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The establishment of the New Zealand Institute in 1867 was instrumental in New Zealand ornithology changing from a discipline undertaken by museum curators in Europe, to field-based observations carried out by New Zealand residents. Publication of theTransactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute(TPNZI) from 1869 provided the first readily accessible publishing outlet for local scientists and naturalists, with 74 different authors contributing 313 ornithological papers to TPNZI by the turn of the century. The leading contributors of ornithological papers to TPNZI during the colonial era were Walter Buller and Frederick Hutton. Other heavily cited contributors included Augustus Hamilton, Julius von Haast and Andreas Reischek. Papers on moa (Dinornithiformes) comprised about 36% of ornithological papers published in the first 40 volumes of TPNZI (1869–1908). Other popular topics included papers on single New Zealand bird species (some of which are now extinct), vagrant bird species, accounts of multiple bird species and descriptions of the bird faunas at particular sites. Topics that have had the most enduring legacy (as evident from recent citation rates) were the biogeography of New Zealand birds (including our extinct avifauna, both moa and non-moa), and regional bird accounts, particularly papers describing the avifaunas of outlying island groups. Nine currently accepted bird names first appeared in TPNZI before 1908, most notably Haast’s eagleHarpagornis moorei(nowAquila moorei). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TheJournal of the Royal Society of New Zealandwas at the centre of botanical research in New Zealand, especially over its first 100 years. The major botanical sub-disciplines represented were taxonomy, floristics, morphology and ecology. Most papers were largely descriptive and many had a practical focus, but Leonard Cockayne was unusual in addressing theoretical issues in several papers. Following an outline of botany in the journal, I focus on a Cockayne paper from the 50th volume, 100 years ago, which considered the nature of species and how taxonomists should recognise and name species and varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large language models (LLMs) are powerful decision-making tools widely adopted in healthcare, finance, and transportation. Embracing the opportunities and innovations of LLMs is inevitable. However, LLMs inherit stereotypes, misrepresentations, discrimination, and societies' biases from various sources–including training data, algorithm design, and user interactions–resulting in concerns about equality, diversity, and fairness. The bias problem has triggered increased research towards defining, detecting and quantifying bias and developing debiasing techniques. The predominant focus in tackling the bias problem is skewed towards resource-rich regions such as the US and Europe, resulting in a scarcity of research in other societies. As a small country with a unique history, culture and social composition, there is an opportunity for Aotearoa New Zealand's (NZ) research community to address this inadequacy. This paper presents an experimental evaluation of existing bias metrics and debiasing techniques in the NZ context. Research gaps derived from the study and a literature review are outlined, current and ongoing research in this space are discussed, and the suggested scope of research opportunities for NZ are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems have generated much interest in the literature, due to the potential synergies with existing hydropower reservoirs. This is of particular relevance to Aotearoa New Zealand, where the national grid's heavy reliance on hydro resources has left the country prone to energy shortages during dry years. This paper investigates the potential implications of a 1-gigawatt peak fleet of distributed FPV systems on seven hydro schemes around the country. The results show that an FPV fleet in Aotearoa New Zealand could provide additional electricity generation when the controlled hydropower storage is low. A larger, wider rollout would allow for the reservoirs to replenish after the country's unique winter peak in electricity demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Press Gallery journalists in Aotearoa New Zealand experienced a high level of scrutiny during the March – May 2020 nationwide lockdown. This can be largely attributed to their public role in the COVID-19 daily press briefings that featured the Prime Minister and other government officials speaking to the public and answering questions from Press Gallery journalists. The daily briefings were livestreamed directly to New Zealanders via television, radio and online media, with some journalists receiving heavy criticism by the public for asking 'aggressive' or 'irresponsible' questions. This paper explores the Press Gallery's perception of their journalistic role during the March-May 2020 daily briefings. Drawing upon semi-structured interviews with fourteen Press Gallery journalists, I find they perceived their journalistic roles at the daily briefings to be: 1) holding government decisions to account; 2) disseminating public information and educating audiences on public health issues and measures; 3) producing news or undertaking newsgathering practices. I discuss how the Press Gallery's perceived role(s) placed them in tension with audiences and complicates existing scholarly understanding of journalistic roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of information technology during the COVID-19 pandemic raises significant questions around the protection of personal data in a disaster. This paper considers how the clear benefits of using and sharing such data in disaster scenarios can be achieved while recognising an individual's right to privacy through examining the experiences of Taiwan and New Zealand. These states represent two successful COVID-19 response strategies which utilised different approaches to the use of technology. In Taiwan, the response made