Current Projects (Round 11)
Seasons in the sea: Impacts of a changing climate on plankton communities of coastal Otago
Investigating how the biodiversity of zooplankton changes seasonally in the Otago Harbour
Investigating the link between phytoplankton and temperature in the Otago Harbour
Comparing current plankton biodiversity surveys to historic data
Plankton are incredibly important for marine ecosystems. They form the basis of all ocean food webs, produce approximately half of the Earth’s oxygen, and fix ocean nutrient concentrations. Plankton abundance is a useful indicator of marine environment health. The abundance of different plankton groups varies throughout the year, changing with the seasons and ambient conditions in the water. This makes it important to establish up-to-date baselines that can be used as a comparison to determine the impacts that climate change will have on natural seasonal plankton cycles.
The New Zealand Marine Studies Centre (NZMSC) will run a plankton sampling programme with schools and community groups, giving students and members of the community the opportunity to collect plankton samples, analyse the data, and share and discuss results. The NZMSC will also develop do-it-yourself kits for distribution to schools to collect their own samples. The data will be made available on a website to allow schools to engage from their classrooms, analyse results, and make comparisons over time.
Seasons in the sea will be an exciting oppprtunity to learn about a less charismatic group of organisms that is nonetheless a key species for ocean health.
For more information, check out Marine Science Otago on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.
Funding: $20,000
Contact: Sally Carson (Director, NZ Marine Studies Centre)
What is living in your backyard?
Determining whether native species are present in backyards in the Whakatipu area
Exploring the conditions that could improve the numbers of species and population sizes
Investigating whether trapping improves native biodiversity
The Whakatipu Wildlife Trust seeks to create and maintain a predator-free environment throughout the greater Lake Wakatipu area. The Trust regularly undertakes large-scale trapping within a range of environments including urban, farmed, and cleared plantation areas, as well as beech forests, native shrubland, and tussock grassland. They now want to investigate the outcomes of their trapping efforts, and are seeking to understand if human interventions have had any impact on native species populations.
For this project, members of the community will monitor a range of environments to determine the presence of birds, lizards, and invertebrates and whether these differ in diversity closer to trapped areas. Other possible factors, such as proximity to native vegetation or planting, bird feeders, weta motels, and others will also be investigated. Participants will be trained in identifying a range of species, and will be provided with tools including binoculars, weta motels, cameras, chew cards, and tracking tunnels.
Hopefully the results of this project will show that human interventions, such as large scale trapping efforts, can have a positive impact on Aotearoa New Zealand’s native wildlife. The data from the project will be shared with conservation groups, councils, and DOC to help guide their activities. The Whakatipu Wildlife Trust will also use the results to inform their own future strategies around predator control and monitoring.
Find out more about this project on Whakatipu Wildlife Trust’s website, Facebook page, and Instagram account.
Funding: $16,580
Contact: Joanne Conroy (Executive Officer, Whakatipu Wildlife Trust)
Tamariki Taiao Project
Investigating the effects of a short-term predator trapping programme on the surrounding ecosystem
Surveying a specified area before and after the predator trapping programme
Students at Ardgowan School and members of the Oamaru community will investigate the effects of a short-term predator trapping programme within the Oamaru Reservoir area. Science partners from the Department of Conservation (DOC) will implement the trapping programme and will teach the students how to identify and monitor species of birds, moths and insects, as well as pests and predators.
As part of the pre- and post-trapping surveys, students will use tunnel-tracking, 5-minute bird counts, moth traps, and bug hotels to monitor insects and survey species present in the area. For the trapping activities, the students will build traps, regularly monitor the traps every two weeks, and will gather data about the type and number of predators caught. DOC will also provide training for teachers and parents to support them with guiding the students during the project. At the end of the project, DOC will help the students compare and analyse the data and difference in species before and after the trapping took place. These results project will be shared during an open community day at the school.
It is hoped this project will provide insights into the impact that community trapping programmes can have on the wider environment. This project will also help students become engaged and enthused about predator trapping, and will hopefully inspire them to continue trapping activities with their families and wider community.
Follow Ardgowan School on Facebook to keep up-to-date with their project.
Funding: $11,804
Contact: Ryan Fraser (Principal, Ardgowan School)
A teeny tiny truth - Does it all come out in the wash?
