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: Is the mental health system in Aotearoa New Zealand providing quality care to young people? A critical analysis utilising the perspectives of mental health professionals and sociological insights.

authors: Haycock , Isobel Grace

subjects: Mental health

abstract: The increasing rate of mental illness among young people, and mental health systems inadequate responses, have been critically analysed within various academic publications and government/ international agency reports. Comparatively, a critical analysis of the systemic issues that contribute to or perpetuate these inadequacies, specifically analysis that utilises sociological perspectives, is lacking within academic literature. This thesis utilises a sociological lens to investigate the challenges present within the Aotearoa New Zealand mental health system, identifying likely systemic causes and presenting alternative approaches that may alleviate some of the challenges. Employing a qualitative, interpretivist approach, 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted with mental health professionals from various clinical disciplines, who currently work within the system in the North Island/Te Ika-a-Māui of Aotearoa New Zealand. Thematic analysis was conducted on the 11 transcripts and 6 themes were identified. The data analysis suggests that, from the perspective of the mental health professionals, many of the current challenges within the system, specifically staffing and funding issues, are linked to operation strategies that focus on efficiency, profit margins, standardization, and individualism, all elements of neoliberalism. Other challenges identified by participants such as the reliance on biomedicine and a crisis management system, which are both approaches that encourage standardisation can also be understood as elements that are conducive with an efficiency focussed neoliberal system. Participants presented alternative approaches that they would like to see implemented in the system, these included therapeutic interventions and structural changes. The alternative approaches draw on relational concepts such as continuous patient-centred care and holism and this may be contrasted with the current standardised and efficiency-focused practices. These findings highlight two differing approaches to mental health care drawing upon contrasting ideologies. Challenges identified by participants suggest that individualist principles are underpinning the current system, whereas a more relational approach underpins the alternative models suggested by participants. Moving forward this research suggests that the mental health system might possibly consider shifting its focus from individualism and neoliberalism and instead incorporate practices that draw on relationality, continuous patient-centred care, and holistic approaches to mental health.

text: Is the mental health system in Aotearoa New Zealand providing quality care to young people? A critical analysis utilising the perspectives of mental health professionals and sociological insights. The increasing rate of mental illness among young people, and mental health systems inadequate responses, have been critically analysed within various academic publications and government/ international agency reports. Comparatively, a critical analysis of the systemic issues that contribute to or perpetuate these inadequacies, specifically analysis that utilises sociological perspectives, is lacking within academic literature. This thesis utilises a sociological lens to investigate the challenges present within the Aotearoa New Zealand mental health system, identifying likely systemic causes and presenting alternative approaches that may alleviate some of the challenges. Employing a qualitative, interpretivist approach, 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted with mental health professionals from various clinical disciplines, who currently work within the system in the North Island/Te Ika-a-Māui of Aotearoa New Zealand. Thematic analysis was conducted on the 11 transcripts and 6 themes were identified. The data analysis suggests that, from the perspective of the mental health professionals, many of the current challenges within the system, specifically staffing and funding issues, are linked to operation strategies that focus on efficiency, profit margins, standardization, and individualism, all elements of neoliberalism. Other challenges identified by participants such as the reliance on biomedicine and a crisis management system, which are both approaches that encourage standardisation can also be understood as elements that are conducive with an efficiency focussed neoliberal system. Participants presented alternative approaches that they would like to see implemented in the system, these included therapeutic interventions and structural changes. The alternative approaches draw on relational concepts such as continuous patient-centred care and holism and this may be contrasted with the current standardised and efficiency-focused practices. These findings highlight two differing approaches to mental health care drawing upon contrasting ideologies. Challenges identified by participants suggest that individualist principles are underpinning the current system, whereas a more relational approach underpins the alternative models suggested by participants. Moving forward this research suggests that the mental health system might possibly consider shifting its focus from individualism and neoliberalism and instead incorporate practices that draw on relationality, continuous patient-centred care, and holistic approaches to mental health.

year: 2024

title: Delivering the Maori-language newspapers on the Internet

authors: Apperley, Mark

subjects: computer science

abstract: Although any collection of historical newspapers provides a particularly rich and valuable record of events and social and political commentary, the content tends to be difficult to access and extremely time-consuming to browse or search. The advent of digital libraries has meant that for electronically stored text, full-text searching is now a tool readily available for researchers, or indeed anyone wishing to have asscess to specific information in text. Text in this form can be readily distributed via CD-ROM or the Internet, with a significant impact on accessibility over traditional microfiche or hard-copy distribution. For the majority of text being generated de nouveau, availability in electronic form is standard, and hence the increasing use of full-text search facilities. However, for legacy text available only in printed form, the provision of these electronic search tools is dependent on the prior electronic capture of digital facsimile images of the printed text, followed by the conversion of these images to electronic text through the process of optical character recognition (OCR). This article describes a project undertaken at the University of Waikato over the period 1999 to 2001 to produce a full-text searchable version of the Niupepa or Maori- language newspaper collection for delivery over the Internet.

text: Delivering the Maori-language newspapers on the Internet Although any collection of historical newspapers provides a particularly rich and valuable record of events and social and political commentary, the content tends to be difficult to access and extremely time-consuming to browse or search. The advent of digital libraries has meant that for electronically stored text, full-text searching is now a tool readily available for researchers, or indeed anyone wishing to have asscess to specific information in text. Text in this form can be readily distributed via CD-ROM or the Internet, with a significant impact on accessibility over traditional microfiche or hard-copy distribution. For the majority of text being generated de nouveau, availability in electronic form is standard, and hence the increasing use of full-text search facilities. However, for legacy text available only in printed form, the provision of these electronic search tools is dependent on the prior electronic capture of digital facsimile images of the printed text, followed by the conversion of these images to electronic text through the process of optical character recognition (OCR). This article describes a project undertaken at the University of Waikato over the period 1999 to 2001 to produce a full-text searchable version of the Niupepa or Maori- language newspaper collection for delivery over the Internet.

year: 2002