10 million dollars has recently been awarded to a project team made up of scientists from the University of Otago, industry experts, Tangata Tiaki, and an advisory panel of national and international experts, to investigate an alternative model to single-species aquaculture practices commonly used today. The five year project will see the production of an aquaculture model, Whata Kaimoana, that will focus on the co-culture of native taonga species: flat oysters (Ostrea chilensis, too), mussels (Perna canaliculus, Aulacomya maoriana, Mytilus edulis, kuta), and giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera, kōauau). This research aims to reanimate the flat oyster industry, uplift the mussel industry, and support extraction of bioactive compounds from giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, to provide high economic returns, while also safeguarding and rebuilding valuable marine resources and coastal economies.

University of Otago student monitoring Macrocystis pyrifera growth on Whata Kaimoana aquaculture array