Marine Science
Recent Deposits
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Abundance estimation of Hector's dolphin
This thesis reports the results of the first boat-based line-transect survey to be carried out in New Zealand waters. The survey was carried out in January and February 1998, successfully adapting conventional line-transect ... -
Click counting : an acoustic censusing method for estimating sperm whale abundance
Present estimates of sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) population size are extraordinarily imprecise. This is largely due to sperm whale behaviour and distribution, which compromises the utility of the visual survey ... -
Acoustic censusing of sperm whales at Kaikoura, New Zealand : an inexpensive method to count clicks and whales automatically
Commercial hunting of sperm whales ended in 1988. Today, populations appear to suffer from a shortage of large males, depressing fertilisation rates. Sperm whales spend most of their time underwater, feeding at depths to ... -
Long-term monitoring of sperm whales in Kaikoura, New Zealand : data-management, abundance and population dynamics
Male sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) can be found year-round within a few nautical miles off the coast of Kaikoura, New Zealand. Systematic sighting surveys were carried out in 2007, contributing to the long-term ... -
Tidal energy theory and turbine array design in constricted channels
This thesis extends existing tidal energy theory to include the effects of channel constriction - previous general theoretical works have been limited to unconstricted rectangular channel geometries. This work uses a ... -
Aerial photogrammetry and size structure analysis of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) at Kaikōura, New Zealand
Length measurement is a fundamental metric in the study of animals, and an important challenge in cetacean science. Whales are among the most difficult animals to measure alive, and a variety of techniques have been applied ... -
Genetics of the snake star Astrobrachion constrictum (Ophiuroidea: Asteroschematidae) in Fiordland, New Zealand
This thesis was initiated to address two of the questions posed by Stewart's 1995 study on the biology of Astrobrachion constrictum; Is gene flow between fiords restricted in this ophiuroid species and are the colour morphs ... -
The effects of fiord hydrography and environment on the population genetic structures of the sea urchin Evechinus chloroticus and the sea star Coscinasterias muricata in New Zealand
New Zealand's fourteen deep water fiords possess complex physical hydrographic features and strong environmental gradients that may serve to isolate the marine organisms that occupy them. In order to investigate the ... -
Reproductive cycle and settlement of Evechinus chloroticus in the SUR 5 fishery
Evechinus chloroticus (Kina) are an important commercial species in New Zealand waters, being harvested for their gonads or roe. In southern New Zealand the commercial fishery area (SUR 5) for urchins extends from Slope ... -
Regional differences driving organic matter and trace metal signatures reflected in temperate reef bivalve communities on the South Island, New Zealand.
Increases in anthropogenic activity along coastal zones has led to an influx of terrestrial particulate matter containing high levels of nutrients and contaminants to coastal ecosystems. In order to manage these detrimental ... -
A Last Glacial Maximum to Present Paleoenvironmental Investigation of Port Pegasus, Stewart Island, New Zealand
Almost all modern-day estuaries evolved during the Holocene and contain sedimentary sequences that preserve the evolution of these coastal environments. Incised-valley fill sequences in estuaries often contain facies that ... -
Gonad enhancement of Evechinus chloroticus (Val.) in Otago Harbour, New Zealand, using artificial and macro-algae diets
The endemic New Zealand echinoid, Evechinus chloroticus (Valenciennes), was collected bi-monthly between May 1999 and June 2000 from Elizabeth Island, Doubtful Sound, and held in shallow water sea cages in Otago Harbour, ... -
Transgenerational plasticity and acclimation of tropical sea urchins to ocean warming and acidification
Anthropogenic CO2 emissions are causing the oceans to simultaneously warm and become increasingly acidic, with rates of change that are putting evolutionary pressure on many marine organisms. As a result, both short-term ... -
The influence of bivalve size on ecosystem functioning in intertidal estuaries with multiple stressors
Estuarine ecosystems, as critical transition zones between land, freshwater and the sea, are hotspots for biogeochemical cycling and productivity. Most of the biogeochemical processes occur in estuarine sediments where ... -
Investigating Rāhui as a Customary Fisheries Management Tool
Marine fisheries resources sustain the social and cultural wellbeing of communities. Almost one third of the world’s fisheries are overfished. The decline or collapse of a fishery not only has significant biological effects ... -
Habitat use of the bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) of Fiordland: Where, why and the implications for management
Understanding the distribution of a species gives important clues about its ecology, and can provide key information and guidance for conservation management. The bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) of Fiordland, New ... -
Effects of ocean acidification on the larval settlement and metamorphosis of marine invertebrates
Future Ocean acidification (OA) has the potential to negatively affect marine ecosystems and the organisms they support, with the early life-history stages particularly sensitive to reduced seawater pH and carbonate ... -
Aspects of Reproduction in a Post-Bonamia exitiosa Epidemic Ostrea chilensis Fishery, Foveaux Strait, Southern New Zealand
The flat oyster, Ostrea chilensis, is an important cultural and commercial species in New Zealand fishing and aquaculture industries. However, natural populations and commercial operations are threatened by haplosporidian ... -
Local Adaptation of the Blue Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) in Southern New Zealand
Mussels are key organisms in many shallow coastal ecosystems, acting as benthic-pelagic couplers, providing habitat for other organisms, while their biogeochemical functions of improving water clarity and bio- deposition ... -
Assessing citizen science in the marine environment
Citizen science, where the general public is engaged with and participates in a scientific project, is increasingly being recognised as an effective tool for science education, developing knowledge and science skills, ...