Journal Articles
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Item A piece of the puzzle: analyses of recent strandings and historical records reveal new genetic and ecological insights on New Zealand sperm whales(1/01/2022) Palmer E; Alexander A; Liggins L; Guerra M; Bury SJ; Hendriks H; Stockin KA; Peters KJCetacean strandings provide important opportunities to extend current knowledge on species or populations, particularly for species that are notoriously difficult to study, such as sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus (parāoa). Between 25 May and 9 June 2018, 13 male sperm whales stranded in Taranaki, New Zealand (NZ), with an additional male stranding 1 mo later in Clifford Bay, Marlborough. We profiled these 14 males for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes to examine their similarity to sperm whales from other geographic areas. Analyses of mtDNA revealed 7 haplotypes, including 1 not previously described (‘New’), and an additional haplotype (‘M’) new to NZ that had been previously reported in sperm whales of the Pacific region. Analysis of rare haplotypes found in NZ males suggested genetic links within NZ and the Southwest Pacific. Differences in stable isotope ratios indicated that, despite the close temporal proximity of these stranding events, individuals originated from at least 2 separate groups, with the whale stranded in Clifford Bay identified as being a regular visitor to Kaikōura, South Island. The analysis of stranding records in NZ dating back to 1873 indicated an increase in recorded single strandings since 1970, and a peak in single strandings in the austral summer months, but no seasonality for mass strandings. Sex predicted latitudinal location for single strandings, with 95.1% of female strandings occurring north of 42° S, fitting the general global distribution of female sperm whales limited to lower latitudes. This study provides the first temporal and spatial assessment of sperm whale strandings in NZ and highlights the need for future research on movements and genetic exchange between NZ sperm whales and sperm whales in the wider Pacific region.Item The Ira Moana Project: A Genetic Observatory for Aotearoa’s Marine Biodiversity(25/11/2021) Liggins L; Noble CThe genetic diversity of populations plays a crucial role in ensuring species and ecosystem resilience to threats such as climate change and habitat degradation. Despite this recognized importance of genetic diversity, and its relevance to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, it remains difficult to observe and synthesize genetic data at a national scale. The “Ira Moana—Genes of the Sea—Project” (https://sites.massey.ac.nz/iramoana/) has worked to improve stewardship of genetic data for Aotearoa New Zealand’s (NZ) marine organisms to facilitate marine genetic biodiversity observation, research, and conservation. The Ira Moana Project has established interoperable data infrastructures and tools that help researchers follow international best-practice (including the FAIR Principles for Data Stewardship and CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance) and contribute to a national genetic data resource. Where possible, the Project has employed existing infrastructures (such as the Genomic Observatories Metadatabase, GEOME) to allow interoperability with similar research activities, but has also innovated to accommodate the national interests of NZ. The Ira Moana Project has an inclusive model, and through presentations, workshops, and datathons, it has provided training, education, and opportunities for collaboration among NZ researchers. Here, we outline the motivations for the Ira Moana Project, describe the Project activities and outcomes, and plans for future development. As a timely response to national and international pressures on genetic biodiversity research, it is hoped that the Ira Moana Project will facilitate NZ researchers, communities, and conservation practitioners to navigate this crucial period, and provide tangible solutions nationally and globally.Item A decade of seascape genetics: Contributions to basic and applied marine connectivity(28/07/2016) Selkoe KA; D'Aloia CC; Crandall ED; Iacchei M; Liggins L; Puritz JB; Von Der Heyden S; Toonen RJSeascape genetics, a term coined in 2006, is a fast growing area of population genetics that draws on ecology, oceanography and geography to address challenges in basic understanding of marine connectivity and applications to management. We provide an accessible overview of the latest developments in seascape genetics that merge exciting new ideas from the field of marine population connectivity with statistical and technical advances in population genetics. After summarizing the historical context leading to the emergence of seascape genetics, we detail questions and methodological