Threatened/declining

Some organisms rely on specific areas to hunt, breed or nest. When a species is endangered or threatened, protecting the areas that are essential to its survival becomes increasingly important.

Seagrass is one habitat that is in decline in New Zealand. Our seagrass meadows consist of only one endemic species – Zostera muelleri or rimurēhia. Seagrasses trap fine sediments to improve water clarity and enrich the surrounding water with oxygen. They are nursery habitats for snapper and shellfish such as cockles and scallops. Globally, they are in decline – we are losing seagrass at 4–10 times the rate that we are losing tropical forests.

Tara iti, the fairy tern, is a critically threatened native species – only about 45 birds are left. They nest and raise their chicks in coastal sand dunes, making them very vulnerable to residential development and beach activities. Protecting coastal areas where they breed is vital to the survival of the species.

Download the Department of Conservation infographic as a PDF.

Copyright: Department of Conservation