Uni awarded research funding for Tauranga Harbour

Massey University Professor Murray Patterson.

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.

Professor Patterson said: "This tool will significantly improve quantitative analysis of ecological problems and solutions for estuaries. "We estimate for Tauranga Harbour estuarine seagrass restoration will increase ecosystem services by $135 million per annum after 10 years.

"Involvement in a project like this will enhance mana for the participating iwi and hapu - this is an outcome that is beyond quantification," he said.

The research project is being undertaken in partnership with the Manaaki Te Awanui Trust, Cawthron Institute, University of Waikato, WakaDigital and Market Economics.

German-based Bremen University will provide sophisticated ecological monitoring.