Evaluating Representativity of Marine Spatial Management Areas Using the New Zealand Seafloor Community Classification

ABSTRACT Representativity within marine protection and planning refers to the principle of ensuring that the full range of biodiversity and ecosystems (and the species that they support) in a particular region is included in a network of marine protected areas (MPA). The New Zealand Seafloor Community Classification (NZSCC), which was developed to support MPA planning and reporting at a national scale, depicts compositional turnover of 1716 taxa (demersal fish, reef fish, benthic invertebrates and macroalgae) classified in 75 groups representing seafloor communities. Here, we use the NZSCC to evaluate representativity of benthic communities within current spatial management areas across New Zealand's marine environment based on the extent of each group within spatial management areas, estimates of within‐ and between‐group similarities and taxonomic richness. Results suggest that while offshore, deep‐water communities in general are well represented within current spatial management areas (notably those communities predicted to occur below fishable depths), 46 of the 75 groups, predominantly coastal and continental shelf groups, were inadequately represented. The use of within‐ and between‐group similarities is a significant improvement on assessments that only look at extent protected because they allow the identification of those areas that are the most representative of each group but also consideration of which groups are most dissimilar (unique) to all other groups already protected.