Big Lagoon (New Zealand)

Big Lagoon
Big Lagoon
Location	Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand
Coordinates	41.545°S 174.101°E / -41.545; 174.101
Type	Lagoon
Primary outflows	Pacific Ocean
Surface area	800 hectares (8.0 km^2)

Big Lagoon, sometimes known as Te Whanganui (both unofficial) is a lagoon beside Cloudy Bay in Marlborough, New Zealand. It outflows into the Pacific Ocean.[1] It is approximately 800 hectares and is part of the Wairau Lagoon, which is connected to Upper Lagoon and Chandlers Lagoon.[2]

There used to be a canal known as Ōrua or previously Morgan Creek which went from Ōpawa River to Big Lagoon.[3] Big Lagoon was previously a wildlife refuge, but this has been lifted and people are now permitted to hunt over the lagoon.[4]

Big Lagoon has beds of Ruppia, Chara and Nitella.[2]

Big Lagoon is in the plate boundary between the Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate. This means that Big Lagoon occasionally experiences strong earthquakes, which may cause liquefaction.[5]

References

1. "Place name detail: 16551". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
2. "Wairau Lagoon Subtidal Survey 2021" (PDF). marlborough.govt.nz. June 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
3. McKinnon, Malcolm (1 November 2016). "Lagoons and waterways, lower Wairau River". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
4. "Wairau Lagoons bird hunting". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
5. Hayward, Bruce W.; Clark, Kate J.; Sabaa, Ashwaq T.; Cochran, Ursula (October 2015). "TAPHONOMICALLY- AND INFAUNALLY-ADJUSTED SALT MARSH FORAMINIFERAL RECORD OF LATE HOLOCENE EARTHQUAKE DISPLACEMENTS AND A TSUNAMI SAND, NEW ZEALAND". The Journal of Foraminiferal Research. 45 (4): 354–368. doi:10.2113/gsjfr.45.4.354. ISSN 0096-1191.