eyed penguin chicks, on their way to Penguin Place. These chicks lost up to 1 kg and would have died before fledging if left in the wild

Penguin Place guide Tama Taiti hand feeding one of the juvenile penguins

Feeding 80 hungry beaks is a big job. It takes two keepers three hours twice a day to hand feed all of the penguin hospital’s current patients – and they’re consuming up to 80 kilos of fish per day! Plus, because they’re still growing, these young patients need fish that’s full of protein and other vitamins, preferably small whole fish with blood, guts and bones.

Thankfully some generous partners have come to the aid of Penguin Place this year. Talleys Nelson contributed an emergency supply of one tonne of pilchard; and seafood company Sanford Limited has just agreed to provide an ongoing donation of up to six tonnes per year.

DOC doesn’t run its own facilitates for providing the specialist care that’s needed to rehabilitate sick or injured wildlife. We work in partnership with a number of specialist organisations like Penguin Place, who have permits from DOC to care for native species. These organisations play a really important role in conservation. So next time you’re in Dunedin pop by, join a tour or make a donation, and show your support.

Fresh from a swim in the Penguin Place pool

In Marine, Native animals, Otago hoiho, partnerships, Penguin Place, penguins, Yellow eyed penguin

Photo of the Week: Erect-crested penguin

Department of Conservation — 05/03/2014

This week’s photo shows an erect-crested penguin on New Zealand’s subantarctic Bounty Islands.

The image celebrates Seaweek 2014 (1–9 March 2014) — a national celebration of our marine environment with hundreds of events taking place around the country.

It also represents the wildlife now protected as a result of the three new subantarctic marine reserves established this week.

Photo copyright Tui de Roy | DOC use only

In Islands, Marine, Photo of the week Albatross, Antipodes, Bounty Islands, Campbell Islands, Marine Reserves, penguins, seaweek, subantarctic

Jobs at DOC: Fiordland Conservation Services Ranger, Chloe Corne

Department of Conservation — 28/02/2014

Come behind the scenes and into the jobs, the challenges, the highlights, and the personalities of the people who work at the Department of Conservation (DOC).

Today we profile Chloe Corne, Conservation Services Ranger, Fiordland

Restraining a feisty fur seal pup on Breaksea Island

At work

Some things I do in my job include monitoring the populations of Fiordland bottlenose dolphins in Dusky and Doubtful Sounds in conjunction with Otago University.

These dolphins are unique, as they are the southernmost population of this species of dolphin, and have several unique morphological, behavioural and acoustic characteristics. They are also suffering from a number of potential threats.

Dolphins in Doubtful Sound

Part of my job is to monitor compliance with the Code of Management that was put into place in Doubtful Sound complex to regulate interactions with marine mammals.

I will also participate in biodiversity monitoring in the Fiordland Marine Area, Undaria (Japanese kelp) eradication in Breaksea Sound, and freshwater monitoring and advocacy.

This helps achieve DOC’s vision by working to catalogue and monitor the biodiversity and biosecurity of Fiordland Marine Area, so that appropriate sustainable management strategies can be applied.

The best bit about my job is the enormous potential for growing marine conservation. So much is still unknown about our oceans and the biodiversity that inhabits it.

My job already has an amazing amount of variety and I’ve only been here for a few weeks! I’m very excited to see what the future holds.

Young Fiordland fur seal. Photo: Andrea Schaffer | flickr | CC BY 2.0

Young fur seal, Fiordland

The most exciting DOC moment I’ve had so far is assisting a PhD thesis with collecting DNA samples from the southern fur seal population in order to assess the recolonisation pattern and gene flow of fur seal populations after the sealing era.

Not only has this not been attempted for the Fiordland rookeries thus far, the rookery we collected samples from was the pest-free Breaksea Island.

It felt like saddleback and robins were everywhere along the shoreline as we collected our tiny skin samples from the feisty fur seal pups, which were a lot harder to restrain than you would think!

