title: Biology of common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) populations in the Tarawera and Rangitaiki Rivers: Reproductive isolation by inland distance or effluent discharges?

authors: Bleackley, Natalie Anne

subjects: Gobiomorphus cotidianus

abstract: Previous research identified distinct genetic, life-history and reproductive differences between populations of common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) upstream and downstream of a pulp and paper mill outfall on the Tarawera River in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. This thesis sought to investigate the distribution of amphidromous and non-amphidromous common bully in the Tarawera River by examining fish collected from upstream (37 km inland) and downstream (20 km inland) locations and comparing them to fish from similar inland locations (40 km and 17 km inland, respectively) in the nearby Rangitaiki River. Otolith microchemistry revealed life-history differences between upstream and downstream populations and stable isotope analysis ensured long-term site residency. Amphidromy dominated in the downstream river populations, while the disappearance of diadromous fish generally occurred with inland distance. A mixture of diadromous and non-diadromous fish were found in the upstream Rangitaiki, while a complete absence of diadromous recruits was found in the upstream Tarawera River. A reduction in oculoscapular canal structures also coincided with loss of diadromy in fish from both rivers. Temporal reproductive divergence was investigated through track annual trends in gonadosomatic index.

The Tarawera River receives significant inputs from numerous industrial, municipal and natural sources, most notably from two pulp and paper mills. In the absence physical barriers in the Tarawera, it has been hypothesised that the lack of diadromous recruits in the upstream Tarawera River may be related to aquatic discharges in the downstream river. A behavioural study was performed to examine the hypothesis that pulp and paper mill effluent may be acting as a chemical barrier to fish migration within the river. A dual-choice chamber was employed to examine the responses of common bully exposed to a range of effluent concentrations (100, 50, 25, 12.5, 0% v/v). Fish exhibited significant avoidance responses when exposed to 100 and 50% effluent concentration, while no avoidance was observed at effluent concentrations below 50% This study demonstrated that common bully show a strong preference for river water when simultaneously exposed to effluent, albeit at environmentally unrealistic concentrations (i.e. greater than 15%), implicating potential for this effluent to act as a chemical barrier in the Tarawera River.
Following the establishment of reproductive timing of common bully in the Tarawera River, a wild fish health assessment was undertaken to investigate the effects of long-term effluent exposure in situ. Adult common bully were sampled downstream of the mill influence and compared to an appropriate reference population from the downstream Rangitaiki River. Male and female fish from the Tarawera River demonstrated 6- to 9-fold greater ethoxyresorufin-O¬-deethylase (EROD) activity compared to reference fish, indicating exposure to organic contaminants in this river. Tarawera females showed some minor variation in hematological variables including decreased mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) and increased total white blood cell count (WBCC) suggestive of an immune response. Slightly greater ovarian follicular steroid production in Tarawera fish potentially indicates some form of endocrine alteration. However, this response may also be related to differences in reproductive synchrony and gonadal development between the two fish populations.

text: Biology of common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) populations in the Tarawera and Rangitaiki Rivers: Reproductive isolation by inland distance or effluent discharges? Previous research identified distinct genetic, life-history and reproductive differences between populations of common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) upstream and downstream of a pulp and paper mill outfall on the Tarawera River in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. This thesis sought to investigate the distribution of amphidromous and non-amphidromous common bully in the Tarawera River by examining fish collected from upstream (37 km inland) and downstream (20 km inland) locations and comparing them to fish from similar inland locations (40 km and 17 km inland, respectively) in the nearby Rangitaiki River. Otolith microchemistry revealed life-history differences between upstream and downstream populations and stable isotope analysis ensured long-term site residency. Amphidromy dominated in the downstream river populations, while the disappearance of diadromous fish generally occurred with inland distance. A mixture of diadromous and non-diadromous fish were found in the upstream Rangitaiki, while a complete absence of diadromous recruits was found in the upstream Tarawera River. A reduction in oculoscapular canal structures also coincided with loss of diadromy in fish from both rivers. Temporal reproductive divergence was investigated through track annual trends in gonadosomatic index.

The Tarawera River receives significant inputs from numerous industrial, municipal and natural sources, most notably from two pulp and paper mills. In the absence physical barriers in the Tarawera, it has been hypothesised that the lack of diadromous recruits in the upstream Tarawera River may be related to aquatic discharges in the downstream river. A behavioural study was performed to examine the hypothesis that pulp and paper mill effluent may be acting as a chemical barrier to fish migration within the river. A dual-choice chamber was employed to examine the responses of common bully exposed to a range of effluent concentrations (100, 50, 25, 12.5, 0% v/v). Fish exhibited significant avoidance responses when exposed to 100 and 50% effluent concentration, while no avoidance was observed at effluent concentrations below 50% This study demonstrated that common bully show a strong preference for river water when simultaneously exposed to effluent, albeit at environmentally unrealistic concentrations (i.e. greater than 15%), implicating potential for this effluent to act as a chemical barrier in the Tarawera River.
Following the establishment of reproductive timing of common bully in the Tarawera River, a wild fish health assessment was undertaken to investigate the effects of long-term effluent exposure in situ. Adult common bully were sampled downstream of the mill influence and compared to an appropriate reference population from the downstream Rangitaiki River. Male and female fish from the Tarawera River demonstrated 6- to 9-fold greater ethoxyresorufin-O¬-deethylase (EROD) activity compared to reference fish, indicating exposure to organic contaminants in this river. Tarawera females showed some minor variation in hematological variables including decreased mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) and increased total white blood cell count (WBCC) suggestive of an immune response. Slightly greater ovarian follicular steroid production in Tarawera fish potentially indicates some form of endocrine alteration. However, this response may also be related to differences in reproductive synchrony and gonadal development between the two fish populations.

year: 2008

title: Running shoe recommendations based on gait analysis improve perceptions of comfort, performance and injury risk: A single-blind randomised crossover trial

authors: Fife, Andrew

subjects: deception

abstract: Objectives: We examined how shoe recommendation based on gait analysis influences subjective perceptions of comfort, performance and injury reduction in runners while monitoring spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters.

