Restoring the kelp forests of Tutukaka Harbour. 

A Community-based, Collaborative Regeneration and Research Project 

We are excited to announce the launch of the Tutukaka Harbour Kelp regeneration project. Click here to learn more and support this project. The aim of this project is to support the kaitiakitanga of mana whenua/mana moana in restoring the mauri of the harbour by “re-seeding” denuded areas of the harbour that were once flourishing and vibrant kelp forests. An important goal of this collaborative project is the setting up of a community-based marine laboratory/education facility in Church Bay for the propagation of the kelp seedlings and other marine-focused regenerative activities. We are extremely grateful to Rachel Wellington and whanau for hosting the lab on their whanau land in Church Bay.

The project is being overseen by a hau kāinga steering group who are directly involved in the entire process including, initial ecological assessments, site selection, kelp propagation, deployment and ongoing monitoring. The lead organization for the project is Te Wairua o te Moananui – Ocean Spirit Charitable Trust and the project is supported by researchers from Massey University’s School of Natural & Computational Sciences, who are providing expert knowledge and support in the propagation, deployment and monitoring of the kelp. 

We will be holding a public presentation about this exciting project on the 11^th December at 7pm, upstairs at the Marina office in Tutukaka, all welcome. Weather permitting, the first batch of “kelplings will be placed at selected sites on the 12^th December around Philip Island. This project is an approved, permitted activity, authorised by the NRC Harbour Master.