Investigating the prevalence of microplastics in the catchment freshwater lake, sediment, rivers, and fish of inland Wānaka
Providing locally relevant data and evidence regarding the presence of microplastics
Supporting local behaviour change and education projects through citizen science
Consultations with the Wānaka community have indicated that local waterways are important to both residents and visitors, and that having water that is safe for swiming and drinkable is a significant priority. Unfortunately, a recent clean-up of the Wānaka lakefront revealed an alarming amount of small plastic particles in the sediment layers. There is limited research on microplastics incidence in freshwater ecosystems, and so the goal of this project is to collect data on microplastics in the Wānaka catchment and to inform materials-based behaviour change initiatives in the region.
This project is a collaboration between scientists and the community to better understand the presence of microplastics in the waterways in and around Lake Wānaka. It will involve measuring microplastics incidence in Lake Wānaka and lake sediment, and investigating the incidence of microplatics in in-flowing surrounding river ecosystems. The presence of microplastics in freshwater trout and salmon will also be measured.
The aim of the project is to provide novel data on microplastics levels, and for this information to lead to action to reduce impact. There will be educational opportunities for students in primary and secondary schools, and volunteer opportunities for businesses and citizen scientists. Hopefully the increased awareness of the extent of microplastics in the local waterways will inform local and regional councils and guide future actions.
To find out more, visit the WAI Wānaka website or check out their Facebook and Instagram.
Funding: $19,912
Contact: Elaine Kelly (WAI Wānaka)
Rocks for tots: Engaging young learners in participatory geoscience research
Exploring why some rocks, soils, and leaves are more magnetic than others
Investigating the effectiveness of scaffolded experiences leading to geophysical data collection in young children’s local environment
Measuring the impacts of participatory outreach for geoscientists, young learners, educators, and whānau
The geological world is incredibly interesting for young children, yet most geoscience outreach in Aotearoa New Zealand is aimed towards primary and high school students. This project combines participatory science with geoeducation research to explore the benefits of engaging two- to six-year-olds with geoscience. Thinking like a geologist – in three dimensions, at small and large scales, and back-and-forth through time – is a crucial skill for the next generation of science citizens.
Early childhood education learners will investigate the question “Why are some rocks, soils, and leaves more magnetic than others?” and will be involved in every step of the project, including refining the research question, collecting samples, analysing data, and reporting results. The project team will use thematic analyses of the activities to determine the impacts of this outreach for geoscientists, learners, educators, and whānau. This project will engage participants t in intentional learning experiences and geoscience-based inquiry in young learners’ local environments. It will also demonstrate the value of participatory outreach with early childhood education learners, and identify links between geoscience and Te Whāriki (New Zealand’s Early Childhood Curriculum).
Funding: $19,872
Contact: Dr Faye Nelson and Dr Sophie Briggs (Department of Geology, University of Otago)
Determining the sources of riverine phosphorus in the Teviot Valley
Measuring phosphorus concentrations in the Teviot Valley streams and comparing these to official guidelines
Investigating the sources of phosphorus in the Teviot Valley streams
Determining what geochemical processes are controlling phosphorus concentrations
The Teviot Valley Water Care Group (TVWCG) undertake regular water testing. They recently discovered high concentrations of dissolved reactive phosphorus in several streams in the catchment, creating concern for the water quality. The TVWCG wants to understand what is contributing to high phosphorus concentrations in their streams and what may be done to improve water quality in this respect.
This project will determine the degree and extend of phosphorus in the Teviot Valley catchment streams, and will investigate the sources of phosphorus, the relative contributions of these sources, and the processes controlling phosphorus concentrations in the streams. Landholders from the TVWCG will work with scientists to collect water, soil, rock, and fertilizer samples from several Teviot Valley sites. These samples will be analysed for a range of elements including phosphorus, trace elements, rare earth elements, and strontium isotopes.
Key results will be shared with the community. The data gathered will help the TVWCG understand what is happening in their streams, and whether phosphorus concentrations are due to human activity (e.g., farming practices) or natural sources (e.g., soil and rock weathering). The findings from this project will hopefully assist the TVWCG with improving their water quality, either by modifying farm practices or by engaging with the local council to update current guidelines.
