Marine Science
Recent Deposits
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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 ... -
Kelp-forest response to light limitation
The loss of canopy-forming macroalgae is one aspect of coastal ecosystem degradation that is being driven by anthropogenic stressors. The drivers of canopy loss are, in many cases, well understood, but the effect of light ... -
Investigating the Post Mortem Applications of Hard Parts from Two Common New Zealand Squid Species: Onykia ingens and Nototodarus sloanii
Hard parts of squid are used in a variety of post mortem analyses, such as diet studies, which shed light on various aspects of the squid’s life. In this thesis, hard parts were reviewed. Beaks and statoliths were found ... -
Ecology of meiofauna from the New Zealand continental margin
Deep-sea meiofaunal communities vary at a range of spatial scales. However, identifying which scale(s) account for most of the variability in deep-sea communities remains difficult, as few studies have been designed in ... -
Exploring the murky world of the sevengill shark, Notorynchus cepedianus, in southern New Zealand
The broadnose sevengill shark, Notorynchus cepedianus, is an important marine apex predator found in temperate coastal regions worldwide. Despite being identified as an abundant, high trophic level species, there is a ... -
The Distribution and Abundance of Surface Macro-Zooplankton in the Waters off the Otago Coast
The present study quantifies the effects of various water masses, including the oceanic, neritic, and coastal waters, on the abundance and distribution of surface macro-zooplankton off the Otago Coast through a series of ... -
Biofilm response to ocean acidification and the effects on serpulid polychaete settlement
Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are causing long-term changes in ocean carbonate chemistry. This process, ocean acidification (OA), produces reduced seawater pH and overall shifts in carbonate chemistry. ... -
Ice fish as sentinels for understanding how environmental changes impact food web diversity and stability in Antarctica
Investigating how environmental variation influences population, food web, and community dynamics is important for predicting the influence of climate change on ice covered ecosystems. The sea ice gradient that runs from ... -
Oxidative stress responses in Echinoderm embryos in response to ocean acidification.
Ocean acidification refers to the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This ocean acidification is considered to be a threat to marine organisms and ... -
Factors influencing the recovery of Pecten novaezelandiae within Te Whaka ā Te Wera Mātaitai, Rakiura
The New Zealand scallop (Pecten novaezelandiae) is an important customary and recreational species in Whaka ā Te Wera, Rakiura (Paterson Inlet, Stewart Island). Customary management tools such as Mātaitai reserves allow ...