Biogenic habitat provision: Te Tau Ihu/Top of the South

Our coasts and oceans provide many critical ecosystem services, including the provision of biogenic (produced by living organisms) refuge habitat, such as kelp forests, sponge gardens and tubeworm mounds.

This 30,000 km² map shows classification zones of importance to service provision from high importance, A (darkest shading), to low importance, G (lightest shading).

Note: This map predicts the potential for biogenic structure. If an area has been disturbed (eg been trawled or has high sediment run off from land), then it will not match its predicted classification – but may be a good candidate for restoration efforts.