Mussel farming places a benthic organism in a pelagic environment; it is therefore important to understand the driving force that transports the food to the mussels. The hydrodynamic regimes in the sidearms and embayments in Pelorus Sound are dominated by the lunar tide, and a net estuarine circulation in the main channel flowing inwards along the bottom and outwards along the top. Salinity gradients extend throughout the sound from the river inflows, with strongest density stratification in the sidearms and embayments: nearest the head of the sound. There, the water column is separated at the pycnocline into upper and lower layers which tend to M91014

Current meter and current drogue measurements made over tidal periods show that the circulation in Manukau Harbour is mainly tidal, with strongest flows within the inner harbour in the four main channels. In the entrance channel, peak tidal speeds reach 2.25 m.s -1 at the surface, and 0.6 m.s -1 near the bottom. Salinity and temperature observations show that the water is nearly homogeneous with depth in summer. A residence time of 22 d is calculated, assuming the small horizontal salinity contrast is maintained by freshwater inflow and evaporation.

No abstract

No abstract

Drift cards were released in batches of 50