Te Kūwaha and Māori

Sharing knowledge with Māori communities and empowering Māori business with the latest science.

We are NIWA, Taihoro Nukurangi - Te Reo
Te Kūwaha, NIWA’s National Centre for Māori Environmental Research is a dedicated Māori research team, with a vision to work in partnership with others to enable complementary knowledge systems to support kaitiakitanga and provide environmental research excellence that enhances the social, environmental and economic aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi, Māori communities and Māori business.

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    Tuna - identification

    There are several ways to tell the three New Zealand eel species apart.
  • Estuary origins

    In comparison to the vast span of geological time, the estuaries that we see today are very recent coastal features.
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    Tuna - life cycle and leptocephalii

    Freshwater eels have an unusual life cycle which sees them travelling between the ocean, estuaries and freshwaters.
  • Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (CCVA)

    Service
    To prepare for changes in climate, our freshwater and oceans decision-makers need information on species vulnerability to climate change.
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    Tuna - habitat

    Tuna are found in all sorts of habitats (places), including coastal estuaries, lakes, wetlands, rivers, mountain streams and even alpine tarns.
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    Tuna - diet

    Longfin eels are the largest and longest-lived fish in New Zealand's freshwaters, and where they are present they are the top predator.
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    Tuna - maturation and identifying sex

    The sex of tuna is not determined genetically, as in some other organisms.
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    Tuna - age and methods of ageing

    Currently, the most reliable method to estimate the age of tuna is by examination of their otoliths or "ear bones"
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    Tuna - tuna heke (downstream migrants)

    Once eels become migrants (also known as tuna heke or tuna whakaheke) they stop feeding, and progressively develop the external features that clearly distinguish them from 'feeders'.
  • Toolkit development

    A number of individuals, organisations and hapū have contributed to the development of Ngā Waihotanga Iho.
  • Getting started

    Traditionally, tangata whenua have collected information about estuaries to monitor resources, such as kaimoana, and to make decisions about conservation measures, such as rähui. Increasingly, tangata whenua are using scientific tools to help monitor their natural resources and Ngä Waihotanga Iho provides a science perspective for talking about environmental issues and concerns related to estuaries.
  • Ngā repo o Maniapoto - Maniapoto wetland inventory

    Research Project
    Through the Te Wai Māori fund Ngā Repo o Maniapoto is a collaborative project between NIWA and the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board (MMTB) Whanake Taiao team that looks to develop an inventory of repo and puna (springs) for the Maniapoto rohe.