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Many catchments along the Wairarapa Coast are modified for pasture and are highly erodible leading to high sediment inputs. High sediment and moderate nutrient loads, combined with physical susceptibility (e.g. entrance restriction and/or closure), mean the estuaries are prone to water quality degradation including poor clarity, phytoplankton blooms and low dissolved oxygen.

Author: Keryn Roberts, Leigh Stevens, Megan Southwick. Salt Ecology.

Reference: Roberts KL, Stevens LM, Southwick M. 2023. Wairarapa Coastal Habitats: Ecological Vulnerability Assessment. Salt Ecology Report 108, prepared for Greater Wellington Regional Council, April 2023, 136p.