title: The Effects of Contaminated Rena Sediments on Juvenile Paua (Haliotis iris)

authors: McSweeney, Caleb S.

subjects: contamiant

abstract: The grounding of the MV Rena on Otaiti resulted in the release of heavy fuel oil and container debris contaminants into the surrounding environments including the rocky shores of the adjacent Mōtītī Island. This is the habitat where significant populations of benthic paua reside. Paua (Haliotis iris) are a staple and consistent food source for Mōtītī Island. Being an offshore island with no amenities, Mōtītī Island residents are reliant on the ocean as a pataka kai (food cupboard) and are therefore acutely aware of environmental influences to the harvest of kaimoana.
This thesis aimed to address concerns relating to the effects of contaminated boundary layer water emanating from contaminated ‘Rena’ sediment on juvenile paua. Research was focused in two areas: 1) the sublethal behavioural effects of contaminated Rena sediment to Paua and 2) the accumulation of trace metals in the edible tissue and viscera mass. The experiments were carried out with the use of a close circuit aquaria in a laboratory environment, followed by a field experiment.
In all experiments, paua in control treatments were healthy by comparison to paua exposed to treatments with Rena contaminated sediments and copper as judged by survivorship and behaviour. The most likely cause of of behavioural aberrations and mortality observed was deemed to be copper as demonstrated by Diffusive Gradient in thin film (DGT) and ambient water analyses in both experiments. Copper that is bioavailable can increase quickly in the edible tissue and viscera mass as was identified as the visceral mass of Rena and copper exposed paua had a higher mean concentration of this and other trace metals.
On Otaiti, the effects to paua from the Rena ship wreck and lost container contents, know to include a medly of metals and other contaminants, is not likely to be limited to copper alone. Results demosntrate the relevance of examining the effects of water borne contaminated plumes emanating from complex mixtures of contaminants. This is rarely done in ecotoxicological studies which tend to focus on individual contaminant compounds.

text: The Effects of Contaminated Rena Sediments on Juvenile Paua (Haliotis iris) The grounding of the MV Rena on Otaiti resulted in the release of heavy fuel oil and container debris contaminants into the surrounding environments including the rocky shores of the adjacent Mōtītī Island. This is the habitat where significant populations of benthic paua reside. Paua (Haliotis iris) are a staple and consistent food source for Mōtītī Island. Being an offshore island with no amenities, Mōtītī Island residents are reliant on the ocean as a pataka kai (food cupboard) and are therefore acutely aware of environmental influences to the harvest of kaimoana.
This thesis aimed to address concerns relating to the effects of contaminated boundary layer water emanating from contaminated ‘Rena’ sediment on juvenile paua. Research was focused in two areas: 1) the sublethal behavioural effects of contaminated Rena sediment to Paua and 2) the accumulation of trace metals in the edible tissue and viscera mass. The experiments were carried out with the use of a close circuit aquaria in a laboratory environment, followed by a field experiment.
In all experiments, paua in control treatments were healthy by comparison to paua exposed to treatments with Rena contaminated sediments and copper as judged by survivorship and behaviour. The most likely cause of of behavioural aberrations and mortality observed was deemed to be copper as demonstrated by Diffusive Gradient in thin film (DGT) and ambient water analyses in both experiments. Copper that is bioavailable can increase quickly in the edible tissue and viscera mass as was identified as the visceral mass of Rena and copper exposed paua had a higher mean concentration of this and other trace metals.
On Otaiti, the effects to paua from the Rena ship wreck and lost container contents, know to include a medly of metals and other contaminants, is not likely to be limited to copper alone. Results demosntrate the relevance of examining the effects of water borne contaminated plumes emanating from complex mixtures of contaminants. This is rarely done in ecotoxicological studies which tend to focus on individual contaminant compounds.

year: 2015

title: Weaving the mat of Māori and Pacific learner success

authors: Tiakiwai, Sarah-Jane

subjects: Supporting learners, Pacific learner success, Māori learner success, higher education

abstract: The mat we are trying to weave at the University of Waikato to address educational outcomes, disparities and inequities in education for Māori and Pacific learners will weave rich data, stories and experience. Our goal is to use data to be better informed about what works for Māori and Pacific learners and what does not. Data is useful in building a more complete picture of what is happening to students, but student voice and previous research that has already captured the voices of Māori and Pacific experts, educators, students, families and communities can tell us more about why we are getting these outcomes. As we harness data to improve our knowledge, we must not forget the stories already in the mat and the stories being woven in the mat, for the stories are the gold.

This report details our work on this data-informed rather than data-driven project. It discusses how improved data and data analytic capability enhanced our understanding of the literature on Māori and Pacific learner success and the experience of Māori and Pacific learners at UoW. Our research and the report, however, also unapologetically privilege case studies through literature and Māori and Pacific student voices. We lay out the various materials – data, literature and voice – that will form our mat with this in mind, weaving them together in order to achieve better outcomes for Māori and Pacific learners at our university. These learners are the why of this mahi. Their success will create a beautiful pattern in the
weave.

text: Weaving the mat of Māori and Pacific learner success The mat we are trying to weave at the University of Waikato to address educational outcomes, disparities and inequities in education for Māori and Pacific learners will weave rich data, stories and experience. Our goal is to use data to be better informed about what works for Māori and Pacific learners and what does not. Data is useful in building a more complete picture of what is happening to students, but student voice and previous research that has already captured the voices of Māori and Pacific experts, educators, students, families and communities can tell us more about why we are getting these outcomes. As we harness data to improve our knowledge, we must not forget the stories already in the mat and the stories being woven in the mat, for the stories are the gold.

This report details our work on this data-informed rather than data-driven project. It discusses how improved data and data analytic capability enhanced our understanding of the literature on Māori and Pacific learner success and the experience of Māori and Pacific learners at UoW. Our research and the report, however, also unapologetically privilege case studies through literature and Māori and Pacific student voices. We lay out the various materials – data, literature and voice – that will form our mat with this in mind, weaving them together in order to achieve better outcomes for Māori and Pacific learners at our university. These learners are the why of this mahi. Their success will create a beautiful pattern in the
weave.

year: 2022-06

title: Lie theory and separation of variables. 7. The harmonic oscillator in elliptic coordinates and Ince polynomials

authors: Boyer, C.P.

subjects: Mathematics

abstract: As a continuation of Paper 6 we study the separable basis eigenfunctions and their relationships for the harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian in two space variables with special emphasis on products of Ince polynomials, the eigenfunctions obtained when one separates variables in elliptic coordinates. The overlaps connecting this basis to the polar and Cartesian coordinate bases are obtained by computing in a simpler Bargmann Hilbert space model of the problem. We also show that Ince polynomials are intimately connected with the representation theory of SU (2), the group responsible for the eigenvalue degeneracy of the oscillator Hamiltonian.

text: Lie theory and separation of variables. 7. The harmonic oscillator in elliptic coordinates and Ince polynomials As a continuation of Paper 6 we study the separable basis eigenfunctions and their relationships for the harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian in two space variables with special emphasis on products of Ince polynomials, the eigenfunctions obtained when one separates variables in elliptic coordinates. The overlaps connecting this basis to the polar and Cartesian coordinate bases are obtained by computing in a simpler Bargmann Hilbert space model of the problem. We also show that Ince polynomials are intimately connected with the representation theory of SU (2), the group responsible for the eigenvalue degeneracy of the oscillator Hamiltonian.

year: 1975-03