approaches that are evolving the discipline, highlight applications to conservation and management, and conclude with a summary of the field's transition to seascape genomics. From 100 seascape genetic studies, we assess trends in taxonomic and geographic coverage, sampling and statistical design, and dominant seascape drivers. Notably, temperature, oceanography and geography show equal prevalence of influence on spatial genetic patterns, and tests of over 20 other seascape factors suggest that a variety of forces impact connectivity at distinct spatio-temporal scales. A new level of rigor in statistical analysis is critical for disentangling multiple drivers and spurious effects. Coupled with GIS data and genomic scale sequencing methods, this rigor is taking seascape genetics beyond an initial focus on identifying correlations to hypothesis-driven insights into patterns and processes of population connectivity and adaptation. The latest studies are illuminating differences between demographic, functional and neutral genetic connectivity, and informing applications to marine reserve design, fisheries science and strategies to assess resilience to climate change and other anthropogenic impacts.Item Qi no tu i baba ni qwali (living down by the river): Impacts of flooding and mining on ecosystems and livelihoods(Frontiers Media S.A, 28/07/2022) Varea R; Varea R; Kant R; Farrelly TA vast ocean rich with resources to maintain a sustainable livelihood surround Pacific Island Countries and Territories. In Fiji, coastal resources are a primary source of food, medicine, income and other necessities for livelihood security. Human-induced climate change places growing pressure on the quality of coastal resources due to the increased intensity and frequency of natural disasters like coastal erosion and flooding. Anthropogenic activities like coastal mining of earth minerals further threatens livelihood security with cumulative pressure on the coastal environment and its resources. This paper discusses the compounding impacts of mining in the flood-prone community of Vanua Votua in Ba (Fiji). They currently witness the degradation of their coastal environment and its resources (iqoliqoli). The people of Vanua Votua have a cultural and spiritual attachment to their coastal ecosystem as indigenous custodians. However, they are limited in their ability to conserve and protect their iqoliqoli due to an unfair legal duality of national coastal governance structures and processes between the state and indigenous custodians. We found that a central issue of coastal mining, governance, and the people’s livelihood vulnerabilities, is Fiji’s Mining Act [Cap 146] and associated environmental legislations and policies that consolidate much of the coastal governance authority with the state. The Fiji Mining Act is currently under review. This paper provides a timely case study using the Sustainable Livelihood Approach and the Vanua Research Framework, outlining the need for current and future legislation to be nuanced and sensitive to the realities of the local context.Item Hagfish feeding habits along a depth gradient inferred from stable isotopes(27/06/2013) Zintzen V; Rogers KM; Roberts CD; Stewart AL; Anderson MJFeeding habits of 3 hagfish species were investigated along a depth gradient (~50 to 900 m) in New Zealand using nitrogen (?15N) and carbon (?13C) stable isotopes. Neomyxine biniplicata had the lowest mean ?15N value (14.2%), followed by Eptatretus cirrhatus (14.9 %) and Eptatretus sp. 1 (15.8%). Neomyxine biniplicata (~50 m depth) was characterized by (1) relative low lipid content in muscles and (2) consistent body condition index which together with its trophic position indicated that this species probably acquires its food by active predation, supplemented by opportunistic scavenging. Eptatretus cirrhatus (48 to 912 m) and Eptatretus sp. 1 (290 to 922 m) had similar morphology, but their ?15N signature indicated that they were feeding on slightly different trophic levels. For Eptatretus sp. 1, the combination of (1) variable lipid content, indicating phases of feeding and fasting, (2) decreasing body condition index with depth, indicating less regular feeding at depth, (3) increasing ?15N with depth and (4) decreasing ?13C signature with depth, pointed towards a feeding behaviour specialized in scavenging on large but rare falls of high-level predators such as whales, sharks or bony fishes. On the other hand, E. cirrhatus was characterized by (1) less variable lipid content, (2) a body condition index not influenced by depth, (3) ?15N values decreasing with depth and ?13C values constant across its depth range, which is likely to indicate a more opportunistic and mobile feeding behaviour on a range of prey © 2013 Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and Massey University and GNS Science.