Project Hotspot

Project Hotspot
Project Project Hotspot
Group Nga Motu Marine Reserve Society
Topic Natural history, Beach and coastal
Resources online yes
School sessions yes
Level Primary, Intermediate, High School
Phil Bendle pages https://www.citscihub.nz/Category:Phil_Bendle_Collection
Web address https://seasense.org.nz
Location
Project Hotspot logo 400px.jpg

This Curious Minds project was designed to investigate the distribution and threats to four species in Taranaki,

  • Korora/little blue penguins,
  • Reef herons,
  • Orca
  • Seals

Project Overview

Using citizen science to better protect coastal threatened species. If we know more about where coastal threatened species occur we can use this information to better protect them. Help us by reporting your sightings on i-Naturalist and the projects for each species.

Project Partners

The Nga Motu Marine Reserve Society are the lead group and have had many partners, participating school and community assistance during this time. See the Project Hotspot 'Partners' page

Project Report

"Using Project Hotspot findings to better protect"

In addition to providing a resource for the community, the project outputs are also of value to decision makers, government authorities, conservation groups and industry (end users), and relevant to a wide variety of applications including oil spill response, environmental impact assessment and resource management. Improved knowledge of threatened species hotspots enables end users to better implement measures to protect these species.

The maps of each species are automatically updated through I-Naturalist and the recorded behaviours of the animals, or 'dead/alive' helps us to appreciate the threats to each. Orca travelling around the Taranaki coast are an example of how the records may be used.

Resources

Eco Soc presentation.jpg

Gallery

The images show the individual 'tatoos' on heron legs which can be used to identify the birds.