significant use of personal data and information technology. New Zealand, by contrast, has relied upon stringent lockdowns and extreme limits upon personal freedoms. The paper considers the different approaches to data and privacy that underpinned these responses and considers whether New Zealand can learn from the Taiwanese experience in future disaster planning. In doing so, the paper concludes by examining the wider question of when and if the community's expectation of a safe environment should trump the rights of individuals to retain personal data both in the context of pandemics and in other emergency or disaster scenarios. It also raises deeper questions, exposed by the COVID-19 response, about whether our current approach to privacy is sustainable in the digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unpublishedGlossarium Botanicum: Novae Zelandiae, begun in 1838 by William Colenso, is the oldest extant manuscript by a resident New Zealand botanist. It was begun at a time when theFlorae Insularum Novae Zelandiae Precursorof Allan Cunningham was in the process of being published, and when Cunningham and Colenso were botanising together in Northland. This article discusses the relationships between Colenso’s and Cunningham’s works. It is argued that Colenso modelled the manuscript on a notebook which Cunningham had with him in 1838, adding more information in 1841 when he obtained a copy of Cunningham’s paper. Material from Colenso’s East Coast journey was added either in 1842 or possibly later. An appendix identifies previously unrecorded Colenso localities from theGlossarium. A second appendix identifies approximate dates for the various published papers resulting from his East Coast journey. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Against a backdrop of increasing pollen allergy prevalence, this paper reviews the current state of knowledge of allergenic pollen loading in New Zealand. An unavoidable conclusion is that relevant available datasets are fragmentary, incomplete and out-of-date, with the last nationwide survey conducted >30 years ago. In contrast, many other developed regions continue to provide routine, standardised pollen reporting and forecasting to assist with the management and treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis and related diseases, which affect a large proportion of the population. The data also inform wider research including investigating allergic rhinitis co-association with other health issues and monitoring and projecting the impacts of climate change on pollen production and dispersal; fundamental biological processes that underpin most life on Earth. New Zealand is lagging well behind other regions in realising these benefits by failing to implement a programme of routine aeroallergen monitoring at major population centres. The data generated would also help to answer some pressing questions in relation to respiratory disorder in New Zealand and in particular whether the timing and severity of key pollen allergens are changing and new sources are establishing as a result of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorology has been defined by its struggles to assemble systems to measure and inscribe the atmosphere as a three dimensional volume. This short communication examines the aerological observations made at the Apia Observatory in Western Samoa during the early 1920s. It focuses on the largely unknown work of the meteorologist Andrew Thomson. In sketching his work with weather balloons the paper argues that we need to take greater account of the non-human actors and materials enrolled to make scientific work possible, and of the largely invisible work of creating and maintaining the heterogeneous relationships between scientists and the other actors enrolled in the practice of science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tony Whitaker grew up in Pinehaven, north of Wellington, New Zealand. He soon became interested in natural history, with interests centred on lizard ecology. Newly developed nocturnal, mark–recapture and quadrat survey techniques enabled density and niche segregation studies, resulting in numerous scientific publications throughout his life. From 1966 to 1977 he worked as an ecologist at the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR). His surveys of islands off northern New Zealand led to an important study of the impact of kiore (Polynesian rat;Rattus exulans) on lizard populations, showing that rat eradication was necessary for conservation. At DSIR he also researched birds and mammals. Later, Tony and his wife Viv established a farm near Motueka and began mainland studies of lizards, contracted to mining companies or the New Zealand Wildlife Service/Department of Conservation. Having built up a well-documented collection of New Zealand lizards (now at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa), Tony then contributed to a bibliography, atlas and field guide. During the period when the taxonomy of lizards was revolutionised by the use of molecular techniques, Tony provided specimens, guidance and encouragement to many herpetologists. From 2000, his interests turned to the little-known and threatened lizards of New Caledonia, on which he contributed to 13 major papers. His life and work are here described under thematic, rather than strictly chronological, headings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1859 field diaries of Ferdinand von Hochstetter (1829–1884) include raw data from a compass survey of Lake Rotomahana. The azimuth array is reverse engineered to identify Hochstetter’s survey baseline. Survey iterations are performed to reconstruct the historic Lake Rotomahana over today’s topographic map. Hochstetter’s papers include a method-of-squares survey map of Lake Rotomahana, providing scale and orientation to the reverse engineered projection. The forensic cartography delivers control points which enabled the authors to georeference Hochstetter’s survey map over the new Lake Rotomahana map. Black Terrace Crater and Te Ariki datum are derived. Validation by waterways, valleys