14/07/2025
Te Whanau a Tauwhao te Hapù
WAIKAWA WĀNANGA | KAITIAKI KAIMOANA | JULY 2025
Over the past week, we were privileged to participate in the Ngā Kāhui Kaitiaki Kaimoana wānanga in Waikawa — a powerful kaupapa that brought together iwi, hapū, scientists, and environmental practitioners to deepen our understanding of harmful algal blooms (HABs), shellfish toxins, and the health of our coastal environments.
Led by Cawthron Institute’s Food & Safety and Molecular Algal Ecology team, this wānanga was both insightful and confronting. We explored:
- Microalgae species such as Alexandrium pacificum and Gymnodinium catenatum – known to produce paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs)
- A breakdown of shellfish poisoning syndromes and their associated toxin groups
- Life cycles of harmful dinoflagellates and how toxins accumulate in shellfish
- The importance of sediment cyst monitoring and molecular tools for early detection
- Field-based learning at the tidal flats of Waikawa, reconnecting our science with our tikanga
As Kaitiaki and civil professionals, we have a responsibility to understand the science, uphold our mātauranga Māori, and lead initiatives that restore and protect the mauri of our moana. This wānanga reaffirmed our collective role in that space.
Ngā mihi nunui to the organisers, scientists, and iwi leaders who made this possible — and to the whenua and moana of Waikawa Màrae , Te Atiawa Trust for hosting us with such manaakitanga.
He taonga te taiao. Me tiaki tātou.
# TeAtiawa
