Credit: Dave Allen NIWA

Integration for impact

The knowledge, guidance, and tools needed to reverse degradation trends and realise a healthy ocean, based on a decade of research from 2014 – 2024.

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Credit: Ellery Sterling Unsplash

Tohorā

A natural language search tool powered by AI, which summarises the key findings from our 10 years of research.

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Credit: Ayushi Kachhara NIWA 2018

Improved decision-making using EBM

Enabling ecosystem-based management (EBM) to become embedded within marine management and governance.

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Credit: Ayushi Kachhara

Enhanced blue economy

Enabling Aotearoa to transition to a blue economy.

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Empowering Mana Moana

Enhancing the relationship of Māori with Te Ao Turoa to inform our relationship with the moana.

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Project, tool & resource finder

Use one, some or all the filters below to discover tools, resources, and research outputs.

For summaries of our research, visit Tohorā. To access our entire library of outputs, visit FigShare.

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Displaying of 79 results

Research process

Credit: Ellery Sterling Unsplash

Research process

Sharing what we’ve learned through our unique approach to research.

This activity has produced or contributed to

Improved decision-making using an ecosystem-based management (EBM) approach

Credit: Ayushi Kachhara NIWA 2018

Improved decision-making using an ecosystem-based management (EBM) approach

Enabling ecosystem-based management (EBM) to become embedded within marine management and governance.

This activity has produced or contributed to

Enhanced blue economy

Credit: Ayushi Kachhara

Enhanced blue economy

Enabling Aotearoa to transition to a blue economy by developing BE principles, enhancing opportunities, and supporting adoption.

This activity has produced or contributed to

Empowering Mana Moana

Credit: Graham Prentice, mychillybin

Empowering Mana Moana

Enhancing the relationship of Māori with Te Ao Turoa to inform our relationship with the moana.

This activity has produced or contributed to

He Kāinga Taurikura o Tangitū: Treasured coastal environment

Credit: Maungaharuru Tangitu Trust

He Kāinga Taurikura o Tangitū: Treasured coastal environment

Supporting coastal hapū to express kaitiakitanga by assessing and accessing high-quality ecosystem data.

This project has produced or contributed to

Ki uta ki tai: Estuaries, thresholds and values

Credit: Spid Pye/TrueStock

Ki uta ki tai: Estuaries, thresholds and values

Assessing the interactions between loadings of different contaminants from freshwaters on the health and functioning of estuaries. This is a…

This project has produced or contributed to

Waikato Regional Council coastal plan review

Credit: Callum Hill

Waikato Regional Council coastal plan review

Supporting the Waikato Regional Council to review their Regional Coastal Plan with the principles of ecosystem-based management

This project has produced or contributed to

Upholding the value of pāua quota

Credit: Terra Moana

Upholding the value of pāua quota

Exploring what pāua fishery investors (quota owners, divers, processors etc) need to know to have the confidence to invest; and the relation…

This project has produced or contributed to

Scale and EBM

Credit: Rob Suisted

Scale and EBM

Improving understanding and communication of scale-dependencies for EBM

This project has produced or contributed to

Tangaroa Ararau – Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Tikanga Māori and the marine environment

Credit: Rebekah Parsons-King (NIWA)

Tangaroa Ararau – Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Tikanga Māori and the marine environment

This project is exploring the fundamental idea of what an oceans-centric governance model could look like, unburdened by existing approaches…

This project has produced or contributed to

Modelling restorative economies

Credit: Brady Doak

Modelling restorative economies

Determining the benefits of small-scale, community-based marine restoration initiatives

This project has produced or contributed to

EBFM in the Hauraki Gulf

Credit: pjmalsbury/iStock

EBFM in the Hauraki Gulf

Developing a monitoring and indicator framework for the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park

This project has produced or contributed to

Whakaika te Moana

Credit: Lamprey and eel weir Whanganui River taken by James McDonald © Alexander Turnbull Library

Whakaika te Moana

Exploring traditional aquaculture practices to inform a hapū-based blue economy

This project has produced or contributed to

Marlborough Sounds regional study

Credit: Conrad Pilditch

Marlborough Sounds regional study

In this collaboration, we are investigating how EBM can be used to manage shellfish populations in the Marlborough Sounds.