The DOC (or previous DOC) employee that inspires or enthuses me most is Don Merton. While I never had the privilege to meet or work with him, Don’s achievements will be inspiring budding conservationists for years to come.

Don Merton holding kakapo “Richard Henry”

On a personal note…

If I could trade places with any other person for a week—famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional—it would be David Attenborough. Ideally he would be my grandfather.

My best ever holiday was in Mozambique. I could barely speak a word of Portuguese, and spent equal amounts of time avoiding dodgy looking characters and corrupt policemen alike.

Driving and navigation was an adventure with half the roads being 4WD tracks.

Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique

About halfway up the coastline is an oasis called the Bazaruto Archipelago, with islands made of huge sand dunes, the east African coast’s last viable population of dugongs and some of the most pristine coral I have ever seen. Bliss.

My secret indulgence is travel, travel and more travel. Although this isn’t much of a secret.

Left: Releasing a Hawksbill turtle. Right: Exploring the crooked alleyways of Lamu.

Left: Releasing a rehabilitated Hawksbill turtle, Watamu, Kenya
Right: Exploring the crooked alleyways of Lamu

If I wasn’t working at DOC, I’d like to be a National Geographic wildlife photographer. It’s nice to dream.

Before working at DOC I lived and worked for a year and a half on Wasini Island, off the tropical coast of Kenya.

As a staff member for Global Vision International I spent my days monitoring cetaceans and sea turtles in a 300 kilometre squared study area, and snorkelling to gather in-water sea turtle habitat use data, and for coral and reef fish monitoring.

I originally went to Kenya for the dolphins, but ended up staying for the whales.

Photographing humpback whales off Mpunguti Marine Reserve, Kenya

Deep and meaningful…

My favourite quote is I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. – Leonardo da Vinci.

The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is to seize every opportunity that comes, as there is no guarantee that you will ever get that opportunity again.

In work and life I am motivated by others that have a really deep passion for something, and can communicate a bit of that passion to others.

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is there are so many amazing, fun opportunities out there to get involved in conservation projects. Have a look at some of them and I promise you will be inspired.

Question of the week

Who would you like to play you in a film about your life?

Charlize Theron – but it would be the most boring film ever!

In Fiordland, Jobs at DOC, Marine Dolphins, Doubtful Sound, seals

There’s something fishy in the air….

Department of Conservation — 24/09/2013

As a result of a successful first year of partnership, DOC and Air New Zealand last night announced an extension to the relationship with an exciting new venture into New Zealand’s rich and complex marine environment.

Snorkeller at Cape Rodney, Okakari Point Marine Reserve. Photo: Brian Mackie © DOC use only.

New Zealand is an island nation and the marine environment is a quintessential part of our way of life—think of camping by the sea, swimming and diving in clean water with rich sea life, recreational fishing and spending quality time with the whanau.

Kayakers exploring Te Whanganui-a-hei (Cathedral Cove). Photo: Rob Suisted © | naturespic.com | DOC USE ONLY.

Air New Zealand’s support will allow us to expand our marine monitoring programme in marine reserves, providing vital research into species population numbers. They will also promote these reserves, highlighting the important role marine environments play in our kiwi lifestyle.

Jewel anemones in the Kapiti Marine Reserve
Photo: Danica Stent

Marine reserves attract hundreds of thousands of visitors annually and include a network of iconic destinations from the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve off the coast of Northland to Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara Marine Reserve located around Stewart Island/Rakiura in the south.

Our partnership with Air New Zealand has already delivered fabulous results for conservation, with over 500 endangered animals relocated, four new biodiversity projects established, and a significant increase in people experiencing New Zealand’s Great Walks. We’re now looking forward to getting our new marine venture sailing!

“For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century is beginning to realise that, in order to survive, he must protect it.” – Jacques-Yves Cousteau

In Marine Air New Zealand, Great Walks, marine experiences network, partnerships

Archives For 30/11/1999

Poupou marine reserve markers unveiled in Fiordland

Feed the penguins: Generous partnerships provide for hungry chicks

Photo of the Week: Erect-crested penguin