title: Optimising nutrient and light regimes for hatchery cultivation of the kelp Ecklonia radiata

authors: Linzmeier, Juliet

abstract: Seaweed is a versatile and renewable resource with applications ranging from food and medicine to biodegradable materials and beyond. While land crops have long been domesticated, ocean farming of macroalgae like Ecklonia radiata has only recently developed. This common New Zealand brown seaweed holds commercial promise, but localised species-specific cultivation methods are essential for success. This study aimed to optimise hatchery conditions for Ecklonia radiata by testing nutrient and light regimes. Two laboratory experiments assessed full-strength (20 mL PES L⁻¹) and double-strength treatments showed no significant differences, while the quarter-strength nutrients resulted in poor growth. High-intensity hatchery lighting (exceeding 100 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ for extended periods) reduced sporophyte length and density, whereas 70% outplanting shade level yielded the best early growth. Based on these findings, it is recommended to use full-strength nutrient dosing (20 mL PES L⁻¹; 18.85 mg N L⁻¹, 0.81 mg P L⁻¹) once weekly, combined with gradually increasing light from 30 to 100 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹. During outplanting, light stress should be minimised, with deployment at 2-3 m depth during autumn months to promote establishment. These findings reinforce current hatchery protocols and support the scalable integration of Ecklonia radiata into New Zealand’s emerging seaweed industry.

text: Optimising nutrient and light regimes for hatchery cultivation of the kelp Ecklonia radiata Seaweed is a versatile and renewable resource with applications ranging from food and medicine to biodegradable materials and beyond. While land crops have long been domesticated, ocean farming of macroalgae like Ecklonia radiata has only recently developed. This common New Zealand brown seaweed holds commercial promise, but localised species-specific cultivation methods are essential for success. This study aimed to optimise hatchery conditions for Ecklonia radiata by testing nutrient and light regimes. Two laboratory experiments assessed full-strength (20 mL PES L⁻¹) and double-strength treatments showed no significant differences, while the quarter-strength nutrients resulted in poor growth. High-intensity hatchery lighting (exceeding 100 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ for extended periods) reduced sporophyte length and density, whereas 70% outplanting shade level yielded the best early growth. Based on these findings, it is recommended to use full-strength nutrient dosing (20 mL PES L⁻¹; 18.85 mg N L⁻¹, 0.81 mg P L⁻¹) once weekly, combined with gradually increasing light from 30 to 100 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹. During outplanting, light stress should be minimised, with deployment at 2-3 m depth during autumn months to promote establishment. These findings reinforce current hatchery protocols and support the scalable integration of Ecklonia radiata into New Zealand’s emerging seaweed industry.

year: 2025

title: Off-line signature verification

authors: Larkins, Robert L.

subjects: off-line signature verification

abstract: In today’s society signatures are the most accepted form of identity verification. However, they have the unfortunate side-effect of being easily abused by those who would feign the identification or intent of an individual. This thesis implements and tests current approaches to off-line signature verification with the goal of determining the most beneficial techniques that are available. This investigation will also introduce novel techniques that are shown to significantly boost the achieved classification accuracy for both person-dependent (one-class training) and person-independent (two-class training) signature verification learning strategies. The findings presented in this thesis show that many common techniques do not always give any significant advantage and in some cases they actually detract from the classification accuracy. Using the techniques that are proven to be most beneficial, an effective approach to signature verification is constructed, which achieves approximately 90% and 91% on the standard CEDAR and GPDS signature datasets respectively. These results are significantly better than the majority of results that have been previously published. Additionally, this approach is shown to remain relatively stable when a minimal number of training signatures are used, representing feasibility for real-world situations.

text: Off-line signature verification In today’s society signatures are the most accepted form of identity verification. However, they have the unfortunate side-effect of being easily abused by those who would feign the identification or intent of an individual. This thesis implements and tests current approaches to off-line signature verification with the goal of determining the most beneficial techniques that are available. This investigation will also introduce novel techniques that are shown to significantly boost the achieved classification accuracy for both person-dependent (one-class training) and person-independent (two-class training) signature verification learning strategies. The findings presented in this thesis show that many common techniques do not always give any significant advantage and in some cases they actually detract from the classification accuracy. Using the techniques that are proven to be most beneficial, an effective approach to signature verification is constructed, which achieves approximately 90% and 91% on the standard CEDAR and GPDS signature datasets respectively. These results are significantly better than the majority of results that have been previously published. Additionally, this approach is shown to remain relatively stable when a minimal number of training signatures are used, representing feasibility for real-world situations.

year: 2009

title: A Maori and Psychology Research Unit

authors: Nikora, Linda Waimarie

subjects: Maori

abstract: Little psychological information and few applications have been informed by Maori centred research. The psychological research base available to support prevention or change strategies aimed at Maori is almost non-existent. Most information and applications are imported from outside of Aotearoa/New Zealand and are seldom subjected to vetting procedures to ensure adequacy and appropriateness. Even though numbers have changed slightly in the last 10 years, there are still too few Maori in the professional ranks of psychology, both as practitioners, teachers and researchers. More of everything is needed, and it was needed yesterday. At the University of Waikato, staff of the Psychology Department have recognised the need to support positive changes to rectify that situation described above.

This paper describes the fledgling development of a Maori and Psychology Research Unit and how it is intended to promote Maori centred-research, Maori-partnership research, and the scholarly development of Maori professionals. The first section deals with issues and challenges the MPRU expects to face in its development and is written by the first author. The second section describes the nature of learning and support that the MPRU will afford to a new generation of Maori researchers and scholars within the discipline of psychology. This section is written by the second author.

text: A Maori and Psychology Research Unit Little psychological information and few applications have been informed by Maori centred research. The psychological research base available to support prevention or change strategies aimed at Maori is almost non-existent. Most information and applications are imported from outside of Aotearoa/New Zealand and are seldom subjected to vetting procedures to ensure adequacy and appropriateness. Even though numbers have changed slightly in the last 10 years, there are still too few Maori in the professional ranks of psychology, both as practitioners, teachers and researchers. More of everything is needed, and it was needed yesterday. At the University of Waikato, staff of the Psychology Department have recognised the need to support positive changes to rectify that situation described above.

This paper describes the fledgling development of a Maori and Psychology Research Unit and how it is intended to promote Maori centred-research, Maori-partnership research, and the scholarly development of Maori professionals. The first section deals with issues and challenges the MPRU expects to face in its development and is written by the first author. The second section describes the nature of learning and support that the MPRU will afford to a new generation of Maori researchers and scholars within the discipline of psychology. This section is written by the second author.

year: 1998-07-01