Ocean Cultures
Team : Watching-Place; Mahia Māori Council; Rongomaiwahine iwi members; Mahia peninsula residents | Funded by Here be Dragons Seed Grant; PKG Center Public Service Fellowship; National Geographic Society Early Career Grant
Integrating modern sensing capabilities and indigenous & traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) as a new platform for community-led monitoring of marine ecosystems in Aotearoa (New Zealand).
This project represents a long-term collaboration with the Mahia Maori Council, focusing on the co-development and implementation of sensing, tracking, and visualization systems within the Horokaka mātaitai (a protected area of ocean on the Mahia Peninsula where Māori locals manage all noncommercial fishing).
The Māori of Aotearoa (New Zealand) have a long and deep connection to their marine ecosystems, with rich cultural and communal practices surrounding responsible management of their waters, such as mātaitai. But with culturally-relevant fish stocks now threatened due to overfishing and environmental degradation, implementing the use of more-than-human and off-body sensing tools for communities to use for marine monitoring could assist with local management of waters. The data generated through sensor implementation will contribute to characterization of the mātaitai, with the goal of identifying appropriate sites for a species transplantation program for paua (abalone) that are less prevalent on the reefs. This collaboration also supports educational efforts led by Māori elders within the community that teach traditional forms of ecological monitoring. Combined, these monitoring programs hope to provide community members with a holistic understanding of their ocean health and help local planning and protection efforts for ecological protection and restoration.
Drawing by Sophie Dodd. 
