The Mahurangi System

Abstract

The Mahurangi Estuary and Harbour belongs to a class of tideways which have been described as Hauraki Gulf Tideways, a classification based on common features, including mangroves, low freshwater inputs and shallow low-tide depths, leading to faunal similarities. Our treatment of the Mahurangi System recognises that it is a product of the contribution from its two ‘catchments’; the rivers and the sea. The latter has the general character of the Gulf coastal waters which have already been described (Harris 1993). The freshwater input, though small, is important because it reflects the catchment use. Ultimately, the continued good condition of the Tideway depends on what changes occur in the catchments; the consequences of human intervention.