Moana Project annual hui 2022 – a great success

Some of the in person and online attendees at the Moana Project annual hui.

Last month, Moana Project team members met in Tauranga for the 4th annual Moana Project Science Hui – and it was a great success. Research is speeding along, and we are seeing some really exciting results. For example, we are starting to understand the whakapapa of greenlipped mussels in the Bay of Plenty and at Ninety Mile Beach, as well as the dynamics that shape the pāua stocks in Kaikōura and how these were affected by the recent earthquake. We continue to predict marine heatwaves and are starting to discover what causes them. Looking ahead, we are examining the long-term effects of climate change on our oceans and predicting what conditions will be like for future generations.  
 
Project staff and students were joined by great guest speakers from around the motu. Georgia McClellan a PhD student at Auckland University spoke to us about her research on Māori mussel economies, and Peter Vitasovich from Open Ocean Whakatōhea Mussels presented on their mussel farm and processing factory.  
 
From a fisheries perspective, we heard from Denham Cook from Pelco, who spoke about New Zealand’s small pelagic fishery. And Aileen Lawrie, the CEO of Ōpōtiki District Council shared the development of the Ōpōtiki harbour.  

Both days ended with workshops, which inspired many conversations and the sharing of ideas on how to continue knowledge exchange across teams, and with project stakeholders.  

With new tools ready for release and ground-breaking scientific findings coming to light – keep an eye out for project news to see the latest updates.  
 
Ngā mihi nui to all who attended, in person or online. Thank you for making this year's annual hui the success it was, and we look forward to seeing you next year!