and vegetation lines is undertaken, a biological bathymetry completed and three-point resection performed on the key survey station. The cartography shows the Pink, Black and White Terrace spring locations, Te Otukapuarangi, Te Ngāwhā a Te Tuhi and Te Tarata lie buried on land. From novel lake altimetry the plotted terrace spring locations lie buried 10–15 m. A full archaeological site investigation including imaging and core drilling is indicated to examine the three terrace locations. Excavation on one or more of the Pink, Black and White Terrace sites may then be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A cluster of four large earthquakes in October 1848 caused extensive damage to the fledgling settlement of Wellington, New Zealand. The specifics and extent of earthquake damage to brick, clay and wooden buildings were ascertained from two surveys and recommendations made regarding future preferential construction of buildings using wood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although not a palaeontologist himself, Walter Baldock Durrant Mantell’s enduring contribution to the conduct of New Zealand colonial science was his collecting of fossil moa bones, which were sent to London for Richard Owen to catalogue. In a similar catalytic way, his administration of the Colonial Museum and the New Zealand Institute enabled others, especially James Hector, to devote more of their time to science. Recent emphasis on WBD Mantell’s negotiations to purchase land in the South Island from Māori tribes and on his political career (Evison HC. 2010.New Zealand racism in the making: the life and times of Walter Mantell. Lower Hutt: Panuitia Press), largely ignores his contribution to colonial New Zealand science, and particularly to his ‘exertions’ on moas. This short communication, originally presented as a poster at the ‘Finding New Zealand’s scientific heritage’ conference, attempts to redress the balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When Ernest Rutherford left New Zealand in 1895, he was a highly skilled researcher with three degrees from the University of New Zealand and with two years of research at the forefront of the electrical technology of the day. The fourth child and second son of a family of 12, of whom three of his younger brothers died young, he had a standard rural upbringing. Both parents supported his education. He was lucky to have very good country schoolteachers, but his most influential teacher was Canterbury College's Professor Bickerton who guided him into individual research. When Rutherford arrived in England he was the right man in the right place at the right time. This story of his early life and researches in New Zealand explains why he was the right man, covers his family and academic life, explains how, from several occasions during his early life and researches, we may never have heard of Ernest Rutherford, and why England was lucky to get him. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Zealand government has recently announced initiatives and aspirations for greater public engagement in science. In this paper, we explore how these initiatives and aspirations might be implemented and achieved in practice. We propose a vision for the future in which scientists, science communicators and science policy are informed by theory, and theoreticians are informed by science communication practice. In addition, we propose tangible mechanisms to catalyse opportunities for new, accessible and important national conversations related to science and technology in Aotearoa/New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When Captain James Cook's bark the Endeavour arrived in Tūranga-nui in October 1769, the local people were mystified. Many thought that this spectre had appeared from te pō, the dark realm of ancestors. Cook's scientific expedition, sponsored by the Royal Society, was accompanied by Tupaia, a high priest from Ra'iatea. Tupaia joined the ship in Tahiti, where Cook and his companions had observed the transit of Venus. At Tūranga, misunderstandings led to shootings, but when they arrived at Uawa (now Tolaga Bay), the expedition was welcomed ashore. Tupaia and his companions had many friendly exchanges with the priests from Te Rāwheoro, the local whare wānanga or school of learning, which specialised in carving and tattoo. This paper examines differences and resonances between Enlightenment science and philosophy and wānanga (Māori ancestral knowledge), and how exchanges between these knowledge traditions might open up possibilities for new kinds of futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern human origins have been securely located in Africa. Human migrations out of Africa began approximately 65,000 years ago and ended with the settlement of Aotearoa/New Zealand only about 750 years ago. Researchers have used mitochondrial DNA and other molecular markers to track these migration pathways. This paper describes the archaeological, historic and mitochondrial DNA evidence tracking the history of the longest human migration, that from Africa to Aotearoa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports two fossil fishes, most probably of the genus Prototroctes, from a mid-Pleistocene lake deposit in north-eastern New Zealand. These are the first known fossils of this genus, which is found only in south-eastern Australia and New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on spiders (araneology) in New Zealand has a 180-year history that began just before the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. Initially, specimens were collected and taken back to Europe to be described, but from 1857, studies began to be conducted in New Zealand. The first study published in New Zealand occurred in 1870 and research increased quickly, but waned between the world wars. After World War II, research output increased rapidly, with New Zealand’s fauna and researchers rising to worldwide prominence. Research in the 21st century continues to gain momentum, utilising modern technologies and diversifying across biological disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay on North Island geology by J. Coutts Crawford (1817–1889) was published in the first issue ofTransactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institutein 1868. Regional geological studies of New Zealand at that time were few. However, Crawford’s outline of the geology of the North Island is creditably accurate, with the distribution of rock types and rock ages broadly correct. Although he lacked formal scientific training, Crawford was a valued and influential member of the Wellington science scene in the 1860s and 1870s, and played an active role in the early years of the New Zealand Institute/Royal Society of New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R. W. (Dick) Willett was director of the New Zealand Geological Survey (NZGS) from 1956 to 1967, when he initiated an ambitious project to publish a new national geological map at a scale of 1:250,000 (the Four Mile project). It was completed within a decade, and subsequently used as a model by overseas geological surveys. In 1967 he was appointed assistant director-general of DSIR and subsequently served as the president of the Royal Society of New Zealand from 1970 to 1974. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hans Heinrich Suter-Naef (1841–1918) arrived in New Zealand from Switzerland with his wife Ida and seven children on New Year’s Eve 1887. He saw New Zealand as a place of scientific opportunity and planned to make a life and a living from his knowledge and expertise in malacology. He made connections with Hutton, Hector, Cheeseman, Colenso and others in an attempt to gain a foothold in the scientific community and find employment to support his family. Suter spent his life in New Zealand balancing the competing demands of warding off poverty and indulging his passion for science. His eventual success was as a result of his many personal attributes, the support of other science workers, and his wife Ida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thomas Cheeseman (1845–1923) was one of New Zealand’s most important botanists and museum administrators in the country’s late colonial period (c. 1875–1914). He had a lengthier career as a working scientist than almost all his peers; served longer than any other of the great New Zealand museum directors of this era; and also built up extensive lines of communication with colleagues both locally and overseas. In contrast, however, to New Zealand’s other great scientific leaders of the day, Cheeseman has not enjoyed the same level of posthumous attention and is yet to be the subject of an extended critical study. This short communication takes a step towards remedying this deficiency by reviewing Cheeseman’s more notable achievements and offering explanations for his remarkable professional longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the hybrid novel and the construction of identity, particularly using Queen of Beauty by Paula Morris as an example. Specifically, the importance of the novel’s use of narrative embedding to the novel’s hybrid structure; the hybrid narrative structure, in turn, is central to Queen of Beauty’s focus on Virginia’s hybrid identity. The hybrid nature of the novel, which is founded on narrative embedding–is critical to the development of the lead character Virginia’s growing awareness of her own hybrid identity. Morris brings together different embedded narratives together in a hybrid form that provides a complex history of Virginia’s Māori and Pākehā family. The structure of the novel provides for the progression of Virginia’s character development and how her hybrid identity is enhanced through the embedded stories that make it up. The embedded forms draw upon both oral storytelling tradition–connected to the idea of whakapapa–and the western frame of reference that places emphasis on written sources, such that both are part of Virginia’s heritage and context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored progress on key indicators of adolescent health and wellbeing among New Zealand secondary school students over the last two decades. We analysed data from comprehensive surveys conducted in 2001, 2007, 2012 and 2019 (n = 9546, 9098, 8487, and 7311, respectively). Schools, and students within schools, were randomly selected. Prevalence estimates and adjusted odds ratios show large reductions in substance use (e.g. prevalence of past-month binge drinking declined from 41.5% to 21.8%), sexual experience (31.6% to 20.6%) and past-month risky driving (58.8% to 37.1%). However, from 2012–2019 there were rapid increases in symptoms of depression (13.0% to 22.8%; RADS-SF), suicide thoughts (15.3% to 20.8%) and suicide attempts (3.9% to 6.3%) and declines in emotional wellbeing (76.0% to 69.1%; WHO-5). Changes in family and school contexts were generally positive or minimal, although the proportion of students whose families worry about money for food increased from 2001 to 2019 (7.2% to 12.5%) and access to health services decreased from 2007 to 2019 (83.5% to 78.2%). This study demonstrates that health status and risks among New Zealand adolescents have changed dramatically over 20 years, with areas of large improvement. However, mental wellbeing requires urgent attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A substantial body of research documents high rates of mental health problems in rainbow communities, however little is known about the experiences of rainbow young people who access mental health support in New Zealand. Here, we present analysis of quantitative survey data from 955 rainbow and takatāpui rangatahi (aged 14–24) collected in collaboration with rainbow community organisations. We find that rainbow rangatahi report mixed experiences in mental health settings and commonly worry about discrimination and lack of knowledge on the part of mental health professionals. We also report significant differences in mental health support experiences based on a range of demographic variables, including gender, intersex status, age, location, and ethnicity. Finally, we consider a range of actions