Massey University has been awarded more than $5 million for research projects aimed at improving Tauranga Harbour's ecological health and finding ways to remove nutrients from wastewater.
The funding has been awarded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Massey University Professor Murray Patterson, from the School of People, Environment and Planning, leads the project.
Professor Patterson said the research project focuses on empowering iwi and hapu to be strong partners in the co-management of estuaries in the harbour.
"It will involve collecting an oral history of local iwi and hapu knowledge, gathering ecological knowledge, including indicators of estuarine ecosystem health, resilience and functioning."
Other aspects of the project involve developing a new hybrid geographic information systems model to integrate environmental, economic, cultural, land use and estuarine ecology information.