Leigh Marine Laboratory
Encyclopedia
The Leigh Marine Laboratory is the marine research facility for the University of Auckland
in New Zealand. The laboratory is situated in north eastern New Zealand, 100 km north of Auckland city. The facility is perched on the cliffs overlooking the Goat Island marine reserve that covers 5 km of coastline from Cape Rodney to Okakari Point. The laboratory provides the facilities to support a wide range of field based research, including over night field trips for undergraduate students and for postgraduate students to live on campus. The laboratory has a fleet of small boats, including a 15 m long research vessel
, Hawere.
was instrumental in the establishment of the adjacent Goat Island marine reserve in 1975, the first marine protected area in New Zealand
.
In 2009 a major redevelopment of the Leigh Marine Laboratory began with new facilities being opened in 2010. The new facilities included a new accommodation and workshop building, a three story research building and an interpretive educational centre for public visitors.
, physiology
, ecology
, genetic
s, marine fisheries
and aquaculture
. The laboratory has nine academic staff on site, with seven support staff. Further academic staff from the main University of Auckland campus are also frequent users of the laboratory. Postgraduate research is a major feature of the Leigh Laboratory with more than 400 marine science theses produced from the site.
An important part of research at the Leigh Marine Laboratory is supporting the development of aquaculture in New Zealand
. There is a strong focus on the development of new aquaculture species, including spiny lobster
s, sea cucumber
s, sea urchins, and various fin fish species. In addition, research is undertaken on improving the production and sustainability of existing important aquaculture species
, such as abalone
, mussels
and oysters
.
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
in New Zealand. The laboratory is situated in north eastern New Zealand, 100 km north of Auckland city. The facility is perched on the cliffs overlooking the Goat Island marine reserve that covers 5 km of coastline from Cape Rodney to Okakari Point. The laboratory provides the facilities to support a wide range of field based research, including over night field trips for undergraduate students and for postgraduate students to live on campus. The laboratory has a fleet of small boats, including a 15 m long research vessel
Research vessel
A research vessel is a ship designed and equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel, others require a dedicated vessel...
, Hawere.
History
Leigh Marine Laboratory was opened in 1964. The first director of the marine laboratory, Bill BallantineBill Ballantine (biologist)
Bill Ballantine is a marine biologist from New Zealand.He was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 1996, for his work on marine conservation and with the country's Marine Reserve Act.- References :...
was instrumental in the establishment of the adjacent Goat Island marine reserve in 1975, the first marine protected area in New Zealand
Marine reserves of New Zealand
New Zealand has over thirty marine reserves spread around the North, the South Island, and neighbouring islands, and another two on outlying island groups...
.
In 2009 a major redevelopment of the Leigh Marine Laboratory began with new facilities being opened in 2010. The new facilities included a new accommodation and workshop building, a three story research building and an interpretive educational centre for public visitors.
Research
A wide range of research activities are undertaken at the laboratory, including marine biogeographyBiogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
, physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
, ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
, genetic
Genetic
Genetic may refer to:*Genetics, in biology, the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms**Genetic, used as an adjective, refers to heredity of traits**Gene, a unit of heredity in the genome of an organism...
s, marine fisheries
Fisheries science
Fisheries science is the academic discipline of managing and understanding fisheries. It is a multidisciplinary science, which draws on the disciplines of oceanography, marine biology, marine conservation, ecology, population dynamics, economics and management to attempt to provide an integrated...
and aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
. The laboratory has nine academic staff on site, with seven support staff. Further academic staff from the main University of Auckland campus are also frequent users of the laboratory. Postgraduate research is a major feature of the Leigh Laboratory with more than 400 marine science theses produced from the site.
An important part of research at the Leigh Marine Laboratory is supporting the development of aquaculture in New Zealand
Aquaculture in New Zealand
Aquaculture started in New Zealand in the late 1960s. It is dominated by mussels, oysters and salmon. In 2007, aquaculture generated about NZ$360 million in sales on an area of 7,700 hectares...
. There is a strong focus on the development of new aquaculture species, including spiny lobster
Spiny lobster
Spiny lobsters, also known as langouste or rock lobsters, are a family of about 45 species of achelate crustaceans, in the Decapoda Reptantia...
s, sea cucumber
Sea cucumber
Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea.They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. Sea cucumbers are found on the sea floor worldwide. There are a number of holothurian species and genera, many of which are targeted...
s, sea urchins, and various fin fish species. In addition, research is undertaken on improving the production and sustainability of existing important aquaculture species
Aquaculture in New Zealand
Aquaculture started in New Zealand in the late 1960s. It is dominated by mussels, oysters and salmon. In 2007, aquaculture generated about NZ$360 million in sales on an area of 7,700 hectares...
, such as abalone
Abalone
Abalone , from aulón, are small to very large-sized edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis...
, mussels
New Zealand green-lipped mussel
The New Zealand green-lipped mussel, is a bivalve mollusc in the family Mytilidae. P. canaliculus has great importance as a cultivated species for New Zealand.-Distribution:Perna canaliculus has a wide distribution which covers all of New Zealand's mainland. P...
and oysters
Tiostrea chilensis
Tiostrea chilensis, known in Chile as Ostra chilena and in New Zealand as the Bluff oyster, is a species of marine bivalve mollusc in the family Ostreidae.-Distribution:Tiostrea chilensis is endemic to Chile and New Zealand....
.