mental health professionals can take to improve service provision, and how these findings can improve the quality of mental health support for Aotearoa's rainbow rangatahi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nineteenth century transits of Venus provided astronomers with the opportunity to use these rare events to calculate the solar parallax, and New Zealand played a vital role. Apart from activities by local astronomers, international expeditions from England, France, Germany and the USA were based in New Zealand for the 1874 transit. Although many observing sites were clouded out on the vital day, New Zealand-based observations contributed to the determination of the solar parallax and led to further local observations during the 1882 transit of Venus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 350 species of New Zealand vascular plants were collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander during Cook's Endeavour voyage in 1769. Although the botanical results of the expedition were never published, the collections provide a vital benchmark for understanding the New Zealand flora. European colonisation resulted in massive changes, with plant introductions from all over the world. Just 240 years after the voyage, the number of naturalised plants exceeds that of natives. The Endeavour collections provide a verifiable record of plants growing in New Zealand before European settlement. These are assumed to be indigenous, except for a few species brought by Polynesian migration. Today the specimens continue to influence taxonomic research, and are admired by herbarium visitors as a tangible connection with Cook's visit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 can affect the entire population, but it poses an increased risk for particular population groups. Socioeconomic and demographic factors, as well as long-term health conditions, can make populations vulnerable to adverse health outcomes and mortality related to COVID-19. This study uses geospatial methods to visualise metrics of vulnerability to COVID-19 in New Zealand. Based on Ministry of Health guidelines, nationwide data on risk factors included age, ethnicity, population density, socioeconomic deprivation, smoking, long-term health conditions (cancer, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, renal conditions, and respiratory illnesses), and health service awareness. Data were sourced from the Census (2018), the New Zealand Deprivation Index (NZDep2018), and the National Minimum Dataset (2011–2016). Factor analysis and bivariate mapping were used to identify areas of high vulnerability. Results demonstrate the unequal social and spatial vulnerabilities to COVID-19 across New Zealand. While some major cities were highlighted many areas also occurred outside of the major cities in smaller communities, which also typically have less access to healthcare and fewer resources. This study has generated data that may help mitigate potential inequality in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, or indeed for future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over forty-nine days of Level 4 and Level 3 lockdown, residents of Aotearoa New Zealand were subject to 'stay home' regulations that restricted physical contact to members of the same social 'bubble'. This article examines their moral decision-making and affective experiences of lockdown, especially when faced with competing responsibilities to adhere to public health regulations, but also to care for themselves or provide support to people outside their bubbles. Our respondents engaged in independent risk assessment, weighing up how best to uphold the 'spirit' of the lockdown even when contravening lockdown regulations; their decisions could, however, lead to acute social rifts. Some respondents – such as those in flatshares and shared childcare arrangements – recounted feeling disempowered from participating in the collective management of risk and responsibility within their bubbles, while essential workers found that anxieties about their workplace exposure to the coronavirus could prevent them from expanding their bubbles in ways they might have liked. The inability to adequately care for oneself or for others thus emerges as a crucial axis of disadvantage, specific to times of lockdown. Policy recommendations regarding lockdown regulations are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand resulted in disruptions to everyday life, including changes in grocery shopping, cooking and eating. This study aimed to capture changes in behaviours and perceptions of grocery shopping and food preparation during the lockdown, and the extent to which dietary patterns changed during this period. Data were collected in an online survey of 3028 adults (89% women, mean age = 44 years, range 18–87 years, the median time in lockdown = 40 days), during Aotearoa New Zealand's lockdown Alert levels 4 (33.4%) and Level 3 (66.6%). Respondents had decreased enjoyment of grocery shopping and increased home cooking and baking from scratch. There was an overall shift toward an unhealthy dietary pattern, with some respondents reporting increased consumption of sweet snacks (41%), salty snacks (33%), alcohol (33%), and sugary drinks (20%) during the lockdown. Age moderated the effect of lockdown for nearly every measure, with adults aged under 50 years the most likely to report adverse changes to their eating behaviours and diet. Future pandemic responses by government and employers should include public health nutrition policies and mitigate the stress for younger adults and those caring for children at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilisation of solar resources has become of utmost importance for the transition of the global, carbon intensive economy. In New Zealand the uptake of solar energy has increased substantially, but the relative contribution to the overall energy mix is still small. Previous research efforts on the solar resource across the country are revisited with improved satellite-modelled data from Solargis to derive a solar atlas