| Ecosystem |
New Zealand Shelf |
| Type |
Sea/Bay/Gulf |
| Salinity |
saltwater |
| Other Names |
|
| Location |
|
LME SAU No 46. Shelf area around and northwest of New Zealand. LME2002, LME2006, SAU 2008. |
34° S 49° S - 165° E 177° W |
|
| Location Map |
New_Zealand_Shelf.png |
| Size Ref |
|
River Length |
|
Area |
968706 km2 |
Drainage Area |
|
|
| Depth |
|
Average Depth |
|
Max Depth |
|
Ref |
|
|
| Temperature |
|
| Description |
The irregular shelf surrounding New Zealand varies greatly in width, with the northwest and southeast plateau sections reaching as far out as 3000 km, while the narrow northeast and southwest areas drop off at about 150 km. The northern half of the LME is influenced by the warm South Equatorial Current, and the southern half by the cooler West Wind Drift. Among the important fisheries of the area are those for migratory apex predators, such as tuna, billfish, and sharks, a bottom fishery for the orange roughy, and a coastal fishery for a variety of crustaceans and mollusks (http://www.na.nmfs.gov/lme/text/lme46.htm). |
| Comments on faunal list |
Area from SAU (November 2015). |
| URL 1 |
http://www.seaaroundus.org/lme/46.aspx |
| URL 2 |
|
| Ecosystem Checklist Link |
|
| Total |
|
Species |
Families |
Species |
Families |
Reference |
|
905 |
231 |
|
|
|
|
