Taiao

Whakawhiti kōrero mō te moana: Coastal conversations

Two interesting sessions about our coastal environments are being presented in Wairau in November under the banner: Whakawhiti kōrero mō te moana: Coastal conversations.

Richard Liddicoat

30 Oct 2025 — 2 min read

Cawthron Institute’s Al Alder, pictured on the job, will present at the Coastal Conversations speaker series.

In a collaboration with Marlborough District Council, speakers from the university of Auckland and Cawthron Institute will present insights and findings of recent research in Te Tauihu.

Register your interest:

The events are free, but you will need to register your interest.

The Whales and Dolphins in Your Big Blue Backyard
www.eventfinda.co.nz/2025/coastal-convversations/marlborough

The rising tide of marine restoration in Aotearoa
www.eventfinda.co.nz/2025/coastal-conversations/blenheim

Rochelle will present findings from long-term research programmes with a focus on recent Hector's dolphin research. She will also talk about the challenges facing cetaceans in a rapidly changing ocean and the importance of pragmatic approaches that place the animals and their environment at the centre of the conversation.

Across the motu, groups are rolling up their sleeves for the mahi of marine restoration. Join Al as he shares insights from the frontlines in Te Tauihu / Top of the South and explores the future of this vital work in Aotearoa and beyond.

Al Alder is a Marine Ecologist, Restoration Ecology Team, Cawthron Institute. Al's passion for marine restoration is deeply personal. As a keen diver, he was driven to the mahi of restoration after witnessing the loss of the same coral reef that first inspired him to pursue marine science.

This commitment brought him from Texas to Aotearoa to pursue a PhD in mussel reef restoration. Since then, he has been on the frontlines of a wide range of restoration projects, applying his expertise to support restoration research on seagrass meadows, horse mussel and scallop beds, kelp forests, and the development of artificial reefs.