for the country. A comparison is made with NIWA data, which shows that the modelled data are at an adequate level of accuracy and improves our understanding of the solar resource at an appropriate spatial and temporal resolution. The solar atlas makes available a commercial satellite data source and informs further investigations into how solar can, and will, play a more meaningful role in our transition to a low carbon future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allopolyploids arise when two or more species hybridise to form an entirely new species with a duplicated genome. Although initially met with an array of potentially catastrophic challenges triggered by the combination of two diverged parental subgenomes within a single cell, countless allopolyploids worldwide demonstrate exceptional biological resilience by not only living under these unique circumstances, but thriving. The archipelago of Aotearoa New Zealand is home to an unexpectedly large number of allopolyploid species, both indigenous and introduced. Here, we review the prevalence and importance of these species from a local perspective. The benefits of allopolyploid species permeate multiple facets of life in New Zealand, from pastoral health and arable crop yield, to long-established viticulture and brewery practices, to the intrinsic nature of the land through the presence of diverse native allopolyploid flora. Consequently, the motivation behind the pursuit of New Zealand's allopolyploid research extends beyond improvement of the global knowledgebase and also aims to drive tangible economic and cultural impacts on the country and the lives of its people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Miocene Manuherikia Group in southern New Zealand is well known for its diverse assemblage of plant, invertebrate and vertebrate fossils. Here, we report the first fossil insects from the Manuherikia Group, comprising three isolated wings recovered from leaf beds in the Dunstan Formation near Cromwell, Otago. One partially preserved tegmen is tentatively assigned to Tropiduchidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea), a family of mainly tropical and subtropical planthoppers that is no longer represented in the New Zealand fauna. The brentine weevil Perroudia manuherikia n. sp. (Coleoptera: Brentidae) is the first fossil record of Brentinae from the Southern Hemisphere, with the sole extant species of Perroudia occurring in New Caledonia. A further wing has the typical venation pattern of Polycentropodidae (Trichoptera), a caddisfly family with two genera in the modern New Zealand fauna. These fossil taxa are reported from the Australasian region for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The locations of the lost Pink and White Terraces of Lake Rotomahana, New Zealand are plotted on today's map by using sightlines in photographs of the terraces before they vanished in the volcanic eruption of 10 June 1886. Evidence is presented that the terraces could not have survived the eruption unmodified, in their original positions, at these locations. These photo sightlines and map plots add valid independent evidence to the debate about the fate of the terraces, and corroborate the finding of the 2011-2014 survey of Lake Rotomahana by GNS Science New Zealand scientists and their collaborators from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA, that the terraces did not survive the eruption intact. Evidence is presented that Dr Ferdinand von Hochstetter's 1860s' maps of Lake Rotomahana cannot be relied upon for accurate bearings and distances between ground features around the lake and terraces, and that, consequently, A. R. Bunn's locations of the terraces derived from the maps are not reliable enough to support his conclusion that at least some of the terraces survived unmodified in their original position, and may be uncovered by excavation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eradication of some introduced pests such as rats, stoats and possums in New Zealand seems increasingly feasible with successful action to date in various cities (e.g. Wellington City) and with the government’s national 2050 predator-free goal. Here we specifically detail the potential benefits of urban rat eradication and find these cover a wide range of topics including a potentially reduced risk of infection from at least seven zoonotic diseases (e.g. leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, trichinellosis, murine typhus; and three enteric diseases). Other potential benefits include: psychological benefits from increased native bird life in cities; reduced damage to food supplies; reduced rat damage to building insulation and to building walls and roofing; and reduced fires in buildings associated with rat damage. However, there is considerable uncertainty on the size of such impacts and so we outline a tentative research agenda as a first step towards quantification of the likely key public health benefits of rat eradication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Zealand Oceanographic Institute (NZOI) laid the foundations for the interactive study of water masses, seabed geology and biota of the Southwest Pacific from 1954 until the demise of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in 1992. It was one of the first multidisciplinary marine sciences organisations outside the US and UK. With its brief extending from the seas around New Zealand’s Island Territories near the equator to its Antarctic Ross Dependency, emphasis was always on understanding processes. James Brodie helped set up NZOI, became its first director and initiated many of the mechanisms for its success using a very flat, interactive management style. Initially, equipment, seagoing facilities and accommodation were primitive, but all improved significantly with the acquisition of a custom-build ship and new laboratories. NZOI’s legacy was a huge resource of knowledge that continues to be used within the marine programmes of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beatrice Hill Tinsley was one of New Zealand’s