title: Assessment of the Waikato River estuary delta for whitebait habitat management: field survey, GIS modelling and hydrodynamic modelling

authors: Jones, Hannah Frances Emily

abstract: The University of Waikato was contracted by Waikato Regional Council to develop a hydrodynamic model of the Waikato River delta to aid with the assessment of whitebait spawning habitat, and to help inform restoration plans for the area. The Waikato River estuary and delta cover the lowest reaches of the Waikato River, less than c. 15 km from the sea. The estuary is classed as a tidal river mouth and is mostly subtidal, whilst the delta is the widest part of the river and estuary and extends from 6 to 15 km from the entrance. The most common whitebait species in the lower Waikato River is juvenile īnanga, Galaxias maculatus, a diadromous fish species that matures in freshwater and then migrates downstream to spawn in a tidal estuary. īnanga spawn close to the interface between fresh and saltwater, in bankside vegetation that is inundated only on spring tides, and spawning sites in the lower Waikato River have mostly been found in and around the delta. As there have been few published studies on the physical or ecological characteristics of the Waikato River estuary or delta, there is currently limited understanding of the impact of tidal state and river flow on salinity distributions and water levels, which will likely exert significant influence on the location of īnanga spawning sites.
Whilst collating available data it was found that there was limited bathymetry, and little data on water levels, temperature and salinity in the estuary and delta. These data are required for the calibration and validation of hydrodynamic models of water transport and mixing. To address this paucity of data a field survey (measuring spatial and temporal variability in parameters such as temperature and salinity) was conducted by the University of Waikato, and Waikato Regional Council contracted Discovery Marine Ltd to conduct a hydrographic survey of the estuary and delta region. Bathymetry data from the hydrographic survey was used in hydrodynamic modelling of the estuary and delta, and GIS modelling of potential floodplain inundation. This report details the results of the field survey and GIS modelling, as well as the hydrodynamic model simulations, as these studies provide significant insight into spatial and temporal variability in ecologically relevant parameters and potential whitebait spawning habitat.
A field survey was conducted in the Waikato River estuary and delta over a spring-neap tidal cycle in April 2013. Data loggers measuring water level, temperature, conductivity, and other water quality parameters, such as dissolved oxygen and turbidity, were deployed at several locations in the estuary and delta over a 16-day period. In addition, boat surveys used a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) probe and a towed horizontal profiler to map spatial variability in temperature and conductivity, and to determine the extent of saltwater intrusion into the estuary under neap tide and spring tide conditions. The surveys indicated that there was considerable variability in temperature and salinity distributions in the estuary and delta, both laterally and longitudinally. In contrast, there was little vertical variation, as the water column was typically well-mixed, except in the very lowest reaches of the estuary where a distinct salt wedge was sometimes observed. The limit of saltwater intrusion into the estuary and delta was found to be in the mid-islands region, c. 10 km from the entrance, on the neap tide survey and in the upper islands, c. 13 km from the entrance, on the spring tide survey, which is further than has previously been reported. Water level loggers revealed marked tidal asymmetry at sites upstream of the entrance, caused by bottom friction and the interaction of the tidal wave with freshwater discharge. There was substantial temporal variability in variables such as temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen, related to diurnal and tidal cycles, and river flow, and these also provided critical data that was then used in calibration and validation of the hydrodynamic model.

