Reef project event goes swimmingly
The latest event for one of the ‘‘world’s only’’ community-run marine research projects was a swimming success.
The South Taranaki Reef Life Project held its first workshop recently, which incorporated all the groups involved in the project and addressed the community for feedback.
Karen Pratt, one of the project leads, said bringing all the different components of the project together at the workshop was magnificent.
‘‘You know we’ve been into the high schools, we’ve been out on fishing surveys, but to have us all together and all listening to everyone else’s story was very powerful,’’ Pratt said. ‘‘It made you realise just how complex the project is, and also how fantastic it is because it’s incorporating so many community groups.’’
The Reef Life Project has been going since the end of 2015 and looks at what was recently an unknown West Coast reef.
This is done by multiple surveying techniques including a hydro-phone and an in-situ camera that is now rolling 24/7 when it’s underwater.
‘‘It’s quite ground-breaking, I think we’re the only one in New Zealand, maybe even in the world to have a 24/7 prototype,’’ Pratt said.
The project was funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) initiative Curious Minds and Pratt said the main aim was to get youth and the community involved in science that had a community benefit.
She said that getting community feedback was part of the agreement for the funding.
In 2013 one species of sponge was recorded off the Taranaki Coast, there are now up to 15.
This is one of the many discoveries that have been made by the many individuals and groups involved in the project, such as the South Taranaki Underwater Club, Hawera High School and Patea Area School.
Pratt said it was empowering to hear youth talk in marine terms and know how to use some of the complex technology they’ve been introduced to.
‘‘We’re encouraging them to ask scientific questions, you know, why am I having this finding?’’ Pratt said.
She hoped the project would lead to mapping the reef in a scientific, robust manner.