leading scientists. A theoretical astronomer who lost her life early to melanoma, she is remembered not only for her brilliant intellect but her generous spirit and her teaching ability. This short communication presents a case study comparison of Hill Tinsley’s life experiences, as documented in the two biographiesBright StarandMy Daughter Beatrice, with points raised in the recent publicationWhy Science is Sexist. Through this assessment, it is demonstrated that women in the scientific community today continue to struggle with many of the obstacles that Hill Tinsley faced 40 years ago. A recognition of the pervasiveness of these issues provides a more complete picture of the scale of Hill Tinsley’s achievements, at the same time as enriching the wider narrative of the experiences of women in science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Māori worldview, humans are linked directly to flora and fauna through whakapapa (ancestry). As such, conservation can be expressed, not in terms of preserving ‘otherness’, but in terms of sustaining ‘us-ness’—our very selfhood, and our relationships and interactions with nature. We investigated the shifting discourse on the use of ‘rāhui’ (prohibition, restriction) and conservation-related words in nineteenth century New Zealand using material from the early Māori newspapers (niupepa). Our search revealed numerous uses of ‘rāhui’ but very few uses of ‘kaitiakitanga’ (guardianship, stewardship) or conservation in discussion of resources. The discourse included concerns around legislation, land alienation and land loss, that all impact rangatiratanga (authority, autonomy, chieftainship) and the kincentric relationship with nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collecting and its consequences are investigated by examining the activities of Augustus Hamilton, a Victorian scientist, collector and museum director. The repercussions of his collecting and philosophy affected the objects, makers and owners at the time. But the social life and agency of the objects means that his collecting reverberates in museums and society in complex ways today that enable contemporary reconnections between people, places, things, and the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealand’s international industrially oriented exhibitions also displayed scientific items. Building on their success, nineteenth-century men of science strove to engage audiences through museum displays as well as by writing popular articles and books. This short communication describes how members of Dunedin’s public encountered geology and zoology through these means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the term ‘social licence to operate’ gains more traction in New Zealand, a plethora of meanings and understandings have been attributed to it. Many of these meanings and understandings, however, only tell a partial story that is often only economically beneficial to a particular industry or industry actor. This article surveys academic, industry, government and media writing about social licence across industries in New Zealand over the past 5 years, distilling out key messages, meanings and understandings that are being created and delivered. The article further compares these meanings and understandings to the original intent of the term as well as the meanings being generated from the extensive research on social licence being carried out in Australia and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) is an adaptable European amphibian occupying a range of habitats from low to high elevation within its native range. The Italian subspeciesI. a. apuana, illegally introduced to New Zealand, has established geographically close to habitats of Archey’s frog (Leiopelma archeyi) and Hochstetter’s frog (L. hochstetteri). The newt’s introductions in Europe suggest competitive impacts on local amphibians were not severe, although as a disease and parasite vector its impact may have been underestimated in the past. The most identifiable risk to native frog populations in New Zealand is introduction of new diseases or parasites, although the newt may have wider ecological impact should it substantially invade native frog habitats. Alpine newts need eradicating from New Zealand as soon as possible, while the status of captive-held fire-bellied newts (Cynopsspp.) also requires review, given their disease risk and their potential for release into the wild. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There are currently two medium-large, closely related, endemic New Zealand terebratulide brachiopod species assigned to the Southern Hemisphere genus Terebratella d'Orbigny, 1847. However, recently published molecular analyses reveal that the New Zealand Terebratella are only distantly related to southern South American Terebratella, which contains the type species dorsata, and the New Zealand species must be transferred to another genus. Examination of the convoluted taxonomic history of the species originally described as Terebratula sanguinea by Leach (Leach WE. 1814. The Zoological Miscellany. Volume 1 and Atlas. London: McMillan; p. 144) reveals that only one of several existing generic names, Magasella Dall, 1870, is valid and available. In addition, uncertainty persists concerning whether the two observed morphotypes of Magasella ('sanguinea' and 'haurakiensis') are truly separate species or two forms of a single morphologically variable species. A statistical analysis of the morphological parameters of several hundred specimens was performed with inconclusive results. However, cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) analyses of the two forms of New Zealand Magasella have shown that they can be accepted as separate species: M. sanguinea (Leach, 1814) and M. haurakiensis (Allan, 1931). The two species can be distinguished by their shape, ribbing and colour: M. sanguinea is usually wider than long, strongly ribbed and coloured shades of red while M. haurakiensis is usually longer than wide, faintly ribbed to smooth and coloured pink to orange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing