Zoology
Recent Deposits
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A limnological study of some New Zealand lakes
Freshwater surveys in New Zealand have not been numerous. This is understandable when we consider that it has been settled for little more than a century, and is still sparsely populated. The only comparative study of a ... -
Cameras for Conservation: How Photographing Wildlife Affects Engagement with Biodiversity
One of the most pressing ecological problems we face is the loss of biodiversity. Biodiversity refers to the variety, abundance, composition, distribution, and interactions of life on Earth, at genetic, species, and ecosystem ... -
Iho - a cord between two worlds : Traditional Māori birthing practices
Traditional Maori birthing practices are a fascinating insight into how Maori once lived, survived and perceived their world. This thesis aimed to take a closer look at traditional Maori birthing practices and rituals that ... -
Health Infographics to Communicate Dietary Information for Colorectal Cancer Prevention
Currently, Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is the world's third most common cancer. By 2030 the incidence of CRC is expected to increase by an additional 2.2 million new cases and 1.1 million deaths yearly. This increase is partly ... -
Fast versus slow: differing life history strategies of two New Zealand damselfly (Odonata: Zygoptera) species
Life history strategies are important for all organisms and are studied in large part to understand how an individual, population or species reacts to/lives in/survives in its environment and how it/they adapt to changes ... -
The lek breeding system of the Kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus): the role of vocalisations in female mate choice and kin clustering on leks
For a species to succeed, individuals must be able to attract a mate. The method in which they do this is known as a breeding system and it involves a diverse array of social behaviours. A lek breeding system is employed ... -
Links between personality and individual niche in the freshwater fish Gobiomorphus cotidianus
All individuals within a population are unique. Individual variation in behaviour – or animal personality – occurs consistently throughout the animal kingdom. Understanding how individuals vary in their behaviour is ... -
The Effects of Temperature and Herbicide on Development and Behaviour in Latrodectus katipo
Latrodectus katipo are a species of spider endemic to New Zealand. Latrodectus katipo numbers have markedly declined over the last 40 years. A species once common throughout New Zealand sand dunes, is now confined to a few ... -
Studies on Bonamia parasites (Haplosporidia) in the New Zealand flat oyster Ostrea chilensis
The haplosporidian parasites Bonamia exitiosa and B. ostreae have caused significant and consequential marine disease epizootics of oysters around the world. Due to the severity of disease that these parasites can cause, ... -
Direct and indirect effects of trematode exposure on the amphipod Paracalliope fluviatilis in terms of parasite acquisition, survival and behaviour
Parasites are a debilitating threat to animal populations as they often increase host mortality. Since defences against parasites are costly, selection should favour individuals that only exhibit defences during times of ... -
Educating Critical Scientists: Critical Science Literacy in University STEM Subjects
Much of our interaction with the world is overtly influenced by science or the products of science. The forward progress of science can seem overwhelming and relentless, leading many to adopt a fatalistic attitude to ... -
Environmental regulation of migratory movements by juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta)
This thesis explores the role that environment and geographic landscape features have on migratory response in juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta). Migratory strategy was found to be related to landscape features at the ... -
Multiple agricultural stressors and stream benthic algae: the effects of fine sediment particle size and flow velocity reduction on community composition and biological traits
There are many challenges facing freshwater systems that originate from urban development, climate change and agriculture. Agricultural intensification is one of the leading causes of freshwater biodiversity decline ... -
The Role of Education in Amphibian Conservation
We are living in the ‘Anthropocene Era’ with irreversible biodiversity loss and support system of planet Earth is compromised. Although extinctions are natural events, it is the current rate of species extinction that is ... -
Applying a multidisciplinary framework for developing a shark bycatch reduction device
The overarching aim of this multidisciplinary thesis was to contribute to the development of a novel shark bycatch reduction device (BRD) that both meets fishing operators’ needs and is economically feasible. Following the ... -
Feasibility of using pattern-recognition software for photographic identification of tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)
The ability to distinguish individual animals is fundamental to ecological research, wildlife and livestock management. Individuals are recognised by using the animals’ natural marks that remain stable through time, by ... -
Ecology or phylogeny: which determines the parasitic assemblages in Rajiformes (skates)?
A central aim in parasitology is to understand the mechanisms and processes that determine host-parasite associations. The quest to understand these mechanisms has led to the rise of the host-parasite co-speciation paradigm, ... -
Human Impact on Marine Mammal Strandings: The Joining of Worlds Through Documentary Film
The title of this thesis is “Human Impact on Marine Mammal Strandings: The Joining of Worlds Through Documentary Film”. The “worlds” referred to here are science, conservation agendas, aesthetics and psychology all in the ... -
Consistency of behaviours over time and context in zebrafish
Animal personality is defined as individual variation in behaviour which is consistent over time and across contexts; the five major components of personality are activity, boldness, exploration, sociability, and aggression. ... -
White-chinned petrel distribution, abundance and connectivity have circumpolar conservation implications
Albatrosses and petrels are a group of oceanic seabirds that spend most of their lives at sea. The Southern Ocean, which rings Antarctica in a continuous belt of wind and currents, supports most of the world’s albatrosses ...