Leigh Marine Reserve faced immense opposition at the time, but the public has since caught up with the conservation ideology and the scientific value that no-take reserves represent.

Pioneer diver Wade Doak calls these places ‘wet libraries’, sites that retain a physical memory of how most of our coasts once looked—for our reference, research and aspiration.

Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve was New Zealand’s first no-take reserve, closely followed four years later by Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve 20 kilometres offshore. The level of protection is as important as the location—no-take or Type 1 reserves are more effective than Type 2, which allow fishing and other activities that may be destructive to the seabed.