New techniques and equipment have been developed, including systems for paua larval settlement and early growth, rock lobster and oyster larval rearing, algal culture, breeding snapper, and seawater filtration and sterilisation. Seventeen species of bivalve molluscs and three species of paua have been conditioned, spawned, and reared. The Centre is only the second in the world to rear rock lobster larvae through to the puerulus stage. Snapper have been ongrown to maturity in just over 2 years, and turbot reared from eggs through to juveniles. Site selection survey and advice is a speciality.
Live mussels are an ideal food for cultured rock lobsters.
The Centre can advise on the best feeding regime to maximise growth. In the early stages of this research programme, eggs have been stripped from ripe female turbot, and the fertilised eggs taken back to Mahanga Bay for rearing through to larvae and juveniles. Initially, basic studies identified growth and condition factors and site variations for the development of suspended culture. Technology transfer NIWA has a proud record of transferring the results of research and development to the aquaculture industry. The Aquaculture Research centre at Mahanga Bay runs courses on hatchery technology and paua cultivation which have attracted participants from throughout New Zealand and Australia and as far afield as South Africa and Thailand.