We started the kina removal phase of our kelp restoration project with a pilot event on the 3rd of December 2022: 28 volunteers and some keen observers met for a blessing and project briefs in the early morning hours at Kau Point. Four teams of scuba and freedivers got quickly to work. 

We had already marked some spots where kina populations were extremely dense, making it easy for divers to get full kina bags to the surface. Freedivers ferried the bags to shore, where volunteers emptied them into containers to carry the kina to the counting station. 

After only 90 min in the water the volunteers had removed 56 bags – 3,401 kina. No wonder our kelp forests are struggling! After wrapping up for the day the kina were distributed by mana whenua to the volunteers and marae in the region.

We specifically targeted the areas at the edge of the kelp forest where kina had formed dense clusters and grazing pressure on the kelp forest was high. In one of the removal spots we had previously observed kina eating a 3m wide band of seaweed within 6 months. 

Our aim is to bring kina densities down to 0.5 kina per square metre. This should allow seaweed to start regenerating and we will be monitoring this to measure the outcomes – so there’s a lot more work to be done. Keep an eye out for the next removal and monitoring events coming up!

Thanks to all iwi, hapū and dive community members who joined as volunteers, to Wellington Underwater Club for marking the removal areas and preparing the site, Dive HQ for leading the in-water part of the day, ‘The Hem of Remutaka’ team members for shore support and to Deep Blue Seafoods for providing containers and a truck to transport kina on behalf of mana whenua to distribution sites.

If you want to find out more about the project read the FAQ section on the About us page. To get involved get in touch!