This project has produced or contributed to

A novel approach to aquaculture in Aotearoa New Zealand

Credit: Matakana Island © Shellie Evans

A novel approach to aquaculture in Aotearoa New Zealand

Growing community wellbeing with pātiki tōtara/yellowbelly flounder

This project has produced or contributed to

Quantifying seafloor contact

Credit: Chris Sisarich/NZStory

Quantifying seafloor contact

Investigating and reducing interactions between commercial fishing gear and the seafloor

This project has produced or contributed to

Kia tika te hī ika: Exploring fisheries tikanga and mātauranga

Credit: Chris Sisarich/NZ Story

Kia tika te hī ika: Exploring fisheries tikanga and mātauranga

Investigating the tikanga of ICP Iwi Partners as it relates to commercial fishing practice

This project has produced or contributed to

Thinking outside the can: Engineering toheroa aquaculture

Credit: Ripiro Beach © Taoho Patuawa

Thinking outside the can: Engineering toheroa aquaculture

Developing sustainable, community-based aquaculture in Te Taitokerau

This project has produced or contributed to

Seaweed sun defence

Credit: iStock/Ruslan Dashinksky

Seaweed sun defence

Investigating the potential of algal bioactives to prevent and improve the outcomes of sunburn

This project has produced or contributed to

Kohunga Kutai

Credit: Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust

Kohunga Kutai

Creating a sustainable supply of seed mussels using mātauranga Māori

This project has produced or contributed to

Pātangaroa hua rau: the bioactive potential of sea stars

Credit: Kura Paul-Burke

Pātangaroa hua rau: the bioactive potential of sea stars

Investigating the economic potential of collagen and bioactives from 11-armed sea-stars to manage overpopulations

This project has produced or contributed to

Building a seaweed sector

Credit: Leigh Tait/NIWA

Building a seaweed sector

Developing a seaweed sector framework for Aotearoa New Zealand.

This project has produced or contributed to

Growing marine ecotourism

Credit: Dive Tutukaka

Growing marine ecotourism

Developing marine ecotourism that embraces regenerative principles and supports a blue economy.

This project has produced or contributed to

Mauri Moana, Mauri Tangata, Mauri Ora

Mauri Moana, Mauri Tangata, Mauri Ora

We explored ways to assess the values New Zealanders hold for the marine environment.

This project has produced or contributed to

Measuring ecosystem services and assessing impacts

Credit: Leigh Tait NIWA

Measuring ecosystem services and assessing impacts

We developed new ways to measure and map the ecosystem services provided by marine ecosystems.

This project has produced or contributed to

Forecasting contamination risk for shellfish harvest and beach use

Forecasting contamination risk for shellfish harvest and beach use

We have developed a near real-time forecasting tool for Tasman and Golden Bays to help predict when aquaculture sites and beaches are safe t…

This project has produced or contributed to

Early detection of harmful algal blooms

Early detection of harmful algal blooms

We trialled two innovative technologies to detect and monitor harmful algal blooms in coastal waters

This project has produced or contributed to

Credit: Dave Allen NIWA

Our work

Sustainable Seas brought together Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest ever group of biophysical and social scientists, economists, and experts in mātauranga Māori and policy researchers. Together with Māori partners and stakeholders we embarked on our journey nearly a decade ago as one of 11 National Science Challenges, we set out to achieve this objective: To enhance utilisation of our marine resources within environmental and biological constraints.

The Challenge has produced nearly a decade’s worth of research results, guidance, and tools from more than 100 projects. In our final year, we’ve focused on refining the key messages and recommendations on topics prioritized by the Challenge community as being critical to enabling holistic ecosystem-based management (EBM) and te ao Māori approaches – and ultimately realize a healthy ocean and prosperous blue economy.

Where's our research?

This interactive map shows the location of all our research projects to help connect you with the research happening in your rohe.

Zoom in and click on a pin to see key information about the project.

Key

Circles with kiwi = national projects
Pins = regional/local projects

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