UNIQUE DEEPSEA HABITATS TO BE EXPLORED

6 May 2003

News Release

New animal species, some never seen before, are expected to be discovered by a joint New Zealand-Australia research survey which will explore deepsea habitats in the Tasman Sea.

The NORFANZ research survey will explore deepsea habitats, including seamounts, from northern New Zealand to Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. It will take four weeks, from 10 May to 8 June.

The survey, which is jointly funded by New Zealand and Australia, has attracted international interest. New Zealand's Ministry of Fisheries and Australia's National Oceans Office have each committed half a million dollars, and New Zealand's National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and Australia's Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) are providing scientific support.

The main aim is to provide information on the composition, nature, and potential vulnerability of these unique and unexplored habitats. The results will give scientists a much better understanding of the species living on the deep seamounts and ridges throughout the Tasman Sea. This information will then be used to help protect and manage these ecosystems.

The NORFANZ survey will use NIWA's deepsea research vessel Tangaroa to photograph and video the seafloor at depths between 200 and 1200 metres and to collect samples and specimens. The survey will also examine the life in the water above and around these seamounts.

A total of 24 scientists from more than 11 research organisations around the world will be represented on Tangaroa. They include staff of:

Note to Editors

This voyage will provide interesting visual and scientific material, and as much information as possible will be posted daily on the NORFANZ website www.oceans.gov.au/norfanz. The Ministry of Fisheries is happy to work with you to arrange discussion about the NORFANZ expedition prior to its departure, and to arrange contact during or after the voyage. The NZ media contact is:

Sarah Morton, Communications Specialist, Ministry of Fisheries
Telephone 04 494 2370

Katrina Haig, Public Affairs Officer, National Oceans Office
Telephone 0061 3 6221 5036

FACT SHEET

Where NORFANZ will go

When the RV Tangaroa leaves Wellington it will first head for the waters south-east of the Norfolk Ridge. From there it will continue in a north-westerly direction to the Norfolk Ridge, and then south-west to Lord Howe Rise.

The survey will include about 14 seamounts in the general region of the Norfolk Ridge and Lord Howe Rise. As the voyage is sampling a "new" area of study with potentially rough bottom on the ridges, and little known fauna, the actual time taken to complete sampling stations is hard to estimate. The survey plan will be flexible, and will be modified onboard where appropriate. The table below gives an indication of the sampling positions of the 14 seamounts provisionally selected.

The progress of the voyage will be shown in more detail on the NORFANZ website , where daily map updates will show where the ship is located.

The website can be viewed at www.oceans.gov.au/norfanz .

For further information please contact
Sarah Morton, Communications Specialist, Ministry of Fisheries, Tel 04 494 2370
Katrina Haig, Public Affairs Officer, National Oceans Office, Tel 0061 3 6221 5036

FACT SHEET

Lord Howe & Norfolk Islands marine environment

Norfolk Ridge and Lord Howe Rise lie between Australia and New Zealand in an area that extends from the Tasman Sea into the South Pacific Ocean. Marine biota in this area is still relatively unexploited and the area has received very little impact from human activity. It is therefore a good candidate for biodiversity research.

Deepwater fishes remain largely unexplored except for unresearched collections made by the Japan Fishery Agency vessel Kaiyo Maru in 1976, and occasional subsequent exploratory ventures by small Australian and New Zealand vessels.

Limited initial biodiversity research has shown that in some localities the Norfolk Ridge supports marine communities that are particularly rich and diverse, and support a remarkably high number of species and genera that are new to science. Distribution patterns are poorly known in most areas. However, the few areas that have been sampled have revealed some rare and endemic species and a scattered distribution among seamounts of some common species.

The research conducted as part of the NORFANZ voyage will provide a major increase in our knowledge of marine biodiversity in this area. Higher diversity is found on or adjacent to seamounts, which have been designated priority areas of biodiversity research. The project will for the first time provide baseline biodiversity and seabed depth/topography data for the most diverse habitats along the Norfolk Ridge in depths of around 200-1200 m, and provide identification keys, descriptions and accurate names for fishes and invertebrates. These outputs will improve our understanding and underpin the sustainable management and conservation of these important communities. For further information please contact

Sarah Morton, Communications Specialist, Ministry of Fisheries, Tel 04 494 2370
Katrina Haig, Public Affairs Officer, National Oceans Office, Tel 0061 3 6221 5036

FACT SHEET

Website to reveal shipboard life

Throughout the NORFANZ voyage, a dedicated website will provide up to date information on the latest discoveries and images from the deep. A daily diary will be provided on the website to share the details of shipboard life and the important scientific work being carried out on the RV Tangaroa.

Dr Clive Roberts, Curator of Fishes, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and Chief Scientist for this voyage, will provide a diary service for the first half of the voyage. Clive is particularly interested in taxonomy and biogeography of fishes of the Pacific Ocean.

Dr Mark Norman, a Senior Curator at Museum Victoria who studies the diversity, behaviours and biology of octopuses, squids, cuttlefishes and nautiluses (the cephalopods), will provide a diary service for the second half of the voyage. While on board the RV Tangaroa he will provide media services for the National Oceans Office.

The site will have a map to show the location of the ship each day and people will be able to email questions to be answered by the scientists on board. There will also be numerous photos of the ship and the work being done.

For further information please contact
Sarah Morton, Communications Specialist, Ministry of Fisheries Tel 04 494 2370
Katrina Haig, Public Affairs Officer, National Oceans Office, Tel 0061 3 6221 5036