awareness globally of the role lizards play as seed dispersers. In New Zealand, it has been suggested that lizards are effective dispersers, and white–blue fruits and divaricating shrubs are adapted to lizard dispersal. We present new data and review the lizard seed dispersal literature. Lizards eat fruits of at least 23 native species, five of which are divaricating. Birds also eat fruits of divaricating species. Lizards prefer white-blue fruits to red fruits, and eat white–blue-fruited species more frequently than expected given their occurrence in the flora. White–blue fruits are associated with divaricating shrubs and open habitats. Seeds in lizard scats have germination percentages ≤ control seeds in four species tested. Lizards generally disperse seeds < 20 m, but allow seeds to escape parent plants and reach safe establishment sites. Lizards can be important seed dispersers even at reduced densities on the mainland, where they may disperse a larger fraction of seeds than previously assumed. In shrublands lacking frugivorous birds, lizards may be the only remaining dispersers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exotic reptile and amphibian species have the potential to have ecological or economic impacts in New Zealand. Tony Whitaker, the consultant herpetologist for the New Zealand biosecurity agency from 2000 to 2014, was instrumental in developing and maintaining a database of exotic reptiles and amphibians intercepted at the border, completing risk assessments for the exotic herpetofauna species present in the domestic pet trade, and was involved in several compliance investigations for species illegally imported into New Zealand. These key contributions laid the foundation for the development of New Zealand's biosecurity protocols for exotic herpetofauna. Here we provide an overview of Tony's contributions in these three areas and present a detailed summary of the exotic amphibian and reptile species intercepted at the New Zealand border (1852 interceptions involving 2237 individuals from 201 different species). Sea transport routes originating from Australia, southeastern Asia and the Pacific region are the major source of exotic herpetofauna species arriving at New Zealand's borders. Stowaway individuals generally arrive alone, are alive when detected and are intercepted at the border. Lizards, and geckos in particular, constitute the majority of exotic herpetofauna species being accidentally imported into New Zealand. These results suggest that substantially more amphibian and reptile species are being moved around the world via human-assisted dispersal than previously recognised, and that most of these stowaways may be overlooked in other jurisdictions in the world that lack comprehensive biosecurity programmes. The database of exotic amphibian and reptile species will enable a range of future studies on the trade pathways and transport vectors through which they arrive in New Zealand, and the traits associated with successful herpetofauna stowaways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to provide a broad overview of current debates around the safety of bisphenol A (BPA), a commonly used chemical in consumer products, and to argue for greater engagement by the New Zealand government and public with these debates. BPA acts as an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC), a relatively new category of harmful chemicals that pose a challenge to conventional toxicological assessments. There are ongoing debates surrounding BPA's potential to have harmful effects on human health at current doses, and how to evaluate the reliability of conflicting studies. Based on this uncertainty, a number of countries have taken a precautionary approach and regulated BPA. The debate has also moved into the public arena, with strong public opposition to BPA in countries such as the United States of America. The New Zealand government has maintained its position that BPA is safe without fully considering the challenges it may pose as an EDC or additive effects with other EDCs. Based on a preliminary investigation, there does not currently appear to be a high level of public awareness or opposition to BPA in New Zealand. The authors argue that the New Zealand government and the public could benefit from engaging with current debates on BPA's safety. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There has been significant growth worldwide of citizen science projects involving community members collecting environmental data. The following study is based on questionnaire responses from 296 community environmental groups and interviews with 34 project partners (e.g. resource managers and scientists) and examines the use and value of citizen science data in New Zealand. Frequency counts and inductive thematic analysis were used to examine the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Groups reported using their data to support funding applications (63%;n= 151), inform restoration management decision-making (60%;n= 151) and for educational purposes (48%;n= 157). Outcomes such as relationship-building with project partners and increasing environmental knowledge highlighted the transformational nature of groups’ citizen science activities. Although groups reported providing data to project partners (60%;n= 151), concerns were expressed over data quality and a lack of institutional systems for using the data. Project partners, however, proposed novel solutions for enhancing collaboration with groups to produce useful data, underscoring the value they attributed to groups’ citizen science efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A country's science and innovation ecosystem is a function of social, cultural and political histories. Public science systems evolve to meet multiple objectives including the advancement of knowledge, economic growth, workforce development, social and environmental health, and good public policy. Given New Zealand's small size and nature of the economy, we face particular challenges and opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]