Moana Uta (Wet Jacket Arm) Marine Reserve is a

marine reserve A marine reserve is a type of marine protected area (MPA). An MPA is a section of the ocean where a government has placed limits on human activity. A marine reserve is a marine protected area in which removing or destroying natural or cultural ...

covering the entire length of Wet Jacket Arm in

Fiordland Fiordland is a geographical region of New Zealand in the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the westernmost third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lakes, ...

on New Zealand's

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

, an area of . It was established in 2005 and is administered by the

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

Geography and ecology

The marine reserve covers the sound between Entry Island and the head of the sound. In the fiords, heavy rainfall runs off from the surrounding mountains creates a permanent freshwater layer to about to below the surface. A layer of calm, clear and warm seawater provides a habitat for a range of sponges, corals and fish to about below the surface. A final layer of seawater, too darkened by tannins from vegetation run-off to support most marine life, extends to depths of up to . The fiords are also a habitat for black corals and

brittle stars Brittle stars, serpent stars, or ophiuroids (; ; referring to the serpent-like arms of the brittle star) are echinoderms in the class Ophiuroidea, closely related to starfish. They crawl across the sea floor using their flexible arms for locomo ...

that live in their branches. There are also

brachiopods Brachiopods (), phylum Brachiopoda, are a phylum of trochozoan animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs. Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear end, whi ...

, aihe (''bottlenose dolphins''), kekono (''New Zealand fur seals''),

tawaki The Fiordland penguin (''Eudyptes pachyrhynchus''), also known as the Fiordland crested penguin (in Māori, ''tawaki'' or pokotiwha), is a crested penguin species endemic to New Zealand. It currently breeds along the south-western coasts of New ...

(''Fiordland crested penguins'') and kororā (''little blue penguins''). The Wet Jacket Arm has extensive rock wall, broken rocky reef, deep basin and estuaries. Some rocky reefs under the tidal zone have dense beds of

kelp Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a plant - it is a heterokont, a completely unrelated group of organisms. Kelp grows in "underwat ...

and some

kina Kina can refer to: * Kina (animal), a sea urchin endemic to New Zealand * Kina (musician), American singer/songwriter, and former member of musical group Brownstone * Kina, an Italian music producer known for the single "Get You the Moon" * Kina ( ...

. Rock walls near Oke Island have more tidal flow, which supports lampshells (''brachiopods'') and other suspension feeders. The main deep basin has steep rock wall and no exposure to the open ocean swell, with a moderate to thin freshwater layer, and a large amount of shading from nearby mountains, providing a habitat for the highest density of black coral in Fiordland.

History

The crew of

HMS Resolution Several ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS ''Resolution''. However, the first English warship to bear the name ''Resolution'' was actually the first rate ''Prince Royal'' (built in 1610 and rebuilt in 1641), which was renamed ''Resol ...

discovered the area for Europe in 1773. Captain

James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...

named the inlet the Wet Jacket Arm after a night when some of the crew rowed the length of the inlet in good weather, only for the weather to change. The group spent the night in wet clothes, unable to light a fire to dry themselves or cook food, and kept away by a storm. Moose captured by the

Canadian Government The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-in-C ...

in Canada were introduced to Fiordland in 1910 and were photographed several times between 1923 and 1952. One photograph, supposedly taken in Wet Jacket Arm in 1953, later turned out from a different location. "Moose hunting" trips continue in the 20th century. The reserve was part of a conservation strategy the Fiordland Marine Guardians launched in 2002 and presented to the Ministry for the Environment

Marian Hobbs Marian Leslie Hobbs (born 18 December 1947) is a New Zealand politician who was a Labour Member of Parliament from 1996 to 2008. She was initially a list MP and then (from 1999) represented the electorate. She served as Minister for the Enviro ...

and Minister of Fisheries

Pete Hodgson Peter Colin Hodgson (born 13 June 1950) is a former New Zealand politician of the Labour Party and Member of Parliament for Dunedin North from 1990 to 2011. Early life Hodgson was born in Whangarei, and received a Bachelor's degree in veteri ...

in 2003. It was officially established on 21 April 2005. The Ministry of Primary Industries, Fiordland Marine Guardians and other agencies are involved in protecting the marine reserve and stopping the spread of invasive seaweed. The

New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeala ...

conducted aerial surveillance patrols for illegal commercial fishing in 2021.

Research and commerce

Educational and scientific activities are encouraged, but must not disturb or endanger plants, animals or natural features. Scientific research requires a permit from the Department of Conservation.

Recreation

The reserve is accessible from

Te Anau Te Anau is a town in the Southland region of the South Island of New Zealand. In Maori, Te-Anau means the Place of the Swirling Waters. It is on the eastern shore of Lake Te Anau in Fiordland. Te Anau is 155 kilometres north of Invercargill an ...

via the Milford Road. Anchoring boats is banned in many areas to protect the particularly fragile species that can be damaged by anchors or swinging chains. Taking off and landing aircraft is permitted. The protected marine life can be viewed by diving or snorkelling, either independently or with a tourism or charter boat service. To protect the fragile environments, divers must follow the safety and care codes. There is a ban on fishing, and taking, killing or moving marine life and materials. However, members of

Ngāi Tahu Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori (tribe) of the South Island. Its (tribal area) is the largest in New Zealand, and extends from the White Bluffs / Te Parinui o Whiti (southeast of Blenheim), Mount Mahanga and Kahurangi Poi ...

may remove

pounamu Pounamu is a term for several types of hard and durable stone found in southern New Zealand. They are highly valued in New Zealand, and carvings made from pounamu play an important role in Māori culture. Name The Māori word , also used ...

provided they have the right authorisation, only collect by hand, keep disturbance to the site to a minimum, and only carry as much as they can in one trip. They may also collect deceased marine mammals and collect teeth and bones.

References

{{Southland District Marine reserves of New Zealand Protected areas of Southland, New Zealand Southland District 2005 establishments in New Zealand Protected areas established in 2005

Geography and ecology

History

Research and commerce

Recreation

See also

References