Funding: $5,575
Contact: Dr Candace Martin (Department of Geology, University of Otago)
Connecting communities to a degraded urban stream from a youth-centric perspective
Providing opportunities for youth groups to interact with and learn about the Ōwhiro Stream and its tributaries
Investigating if hands-on learning opportunities build deeper connections between the stream and the community
The Ōwhiro Stream is a highly degraded urban stream on the Taieri Plains, with some of the poorest water quality in Otago. Anecdotal evidence suggestst that there is a disconnect between the community, the stream, and its tributaries. However, recent work in the catchment area, including a community planting day and stream monitoring, has seen the community express a growing interest in looking after the Ōwhiro.
This project will investigate whether hands-on experiences and interactions with the Ōwhiro Stream can further enhance community connection to the stream. Students and members of a Guides group will assess stream health at several sites throughout the catchment, they will set fish traps and nets to learn about the fish that call the stream home, and they will grow and establish native plants to enhance the banks of the Ōwhito and its tributaries.
The learnings from the project will be shared with the wider community in an exciting and engaging format. Students will be able to tell their own catchment story and learn how to communicate the science behind what they have learned. It is hoped that these learnings will emphasize the importance of being connected to the stream, to promote its biodiversity values and overall health. The project team will also carry out surveys throughout the project to determine if the activities are effective in strengthening community connection with the Ōwhiro.
Funding: $19,480
Contact: Craig Simpson (Watershed Solutions)
Mohua nest monitoring with acoustic recorders for vocal identification in the Makarora catchment
Using acoustic recorders and bird banding to monitor mohua nests
Tracking territory occupancy population dynamics and breeding success in the Makarora area
Developing efficient, cost-effective, and minimally invasive techniques to monitor vocally active birds
Mohua are highly cryptic birds that have been monitored in the Makarora region for the last 12 years using encounter rates along transects. Results from the monitoring have been varied, as the birds are difficult to monitor due to the species being a canopy dweller, and current monitoring methods are limited as they are mostly based on estimatations and are undertaken by different groups each year.
Southern Lakes Sanctuary is leading a project to improve mohua monitoring methods by using a combination of intensive nest monitoring with acoustic recorders and bird banding with mark-resight. The banding will help with identifying individual birds, and will be used to verify whether individual mohua can be identified based on recordings of their individual songs.
It is hoped these techniques will provide valuable insights into the mohua population in the Makarora catchment, including the number of individuals and their distribution. Improved monitoring will also be beneficial for assessing the effectiveness of predator trapping in the area.
For the latest news on the project, visit the Southern Lakes Sanctuary website or check out their Facebook and Instagram.
Funding: $20,000
Contact: Sarah Fredric or Katrina Black (Southern Lakes Sanctuary Trust)
In the footsteps of the ancestors: Archaeological investigations at Whareakeake
Using radiocarbon dating methods to establish the ages of the Whareakeake papakāika
Using botanical analysis methods to document the past natural environment
Using archaeological data and analysis methods to document how people used these resources for subsistence (mahika kai) and how subsistence strategies changed over time
Archaeological investigations of the wāhi tūpuna (ancestral village) of Whareakeake have been limited to excavations carried out in the 1950s. The literature from this time describes the village as having been an early place for fishing that eventually became a settlement in the 18th Century. However, oral history accounts Whareakeake as a papakāika, a significant settlement sustaining a large population with traditions linked to Kāti Māmoe and Waitaha, prior to the 18th Century. There is also traditional knowledge describing the use of a wide range of resources for mahika kai at Whareakeake.
Descendants of the traditional occupants of Whareakeake wish to learn more about their history, traditions, and culture, and to fill gaps in their mātauraka (traditional knowledge). The Whareakeake Project was established to investigate potential archaeological occupations and their chronology. Recent excavations identified intact, undisturbed archaelogical deposits, and preliminary analyses indicate that these relate to different contexts and time periods.
This project will explore when and for how long people lived at Whareakeake, and investigate what resources were used to sustain the population. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the findings from this project will help reconstruct the most accurate picture of daily life at the village, including the natural resources available for use by its occupants, the practice of mahika kai, and how this may have changed over time.
Funding: $19,335
Contact: Anne-Claire Mauger (The Whareakeake Project)