What roles do our ocean ecosystems play in capturing carbon? Kate Evans speaks to iwi Māori working to improve the health of an estuary in the Bay of Plenty, and to scientists studying the fiords of New Zealand's southwest coast. There's potential for huge amounts of carbon to be locked away, if we don't mess it up.
This episode was first released 21 March 2024.To avert the worst of the climate crisis we need to reduce our emissions. One way is to phase out fossil fuels, to leave forms of carbon like oil and gas locked up in the ground. But we can also look at ways to lock up more carbon, long term. And some options for this are in our oceans. The champ of champs Between 6-10 metres of rain falls in Fiordland each year. An incredible amount. It's part of what powers the forest-to-fiord carbon storage pump that makes Fiordland exceptionally good at locking away large amounts of carbon long-term. Something scientists are only beginning to understand. Return of the wetland Luckily, National Park status on land and marine protection in part of the sea have meant that Fiordland has remained relatively untouched. Not so for some of our other carbon-burying ocean ecosystems. Salt marshes and seagrass meadows in estuaries have taken big hits. But Te Whakapū o Waihī, a collective of local iwi and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, are fighting back. Listen as Kate Evans learns about Fiordland's secrets, the plans to restore Waihī wetlands and estuary, and what this all means for our blue carbon potential. Learn more: Read the accompanying New Zealand Geographic article by Kate Evans, with photography by Richard Robinson. Alison Ballance previously reported on the work of the Cawthron Institute to collect and grow seagrass seeds. Justine Murray joined Professor Kura Paul-Burke out on the Waihī estuary mud flats last year to learn about tohu (signs), nana (seagrass) and tuangi (cockles). Parts of the Southern Ocean also acts as a carbon sink, but there are concerns this might change.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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Voice of Tangaroa 03 | Fish out of water
People and livestock gobble so much fish that the seas soon won't keep up. Is the answer to grow fish on land? Kate Evans meets scientists figuring out the puzzles of how to farm some of New Zealand's iconic ocean creatures.
This episode was first released 14 March 2024.Many of our fisheries are under pressure. At the same time people are eating more fish. Could farming iconic New Zealand species be the future? And what are the advantages of growing fish on land?A new lease of lifeOcean Beach used to process lambs, a record of 20 000 in one day, but now it's gullies and troughs run with seawater, not blood. Home to the New Zealand Abalone company and Manaaki Whitebait it's become one the frontiers of New Zealand aquaculture - growing fish indoors. Pāua puzzles and whitebait mysteriesIt's not an easy task. Growing fish on land means taking responsibility for their needs throughout their life cycle. First you must identify those needs, account for them in an indoor setting, and make the whole process as efficient as possible so you can still turn a profit. It takes trial and error, and patience.Learn more:Read the accompanying New Zealand Geographic article by Kate Evans, with photography by Richard Robinson.Seaweed is also being farmed in a specialised warehouse space in Tauranga.The NIWA Ruakākā facility officially opened in August 2024Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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Voice of Tangaroa 02 | Kina-nomics
Kina numbers are exploding on some of our reefs, decimating seaweed habitats. Could this problem be solved by eating them? Kate Evans investigates the potential of kina-nomics.
This episode was first released 7 March 2024.The kina are out of control. As many as 40 urchins crowd into a single square metre of rock, devoid of other life.A kina barren is a symptom of an ecosystem out of balance. Could we eat our way to a solution?Kina zombiesKina numbers have exploded as we've eaten too many of their predators - like big snapper and crayfish - that usually keep them in check.The urchins munch through kelp and seaweed, leaving bare rock and little else. The kina themselves end up suffering too - they persist in these zones as zombies, eating little and barely producing any roe.Luckily, these barrens can be reversed and kelp forests restored when the kina are removed.Putting kina on the tableKina-nomics involves taking starving kina off reefs, fattening them up and selling them to an East Asian market.But how can the kina be made more consistently tasty? And can economic and conservation goals really align? Listen to the episode to dive under the water with a kina harvester, taste some kina, and untangle whether a commercial harvest of these spiky taonga can really fix kina barrens.Learn more:Read the accompanying New Zealand Geographic article by Kate Evans, with photography by Richard Robinson.Kinanomics say they are set to scale up in 2025.Check out another effort to restore kelp forests with the Love Rimurimu project in Wellington, profiled in a recent Our Changing World episode.Jesse Mulligan spoke to another researcher studying kina removal in the Marlborough Sounds.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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Voice of Tangaroa 01 | The undersea orchetra
Crackle, pop, woof, crunch, click. In the ocean, an undersea orchestra is in full swing. Journalist Kate Evans discovers who's playing in it and why, and what happens when human noise drowns out this symphony in the sea.
This episode was first released 29 February 2024.Symphony in the seaJournalist Kate Evans and presenter Claire Concannon discover a world of snapping shrimp, singing whales and barking John Dory. Researchers Professor Craig Radford and Dr Jenni Stanley are uncovering more about the orchestra harmonising under the waves - who's playing in it, and why they are making these sounds. Plus, what impact is our human noise - like boats - having on ocean creatures? Learn more: Read the accompanying New Zealand Geographic article by Kate Evans, with photography by Richard Robinson. Recently researchers at the University of Auckland discovered that New Zealand rig sharks also make noise. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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Introducing: Voice of Tangaroa
A collaboration between Our Changing World and New Zealand Geographic, the Voice of Tangaroa series explores the state of our oceans, and the extraordinary variety of life that calls it home. 93% of New Zealand is covered in salt water. 80% of our biodiversity is in our seas. And yet this is the part of our realm we understand the least and treat the worst. A collaboration between Our Changing World and New Zealand Geographic, the Voice of Tangaroa series explores the state of our oceans, and the extraordinary variety of life that calls it home. From kina-nomics, to the undersea sound, from growing fish on land, to the debates around our marine reserves - science journalist Kate Evans has been diving into the complexities of how we think about, enjoy, manage and use our oceans, and what this means for the creatures that live in it. Now, with production help from RNZ's Our Changing World team, and original music composed by Wellington band Grains, you will be able to hear the voices of the characters involved and experience the sounds of our underwater realm. Voice of Tangaroa is a joint production between RNZ's Our Changing World and New Zealand Geographic.Reporting for this series is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air. You can learn more and read the articles for free at www.nzgeo.com/seasGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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