text: Assessment of the Waikato River estuary delta for whitebait habitat management: field survey, GIS modelling and hydrodynamic modelling The University of Waikato was contracted by Waikato Regional Council to develop a hydrodynamic model of the Waikato River delta to aid with the assessment of whitebait spawning habitat, and to help inform restoration plans for the area. The Waikato River estuary and delta cover the lowest reaches of the Waikato River, less than c. 15 km from the sea. The estuary is classed as a tidal river mouth and is mostly subtidal, whilst the delta is the widest part of the river and estuary and extends from 6 to 15 km from the entrance. The most common whitebait species in the lower Waikato River is juvenile īnanga, Galaxias maculatus, a diadromous fish species that matures in freshwater and then migrates downstream to spawn in a tidal estuary. īnanga spawn close to the interface between fresh and saltwater, in bankside vegetation that is inundated only on spring tides, and spawning sites in the lower Waikato River have mostly been found in and around the delta. As there have been few published studies on the physical or ecological characteristics of the Waikato River estuary or delta, there is currently limited understanding of the impact of tidal state and river flow on salinity distributions and water levels, which will likely exert significant influence on the location of īnanga spawning sites.
Whilst collating available data it was found that there was limited bathymetry, and little data on water levels, temperature and salinity in the estuary and delta. These data are required for the calibration and validation of hydrodynamic models of water transport and mixing. To address this paucity of data a field survey (measuring spatial and temporal variability in parameters such as temperature and salinity) was conducted by the University of Waikato, and Waikato Regional Council contracted Discovery Marine Ltd to conduct a hydrographic survey of the estuary and delta region. Bathymetry data from the hydrographic survey was used in hydrodynamic modelling of the estuary and delta, and GIS modelling of potential floodplain inundation. This report details the results of the field survey and GIS modelling, as well as the hydrodynamic model simulations, as these studies provide significant insight into spatial and temporal variability in ecologically relevant parameters and potential whitebait spawning habitat.
A field survey was conducted in the Waikato River estuary and delta over a spring-neap tidal cycle in April 2013. Data loggers measuring water level, temperature, conductivity, and other water quality parameters, such as dissolved oxygen and turbidity, were deployed at several locations in the estuary and delta over a 16-day period. In addition, boat surveys used a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) probe and a towed horizontal profiler to map spatial variability in temperature and conductivity, and to determine the extent of saltwater intrusion into the estuary under neap tide and spring tide conditions. The surveys indicated that there was considerable variability in temperature and salinity distributions in the estuary and delta, both laterally and longitudinally. In contrast, there was little vertical variation, as the water column was typically well-mixed, except in the very lowest reaches of the estuary where a distinct salt wedge was sometimes observed. The limit of saltwater intrusion into the estuary and delta was found to be in the mid-islands region, c. 10 km from the entrance, on the neap tide survey and in the upper islands, c. 13 km from the entrance, on the spring tide survey, which is further than has previously been reported. Water level loggers revealed marked tidal asymmetry at sites upstream of the entrance, caused by bottom friction and the interaction of the tidal wave with freshwater discharge. There was substantial temporal variability in variables such as temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen, related to diurnal and tidal cycles, and river flow, and these also provided critical data that was then used in calibration and validation of the hydrodynamic model.

year: 2014

title: Hegemony, marginalisation, and hierarchies: Masculinities in contemporary Pakistani anglophone fiction

authors: Ali, Sara

subjects: Masculinities

abstract: By being empowered as subjects, authors of Pakistani anglophone fiction present a more nuanced, layered, and complex picture of Pakistan than the Western hegemonic discursive construction of the country as a hub of terror. Contemporary Pakistani anglophone fiction provides an insight into the collisions of culture, modernity, and religion in Pakistan. This literature also offers a way of understanding gender dynamics in contemporary Pakistani society. Scholarship on the representation of men and masculinities in South Asian anglophone literature, especially Pakistani anglophone fiction, is sparse. My study seeks to fill this lacuna and focuses on fiction by four male authors, namely, Nadeem Aslam, Mohsin Hamid, Muhammad Hanif, and Daniyal Mueenuddin. My research highlights the potentially powerful existence of male narratives exposing, critiquing, and resisting misogyny, male violence, and gendered oppression. This research explores how these authors fashion the narrative of Pakistani masculinity and how these representations are shaped by wider societal, cultural, political, economic, and religious contexts. I draw on theories of performativity, intersectionality, and a range of scholarship about masculinities for my analysis.
Examining texts which bear the imprint of socio-cultural practices offers a tool to understand the social, cultural, and religious pressures that shape patriarchy, dictate men’s actions, and control masculine perceptions of identity and self-worth. Each chapter explores a different aspect of Pakistani masculinity, ranging from the depiction of the feudal and capitalist masculinities in rural Pakistan in In Other Rooms, Other Wonders to representations of toxic and hostile masculinities among working-class and lower-class men in Our Lady of Alice Bhatti and the clash between urban middle-class and elite Pakistani masculinities in Moth Smoke. The final two chapters reach beyond the geographic borders of the nation to focus on the depiction of the impact of honour culture, male entitlement, and racial marginalisation on diasporic Pakistani masculinities in Maps for Lost Lovers and the impact of global and political shifts on hegemonic masculine ideals and transnational business masculinity in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. This research maps a range of representations of the diversity, complexity, and unequal power dynamics of Pakistani masculinities. This study also explores the formation and representations of female identity and femininities in negotiations with masculinities in the selected fiction, for example, emphasized femininity in Maps for Lost Lovers, rural femininity in In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, and enlightened femininity in Moth Smoke. Through this study, I hope to widen the critical discourse about gender in relation to Pakistani anglophone fiction and contribute towards an expansion of scholarship seeking to interrogate and interpret Pakistani masculinities.

