This report describes a baseline assessment and characterisation of four rocky shore sites at Kāpiti wave-exposed at times, and consist of gently-sloping shores of mainly boulder and cobble over outcrops of bedrock. The results revealed a species-poor supra-tidal zone, a high shore dominated by barnacles and periwinkles, transitioning to increasingly diverse assemblages toward the low tide mark, where macroalgae were conspicuous and diverse around the lower shore fringes. Overall, the range of species and higher taxa recorded was typical of ‘healthy’ New Zealand rocky shores.

Keywords: Kāpiti Island, Mana Island, rocky shore, invertebrates, algae, intertidal, environmental monitoring