Design: Single-blind crossover randomised controlled trial with repeated measures. 

Method: Twenty-one women runners completed a clinical gait analysis and four 5-min treadmill trials at a self-selected comfortable speed sequentially in their own shoes (OS), the first experimental shoes (randomised), their OS, and the second experimental shoes (randomised). The two experimental shoes were identical except for their colour (randomised) and were presented to runners as either a ‘basic’ shoe or, deceptively, a ‘gait-matched’ shoe selected for them based on the clinical gait analysis conducted. 

Results: Running Comfort Assessment Tool (RUN-CAT) scores and 100 mm visual analogue scale ratings of subjective comfort, performance and injury reduction differed significantly between own and experimental shoes (p < 0.001). Post-hoc comparisons revealed that runners’ OS were the most comfortable (83.3 ± 3.8 mm) followed by gait-matched (66.1 ± 21.5 mm) and then basic (49.0 ± 24.1 mm) shoes. RUN-CAT, performance and injury reduction ratings were similar between own and gait-matched shoes, but gait-matched shoes had better mean difference (95% confidence intervals), RUN-CAT (15.6 mm [5.7, 25.5]), performance (17.1 mm [5.6, 28.6]) and injury reduction (30.1 mm [8.9, 51.2]) scores than the basic shoes. Discrete spatiotemporal, foot strike angle and resultant tibial acceleration parameters were not significantly different between shoes (p ≥ 0.157). Most runners overall preferred their OS (71.4%), followed by gait-matched (23.8%) and basic (4.8%) shoes. 

Conclusions: Shoe recommendation and description can significantly affect subjective shoe comfort and overall preferences without significantly altering spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters. Runners should be cautious while choosing shoes based on recommendations and descriptors derived from gait analysis or based solely on perceived comfort as runners’ subjective perceptions can be artificially manipulated.

text: Running shoe recommendations based on gait analysis improve perceptions of comfort, performance and injury risk: A single-blind randomised crossover trial Objectives: We examined how shoe recommendation based on gait analysis influences subjective perceptions of comfort, performance and injury reduction in runners while monitoring spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters.

Design: Single-blind crossover randomised controlled trial with repeated measures. 

Method: Twenty-one women runners completed a clinical gait analysis and four 5-min treadmill trials at a self-selected comfortable speed sequentially in their own shoes (OS), the first experimental shoes (randomised), their OS, and the second experimental shoes (randomised). The two experimental shoes were identical except for their colour (randomised) and were presented to runners as either a ‘basic’ shoe or, deceptively, a ‘gait-matched’ shoe selected for them based on the clinical gait analysis conducted. 

Results: Running Comfort Assessment Tool (RUN-CAT) scores and 100 mm visual analogue scale ratings of subjective comfort, performance and injury reduction differed significantly between own and experimental shoes (p < 0.001). Post-hoc comparisons revealed that runners’ OS were the most comfortable (83.3 ± 3.8 mm) followed by gait-matched (66.1 ± 21.5 mm) and then basic (49.0 ± 24.1 mm) shoes. RUN-CAT, performance and injury reduction ratings were similar between own and gait-matched shoes, but gait-matched shoes had better mean difference (95% confidence intervals), RUN-CAT (15.6 mm [5.7, 25.5]), performance (17.1 mm [5.6, 28.6]) and injury reduction (30.1 mm [8.9, 51.2]) scores than the basic shoes. Discrete spatiotemporal, foot strike angle and resultant tibial acceleration parameters were not significantly different between shoes (p ≥ 0.157). Most runners overall preferred their OS (71.4%), followed by gait-matched (23.8%) and basic (4.8%) shoes. 

Conclusions: Shoe recommendation and description can significantly affect subjective shoe comfort and overall preferences without significantly altering spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters. Runners should be cautious while choosing shoes based on recommendations and descriptors derived from gait analysis or based solely on perceived comfort as runners’ subjective perceptions can be artificially manipulated.

year: 2025

title: Stemming the colonial environmental tide – Ecosystem-based management and shared Crown-Māori co-governance for sustaining our marine coastal estate in Aotearoa New Zealand – Summary report

authors: Joseph, Robert

subjects: Co-governance and ecosystem-based management, shared Crown-Maori governance jurisdiction over the coastal marine estate, ecosystem-based management

abstract: This summary report was prepared by Dr Robert Joseph from Te Mata Hautū Taketake – the Māori and Indigenous Governance Centre, Te Piringa Faculty of Law at the University of Waikato for the National Science Challenge Sustainable Seas Ko Ngā Moana Whakauka Project.

text: Stemming the colonial environmental tide – Ecosystem-based management and shared Crown-Māori co-governance for sustaining our marine coastal estate in Aotearoa New Zealand – Summary report This summary report was prepared by Dr Robert Joseph from Te Mata Hautū Taketake – the Māori and Indigenous Governance Centre, Te Piringa Faculty of Law at the University of Waikato for the National Science Challenge Sustainable Seas Ko Ngā Moana Whakauka Project.

year: 2023-12