Anenome Garden

 Designing the Anemone Garden at Worser Bay

This week, a group of students have been working on designing a 'rock revetment' to protect the buildings in Worser Bay, and in the process, create an anenome garden area. This is part of a broader plan to propose Worser Bay as a site for a 'Bluebelt' site, under the Moanamana project.

We began this journey by using the iNaturalist website to research species that are found in Worser Bay. Each student chose a creature (eg the 'Cushion Star'), and recorded information about their habitat and their diet. Our aim was to investigate how the site could be better managed to improve conditions for that species to thrive in the anemone garden area at Worser Bay.

Our next step was to think about design considerations. We looked at the 'living seawall' in Tauranga as an example of a man-made structure which mimics the cracks, crevices, and tidal pools, typically found in intertidal zones.

During the design process, we also had to think about the following considerations:

- Placement: should we position the garden in the intertidal zone where it will be regularly submerged and exposed? 

- Water Flow: do we need to make sure that the garden is placed in an area with good water flow to provide oxygen and nutrients to the marine life, but also sheltered enough to avoid being swept away by strong currents?

- Natural integration: should we use natural rocks and materials that match the existing coastal geology of Worser Bay? Will this help the garden blend seamlessly into the surrounding environment, promoting a more natural habitat for the creatures that live there?

- Subtle distinctions: should we introduce subtle, distinctive features like strategically placed colourful rocks or markers that can help identify the garden without disrupting its natural appearance? How could these be designed to be visually appealing and educational, and to provide safety to the public.

- Crevices and caves: some creatures thrive in crevices and small caves that provide protection from predators and strong currents. Should we create a variety of these microhabitats using rocks of different sizes and shapes?

- Tide Pools: pools will provide a stable environment for anemones and other marine life. Should we incorporate smooth, shallow pools that can hold water during low tide? 

- Rough Textures: Use rocks with rough textures to give the sea creatures surfaces to attach to securely. Smooth rocks can also be included to create diversity in the habitat.

Our final step was to make a small model of the design using clay. Here are some examples of our mahi:

                                          

                                          

We hope you enjoyed learning about our designs!