Restoring Whangarei Harbor: A Case Study in Seagrass Transplants and Ecosystem Recovery

(Photo Credit: NIWA)

Seagrass meadows once covered 1,400 hectares of Whangarei Harbor, New Zealand, providing a crucial nursery for fish like Australasian snapper and trevally. However, industrial pollution and dredging in the 1970s nearly wiped them out. Thanks to improved water quality, restoration efforts began in 2008. Scientists transplanted healthy seagrass patches to Takahiwai sand flats, where they thrived and spread naturally. By 2012, these transplanted meadows became strong enough to serve as donor sites for new restoration projects. Today, seagrass is making a comeback, boosting fish populations and supporting the local Māori community that relies on the harbor’s resources.