Stewart et al "Demonstrating equivalence of rewilding and habitat restoration for aquatic predator conservation"

This data bundle provides the dataset and models used to support the submission: Stewart et al, Demonstrating equivalence of rewilding and habitat restoration for aquatic predator conservation. The objective of the manuscript is to: i) demonstratethat New Zealand longfin eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii) growth is able to be managed through diet, and; ii) quantify the the requirement from a diet-based conservation approach to achieve equivilence of longfin eel production as to that achieved from traditional habitat restoration. Included is: New Zealand longfin eel biomass data from a BACI habitat restoration study in Waituna Creek (2014 - 2024) Abundance data for īnanga (G. maculatus) in Waituna Creek (2014 - 2024) Longfin eel fin clip tissue d13Cand d15N stable isotope data (2019 - 2024) Annular growth increments for otoliths from 7 longfin eels A d13C stable isotope mixing model used to calculate lagoon diet contributions to longfin eels in Microsoft excel A bioenergetic growth model for longfin eels in Microsoft excel. the model implimentation is described in: Graynoth and Taylor 2000. Influence of different rations and water temperatures on the growth rates of shortfinned eels and longfinned eels. Journal of Fish Biology, 57(3), pp.681-699. Longfin eel production estimates based on field data and model-estimated rates used to assess habitat- and diet-based conservation approaches for longfin eels.