With more than 250km of coastline, there are plenty of locations and different environments to study around the Taranaki coast
Rocky shore
Rocky reefs dominate the Taranaki coastline and provide a wonderful habitat to explore and learn about the creatures that live there. Intertidal rocky reefs represent the boundary between the land and the sea, resulting in sharp environmental change. As a consequence, lots of different animals and seaweeds can be found, all adapted to the zone on the shore that they live. This makes the rocky shore an ideal place for your students to learn about important ecological concepts including zonation, adaptation, food webs and other species interactions.
Our Kaimahi Taiao/education officers are keen to provide support for your rocky shore studies. Your students can learn all about species found on Taranaki rocky reefs through a presentation followed by a visit to the rocky shore. Typically the lesson and field trip focus on species identification and adaptations in addition to practising tikanga and respect for the environment. More advanced quantitative surveys can be undertaken on request..
Marine education resources can also be downloaded or ordered from the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre:
https://www.otago.ac.nz/marine-studies/resources/index.html(external link)
Other coastal activities
There are lots of other types of coastal monitoring and action projects that you and your students can get involved with. Get in touch to discuss options and find out how we can provide support. What you can do might be influenced by the type of marine environments and species near your school.
Here are some examples of what we’ve been helping schools/kura with:
- Seagrass monitoring with Waitara High School in collaboration with Otaraua Hapū
- Rocky shore surveys with Coastal Taranaki School in collaboration with Taranaki Iwi
- Coastal bird identification and protection including kororā (little blue penguin) footprint surveys with Moturoa School in collaboration with Ngā Motu Marine Reserve Society
- Surveying introduced marine species in Port Taranaki with Highlands Intermediate Marine Studies Group
- Coastal bird identification and protection including kororā (little blue penguin) footprint surveys with Moturoa School in collaboration with Ngā Motu Marine Reserve Society.