title: Bioerosion on shore platforms developed in the Waitemata Formation, Auckland

authors: Healy, Terry R.

subjects: Auckland

abstract: Bioerosion - the removal of lithic substrate by the erosive activities of living organisms- has not previously been discussed for New Zealand shore platforms. This paper aims at drawing attention to bioerosion as a process active in shore platform development. Detailed reference is made to bioerosion occurring on the alternating sandstones and siltstones of the Waitemata Formation found outcropping on the coastline around Auckland. In this area several facets of shore platform morphology may be attributed to the direct effects of boring and browsing marine organisms. A classification of animals causing bioerosion, based on mechanism of erosion, is presented, and the geomorphic significance of the various groups discussed.

text: Bioerosion on shore platforms developed in the Waitemata Formation, Auckland Bioerosion - the removal of lithic substrate by the erosive activities of living organisms- has not previously been discussed for New Zealand shore platforms. This paper aims at drawing attention to bioerosion as a process active in shore platform development. Detailed reference is made to bioerosion occurring on the alternating sandstones and siltstones of the Waitemata Formation found outcropping on the coastline around Auckland. In this area several facets of shore platform morphology may be attributed to the direct effects of boring and browsing marine organisms. A classification of animals causing bioerosion, based on mechanism of erosion, is presented, and the geomorphic significance of the various groups discussed.

year: 1968

title: Environmental and biogeographical drivers of the Leptospermum scoparium (mānuka) phyllosphere microbiome

authors: Noble, Anya Sophia

subjects: phyllosphere

abstract: A substantial body of research exists on the physiology and genetics of Leptospermum scoparium (mānuka); however, the mānuka phyllosphere has not yet been investigated. This research, therefore, provides the first exploration of the bacterial communities comprising the mānuka phyllosphere. In total, 89 samples were collected from five native mānuka forests during the November 2016 – January 2017 mānuka flowering season, and examined alongside spatial, environmental, and host-tree related metadata. Cultivation-independent methods, including DNA extraction and 16S rRNA gene PCR amplicon sequencing analysis, were used to characterise phyllosphere communities. Using a combination of statistical tests, the BLAST algorithm, and a PICRUSt analysis, a habitat-specific core microbiome comprising members of Acidobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Verrucomicrobia, was present in all samples. Distinct microbial biogeographical patterning was also identified in the mānuka phyllosphere whereby spatially structured gradients in environmental variables, such as temperature and precipitation, correlated with bacterial community structure.  The results from this study provide new insight pertaining to the structure, composition, and driving factors of the bacterial communities of the mānuka phyllosphere and shed light on theories of microbial ecology, such as microbial biogeography and core microbiomes. This research has the potential to open new avenues in both mānuka and microbial ecology fields of investigation within New Zealand.

text: Environmental and biogeographical drivers of the Leptospermum scoparium (mānuka) phyllosphere microbiome A substantial body of research exists on the physiology and genetics of Leptospermum scoparium (mānuka); however, the mānuka phyllosphere has not yet been investigated. This research, therefore, provides the first exploration of the bacterial communities comprising the mānuka phyllosphere. In total, 89 samples were collected from five native mānuka forests during the November 2016 – January 2017 mānuka flowering season, and examined alongside spatial, environmental, and host-tree related metadata. Cultivation-independent methods, including DNA extraction and 16S rRNA gene PCR amplicon sequencing analysis, were used to characterise phyllosphere communities. Using a combination of statistical tests, the BLAST algorithm, and a PICRUSt analysis, a habitat-specific core microbiome comprising members of Acidobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Verrucomicrobia, was present in all samples. Distinct microbial biogeographical patterning was also identified in the mānuka phyllosphere whereby spatially structured gradients in environmental variables, such as temperature and precipitation, correlated with bacterial community structure.  The results from this study provide new insight pertaining to the structure, composition, and driving factors of the bacterial communities of the mānuka phyllosphere and shed light on theories of microbial ecology, such as microbial biogeography and core microbiomes. This research has the potential to open new avenues in both mānuka and microbial ecology fields of investigation within New Zealand.

year: 2018

title: Kava and Maaori: New drug fashion or re-engagement with 'kawa'? [Invited presentation]

authors: Aporosa, S. 'Apo'

abstract: It is estimated there are more than 20,000 kava users in New Zealand on an average Friday or Saturday night, with increasing interest and uptake of this indigenous drink by Māori. This presentation argues that some of that increased use of kava by Māori can be interpreted as a cultural expression of pre-migration Hawaiki, rather than simply a new interaction with a foreign drug substance.

text: Kava and Maaori: New drug fashion or re-engagement with 'kawa'? [Invited presentation] It is estimated there are more than 20,000 kava users in New Zealand on an average Friday or Saturday night, with increasing interest and uptake of this indigenous drink by Māori. This presentation argues that some of that increased use of kava by Māori can be interpreted as a cultural expression of pre-migration Hawaiki, rather than simply a new interaction with a foreign drug substance.

year: 2016