The Otago Coast
Otago's coastline is diverse and beautiful. It spans almost 470 kilometres from the cobble beaches of the Waitaki Fan in the north to the cliff headlands and sand beaches as far as Wallace Beach in the south. The coastal environment is a very important place, for scenery and wildlife, food and recreation. On this page
The physical side of the Otago coast
Much of Otago's coastal land has been modified from its original bush-clad state, with farmland dominating the coastal edge. However, there are still a few places where forests extend to the margin of the coastal marine area.
The rocks that outcrop along Dunedin's coast represent the major stages of geological history, beginning with the schistose of Gondwana, followed by two sedimentary sequences interrupted by the eruption of the Dunedin volcano, and finally modern glacial and interglacial deposits. 
Offshore, the sea floor shelves for about 30 km then plunges steeply, marking Otago's ancient coastline when the sea level was lower.
About 20- 30 km offshore, the warm and salty Southland Current intrudes on the 'normal' cool and less saline sub-Antarctic surface water. Near shore coastal water is extremely variable and strongly influenced by runoff and river levels.
Most of the Otago coastline is in fairly constant, although minor, retreat. This is particularly noticeable in the soft sediment parts of the coast. North Otago experiences the most coastal erosion in the region, while river mouths are subject to flood-related shifting.
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Life along the coast
Along the coast, rivers range from the large Waitaki and Clutha rivers to the Taieri and the small rivers of the Catlins coast. As well as the two main urban areas - Oamaru and Dunedin - there are many small fishing and holiday communities.
Otago Harbour is home to the region's only commercial port and is the main export gateway for the region's produce.
New Zealand fur seals and Hooker's sea lions can be seen in pockets along the rocky coast, as well as whales and dolphins. The region is also home to a number of rare and significant sea birds, in particular the Royal Albatross and yellow-eyed penguin, and has large communities of wading birds.
Adjacent to the land are estuaries, wetlands, beaches and rocky shores. These are important feeding and breeding habitats for seabirds and marine mammals.
Directly below the influence of the tide are the rocky reef, kelp forest and soft shore communities. The large variety of fish on the reefs is an important food source for seabirds and the Hookers sea lion.
Further offshore are the soft bottom communities including red cod, rig, gurnard and barracouta. Otago is unusual in that there is a deep-water scallop fishery within the inshore area.
There are more than 80 protected areas along the landward edge of Otago's coastline, ranging from scenic, recreational and historic reserves to wildlife and bird sanctuaries. Most fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Conservation, while territorial local authorities manage most of the rest. At present, there are no marine reserves.
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