Julie has extensive experience in biological oceanography, leading large multidisciplinary research projects, and in the management of people and projects. Her scientific background is in food web dynamics in both marine and freshwater ecosystems with a special interest in microbial foodwebs.

As the international chair of the Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER) project she was responsible for leading the development and implementation of the multidisciplinary Science Plan that addressed the interaction of marine biogeochemistry and ecosystems and their response to global change. This is a wide ranging project which includes experimental and observational studies and modelling of natural and social systems.

In addition, her involvement in a range of projects associated with the Global Ocean Observing System has given her a broad knowledge of marine observation systems, data management and the integration of observations and models. Julie also has extensive project and people management experience, and has been a Regional Manager for NIWA Wellington for the past 7 years.

Judi is Programme Leader Our Changing Oceans, Coasts and Oceans Centre, NIWA, and Professor Marine Biology (docent), University of Helsinki, Finland.

Judi is a statistical marine ecologist who has worked extensively in estuarine and coastal systems and has recently been involved in projects assessing ecosystem health and ecosystems services. She also has expertise in assessing species, functional trait and habitat diversity, analysis of spatial and temporal variation in populations and communities, design and implementation of ecological monitoring programmes, and ecological risk assessment.  Most recently Judi has been involved in projects assessing ecosystem health and ecosystem services.

Judi has extensive experience in multidisciplinary research and interactions with stakeholders having completed many projects for commercial clients, and has worked with stakeholder panels for research projects she regularly leads.

Linda is of Ngāti Rangi and Whanganui descent from the southern central plateau region and the Whanganui River. She has worked for many years in the environmental management sector and has spent much of her career seeking to facilitate recognition and application of mātauranga Māori to mainstream environments.

Linda is currently the Director of Tutaiao Ltd., a private consultancy focusing on people, policy and planning. In her previous position she was General Manager Māori at the Environmental Protection Authority, where she gained extensive experience in the area of environmental and cultural risk assessment and management.

Linda has also served on several MBIE research investment panels and worked for Te Papa supporting the developing policy and process that ensured implementation of effective bicultural partnership.

Nick will consider examples of, challenges to and opportunities for the blue economy – defined as entrepreneurial, investment and management initiatives that draw on marine environments to create economic and social values to sustain or enhance the resourcefulness of those environments and their communities.

Agnes is based in Ruatoria and has been involved for many years in hapū kaitiakitanga with a focus on the coastal marine area. She will discuss collective ownership (coastal marine title), the Nga Hapu o Ngati Porou Foreshore and Seabed Agreement and associated responsibilities of hapū to protect and prosper from the moana.

Ken is responsible for managing, protecting and optimally utilising seafood resources of Ngati Porou. This includes reporting and submitting on fisheries and resource management issues, sustainability decisions and rights protection. He will discuss Ngati Porou Seafoods priorities and interaction with hapū management entities and other commercial interests.

Matt is a lipid chemist working for the Cawthron Institute in Nelson with over a decade of research experience looking into the chemistry and novel sources of marine oils, in particular omega 3. Matt received his PhD at the Uni of Tasmania (UTAS) with collaboration from the CSIRO Food Futures Flagship in 2007. His thesis was awarded a Dean Commendation prize and he was part of the team awarded the 2010 CSIRO medal for research achievement. Matt is working with Hikurangi Bioactives to investigate the therapeutic potential of kīna extracts to treat diabetes, heart disease and other serious conditions supported by funding from the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge. Matt’s research interests include sustainable sources of omega 3 oil, lipid chemistry, marine biochemistry, natural products, regiospecific analysis, oxidation of nutritional oils, as well as micro algal sources of oil. Dr Miller is the president of the Australasian section of the American Oil Chemist Society (AAOCS) and is a member of the NZ fats and oil group.

Caine lives in Tauranga Moana and leads a range of sustainable seas initiatives:

• Oranga Taiao Oranga Tangata is an MBIE funded program exploring the reclaiming and reframing of matauranga maori to manage the marine environment
• Te Tahuhu o Matatau, is a Sustainable Seas Science Challenge project aiming to build an information repository of western science tools that may help kaitiaki responsibilities
• Mauri Moana Project is a project with Dr Shaun Awatere designed to enhance awareness of the diversity of values New Zealanders hold for the marine environment that are integral to ecosystem based decision-making and explore how non-monetary values can be integrated into an ecosystem based decision-making framework.
• Stock Assessment Monitoring, this project is part of a Tauranga Moana Kaimoana Restoration Plan (KRP) where the team monitor shellfish species. Information generated informs nga iwi of Tauranga resource management decisions.
• Tu Taiao, focuses on the development of rangatahi and tamariki putaiao programs for marine monitoring and shellfish restoration.

Estuaries and coastal areas provide a wide range of benefits to New Zealanders – “ecosystem services”. However, we still don’t know enough about these ecosystem services –  a challenge Drew and other scientists are tackling with a new technique for measuring marine ecosystem services and assessing impacts.

Professor Battershill heads the Coastal Marine Group in the Faculty of Science and Engineering and is the inaugural Director of the Coastal Marine Field Center in Tauranga. Formerly Principal Scientist and Research Team Leader (Supporting Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity) at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and a Program Leader at NIWA, his research spans the tropics to the Antarctic and focuses on marine ecology, and environmental science, and biodiscovery for medicinal and agricultural sectors. Chris will discuss ideas for Measuring Marine Bioactives in Tairawhiti.

My primary research interest is the study of the ecology and evolution of New Zealand marine molluscs. In particular I aim to uncover the processes that led to the patterns of extant biodiversity. Integration across multiple lines of evidence is critical to my approach to this research, and I work with data derived from genetics, morphology, ecology and palaeontology. The core of my expertise is systematics and phylogenetics with complementary interests in palaeobiology and community ecology. I also have valuable experience with project design and analysis with next generation sequencing methods, particularly using the Illumina platforms. My work involves gathering specimens and data from the field, curation of specimen collections, data generation in a molecular biological laboratory, and computer-based analysis using a wide variety of software packages. In addition to my primary focus, I am involved in collaborations looking at stick insect speciation using genomic data, and viral phylogenetics

James (Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Tuuwharetoa, Raukawa) has a professional background in resource management planning with a Bachelor of Tourism, majoring in Resource, Impacts and Environmental Planning, he is currently working towards completing his Masters in Resource and Environmental Planning.

For the past five years he has worked in the area of incorporating mātauranga Māori into planning processes to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes and outputs for Māori and wider communities. This experience and knowledge has positioned him well to work with research institutes, policy makers, and tangata whenua to find pragmatic, whilst also innovative, approaches to recognise and provide for mātauranga Maori in a local context and to deliver the aspirations sought in MBIE’s Vision Mātauranga policy framework.

Dr Mika is a senior lecturer with the Massey Business School and co-director of Te Au Rangahau, Massey’s Māori Business and Leadership Research Centre. Jason will present his perspectives on opportunities for developing the Māori Marine Economy and Characteristics of Successful Maori Entrepreneurs.’

Tracey studied law at Victoria University of Wellington before heading to the United Nations Permanent Forum on the Indigenous Peoples where she helped draft the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Tracey has worked as a Technical Advisor to the Monitoring Mechanism of the National Iwi Chairs Forum. Her work currently focuses on matters related to Māori resources, such as freshwater, land development, Treaty rights and intellectual property.