Otago researcher gets funding for cockle study

University of Otago doctoral student Nicholas Hay undertakes recent summer-holiday work with the...
University of Otago doctoral student Nicholas Hay undertakes recent summer-holiday work with the Ministry of Fisheries at Tolaga Bay, northeast of Gisborne. Photo supplied.
University of Otago doctoral student Nicholas Hay has been awarded a national fellowship to support a three-year study of the size, extent and distribution of cockles in the Otago Harbour.

Mr Hay (24) was "really excited" to gain the Te Tipu Putaiao Fellowship, amounting to about $110,000, from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, to support his research involving the tuaki (cockles).

The foundation provides up to 20 of the tertiary fellowships each year - the latest ranging in value from $25,000 to $274,000.

An annual stipend is paid, and tuition fees and research-related costs are also met.

The fellowships support research to help improve New Zealand's scientific knowledge and enhance Maori involvement in scientific study.

Mr Hay's research in marine science aims to provide baseline scientific findings which could be used when setting recreational or customary harvest limits and could also help with overall sustainable management of the cockle.

There are moves to increase harvesting and the cockles could also be affected by the movement of sediment resulting from dredging to deepen the harbour channel.

The cockle was valuable to tangata whenua as a taonga (treasure) species for subsistence and customary harvest, and he hoped to encourage greater community involvement in future management plans, Mr Hay said.

The foundation also awarded Te Tipu Putaiao Fellowships to three other researchers at Otago University: Dr Katja Schweikert, Robert Win, and Rebecca Lodge.

Dr Schweikert is undertaking postdoctoral research involving both traditional and potential modern uses of seaweeds.

She will use bioscreening and product analysis to identify bioactive compounds in seaweed species that have potential to deliver health food, medical or cosmetic products for national and international markets.

She will also work with Maori communities to understand traditional uses of seaweeds and prepare a business plan for potential commercialisation of the most promising macro-algal products.

Mr Win was "pretty stoked" to gain support for his planned masters degree in marine science.

His research aims to determine the location and characteristics of kohanga (nursery habitats) for rocky reef fish, such as blue cod, moki and butterfish, and he will also study the numbers of larval and juvenile fish.

The funding would significantly support his studies, including helping with the costs of stable-isotope analysis and field work, Mr Win said.

Ms Lodge will undertake a three-year PhD study, investigating variations in the leaves and fibres of two cabbage tree species.

 

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