Overview

New Zealand sits in a very watery part of the world. The Pacific stretches out to the north and east, while to the south is continuous ocean. It has the fourth largest Exclusive Economic Zone, with a band 200 nautical miles wide around the country, including its offshore islands. Only a fraction of this vast area has been explored. From what is known already, it is clear that these seas harbour a fascinating diversity of marine life. Southern New Zealand boasts wave-lashed coasts and ocean beaches, sheltered inlets and the grandeur of Fjordland. Its marine life is equally varied. Best known are the large seabirds and marine mammals -- albatrosses, fur seals and sea lions -- icons of southern ecotourism. As top predators, they depend on the underlying productivity of the region's marine food web. Finding out about and understanding this marine environment, its habitats, plants and animals is the task of the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre, located on the Otago Harbour. First and foremost a research centre, it is also a leader in public marine education in New Zealand, offering visits to its aquarium and now this book introducing the southern marine environment to the general reader.

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9781877276965

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Author Information

The authors are all associated with the Marine Sciences Department of the University of Otago. Keith Probert is a senior lecturer, John Jillett recently retired as Associate Professor, and Sally Carson is programme director, New Zealand Marine Studies Centre.

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