text: Hegemony, marginalisation, and hierarchies: Masculinities in contemporary Pakistani anglophone fiction By being empowered as subjects, authors of Pakistani anglophone fiction present a more nuanced, layered, and complex picture of Pakistan than the Western hegemonic discursive construction of the country as a hub of terror. Contemporary Pakistani anglophone fiction provides an insight into the collisions of culture, modernity, and religion in Pakistan. This literature also offers a way of understanding gender dynamics in contemporary Pakistani society. Scholarship on the representation of men and masculinities in South Asian anglophone literature, especially Pakistani anglophone fiction, is sparse. My study seeks to fill this lacuna and focuses on fiction by four male authors, namely, Nadeem Aslam, Mohsin Hamid, Muhammad Hanif, and Daniyal Mueenuddin. My research highlights the potentially powerful existence of male narratives exposing, critiquing, and resisting misogyny, male violence, and gendered oppression. This research explores how these authors fashion the narrative of Pakistani masculinity and how these representations are shaped by wider societal, cultural, political, economic, and religious contexts. I draw on theories of performativity, intersectionality, and a range of scholarship about masculinities for my analysis.
Examining texts which bear the imprint of socio-cultural practices offers a tool to understand the social, cultural, and religious pressures that shape patriarchy, dictate men’s actions, and control masculine perceptions of identity and self-worth. Each chapter explores a different aspect of Pakistani masculinity, ranging from the depiction of the feudal and capitalist masculinities in rural Pakistan in In Other Rooms, Other Wonders to representations of toxic and hostile masculinities among working-class and lower-class men in Our Lady of Alice Bhatti and the clash between urban middle-class and elite Pakistani masculinities in Moth Smoke. The final two chapters reach beyond the geographic borders of the nation to focus on the depiction of the impact of honour culture, male entitlement, and racial marginalisation on diasporic Pakistani masculinities in Maps for Lost Lovers and the impact of global and political shifts on hegemonic masculine ideals and transnational business masculinity in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. This research maps a range of representations of the diversity, complexity, and unequal power dynamics of Pakistani masculinities. This study also explores the formation and representations of female identity and femininities in negotiations with masculinities in the selected fiction, for example, emphasized femininity in Maps for Lost Lovers, rural femininity in In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, and enlightened femininity in Moth Smoke. Through this study, I hope to widen the critical discourse about gender in relation to Pakistani anglophone fiction and contribute towards an expansion of scholarship seeking to interrogate and interpret Pakistani masculinities.

year: 2022

title: Māori medium children’s views about learning mathematics: possibilities for future directions

authors: Hāwera, Ngārewa

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: Pre-European traditional Māori education in New Zealand was integrated and holistic. With Western influence many Maori children struggled to achieve at school. Māori medium education based on retaining Māori values, language and culture therefore emerged to provide an alternative avenue for education. A key element in this initiative is to increase children’s engagement with, and learning of, mathematics. Views from 61 Year 5-8 children in Māori medium contexts have been sought to provide insights about their mathematics education. This paper discusses some of these views and raises possibilities for future directions to support the momentum of this positive initiative.

text: Māori medium children’s views about learning mathematics: possibilities for future directions Pre-European traditional Māori education in New Zealand was integrated and holistic. With Western influence many Maori children struggled to achieve at school. Māori medium education based on retaining Māori values, language and culture therefore emerged to provide an alternative avenue for education. A key element in this initiative is to increase children’s engagement with, and learning of, mathematics. Views from 61 Year 5-8 children in Māori medium contexts have been sought to provide insights about their mathematics education. This paper discusses some of these views and raises possibilities for future directions to support the momentum of this positive initiative.

year: 2011