Marine Science
Recent Deposits
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Sinks of agriculturally derived nitrogen in estuarine and coastal lagoon ecosystems
Increased nutrient runoff from mismanaged agricultural farming results in excess inputs of nutrients to coastal ecosystems, which can increase primary productivity causing eutrophication. Estuarine sediments provide the ... -
Acclimatisation and adaptive capacity of echinoderms in response to ocean acidification and warming
Future ocean acidification and warming pose a substantial threat to the viability of some marine populations. In order to persist, marine species will need to acclimate or adapt to the forecasted changes. Recent research ... -
Optimising indicators of ecological condition in shallow tidal estuaries as function of nitrogen loading
Developing robust means of identifying anthropogenic stressor levels that degrade aquatic ecosystems represents a global management and conservation challenge. Among the known threats for coastal biodiversity and ecosystem ... -
Behaviour and ecology of bottlenose dolphins in Doubtful Sound, Fiordland, New Zealand
On 353 days during three years of fieldwork from 1994 to 1997 in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand I collected data on abundance, body proportions, seasonal movements, diving behaviour, surface behaviour and association patterns ... -
Changes to Austrovenus stutchburyi growth rate since early human settlement in New Zealand: an indication of the extent of human impact on estuarine health
When humans first arrived in New Zealand around 1250AD they started making changes to the environment to make it more habitable. Coastal marine ecosystems such as estuaries are an important link between the land and the ... -
Does host diet govern the structure and diversity of tapeworm assemblages in sharks? Insights from the literature and a model shark species; Cephaloscyllium isabellum
Previous research has shed some light on what phylogenetic and ecological factors may be important determinants of tapeworm parasite diversity in elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays). However, several potentially key ... -
Valuation as destruction? The social effects of valuation processes in contested marine spaces
Valuation encompasses far more than the practice of estimating the financial value of environmental services and changes. It extends to almost any socio-political process in which local actors seek to shape the development ... -
Age, growth, movement and reproductive biology of blue cod (Parapercis colias - Pinguipedidae) : implications for fisheries management in the South Island of New Zealand
This thesis addresses several issues that need resolving before population age/length structure, growth rates, movement and reproductive biology of blue cod (Parapercis colias) can be properly understood. It provides ... -
The acoustic behaviour of resident bottlenose dolphins in Fiordland, New Zealand
The bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus is an extremely well-studied species. We have an extensive knowledge of certain aspects of their vocal behaviour, particularly from captive contexts. Bottlenose dolphins produce a ... -
Is The Hearing of Whales and Dolphins Fully Developed at Birth?: An investigation of the odontocete inner ear
Sound is an essential component of toothed whale and dolphin (odontocete) biology. The advanced hearing-dependent activities of precocial calves lead us to believe that hearing is fully functional by birth. Nevertheless, ... -
Estimating mark rate and its effect on the precision of estimates of survival rate for a long-term study of Hector’s dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori) at Banks Peninsula, NZ
An accurate and precise estimate of mark rate (the proportion of individuals with marks suitable for photo-ID) is essential for adjusting estimates of abundance from capture-recapture models to include the unmarked portion ... -
Underwater noise from pile-driving and its impact on Hector's dolphins in Lyttelton Harbour, New Zealand
Noise levels were measured in Lyttelton Harbour in order to study pile-driving noise produced during wharf reconstruction. Sound recordings were made throughout the harbour, using several moored and mobile recording systems. ... -
Variability of the Subtropical Front in the Tasman Sea
The subtropical front (STF) is a fundamental feature of the Southern Ocean. It separates waters in the subtropical gyres from Subantarctic waters. At present however only a rudimentary understanding exists about its temporal ... -
Structure and Preservation of Chiton Valves: Resolution of a Taphonomic Quandary
Chitons are marine molluscs common worldwide that form their shells out of aragonite and are rare in the sediment and fossil records. The rarity of chitons in these records is not surprising, as dissolution readily removes ... -
Spatial and Temporal Variability of Phytoplankton Productivity in the Subtropical Front around New Zealand
The association between enhanced phytoplankton productivity and the Subtropical Front (STF) around New Zealand was investigated using remote sensing images derived from the MODIS-Aqua sensor. The STF is a major circumpolar ... -
Moving to the Southern Hemisphere: life-cycle and substratum preferences of the adventive bryozoan Bugulina flabellata (Bryozoa: Cheilostomata) in southern New Zealand
Invasive species are a growing problem worldwide. The effects of these invasive species are wide-ranging and include negative impacts both on ecosystem services – such as air quality, available recreational space, reduced ... -
Demographic variability among subpopulations of two coastal fishes around the South Island of New Zealand
Understanding the spatial structure of populations including variability in reproductive biology among subpopulations is a key objective in fisheries ecology. The aim of the present study was to identify the small scale ... -
Environmental and biological characteristics of East Otago estuaries along a gradient of marine connectivity
Estuaries represent a transitional environment influenced by both terrestrial and marine processes. There are several types of estuary defined by their connectivity with the marine environment that are found along coastlines ... -
Social Aspects of Demographic Stochasticity in an Endangered Population of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
Photography is one of the most widely used tools in conservation biology. In the analysis of social species, analyses of photographic identification data are used to infer the degree of association among uniquely marked ... -
Reproduction and larval ecology of the toheroa, Paphies ventricosa, from Oreti Beach, Southland, New Zealand
Paphies ventricosa is a large surf clam endemic to New Zealand with a patchy distribution and whose populations have substantially declined during the past century owing to overfishing and habitat degradation. Poor recruitment ...