Rebecca McLeod • Sep 14, 2010 •
Yes, that is what you think it is... loving in the deep south. Photo: Lesley Douglas One of the tasks facing the research team was to count the whales in the bay. Sounds easy enough… that is until you start to consider the logistics. There are a LOT of whales to count (this year there were around 200 in a … Read More
Rebecca McLeod • Aug 15, 2010 •
...one of the coolest things about the proposed MPAs is their proximity to National Parks. All of the four proposed MPA sites are situated alongside National Parks, and this will provide for a continuum of protection from, in many cases, the tops of mountains, to the depths of the sea. Read More
Rebecca McLeod • May 25, 2010 •
New Zealand has suffered a dramatic and well documented decline of native birds. I began to wonder whether ecologists here have ever tried to quantify the potential impact of this decline on the health of our native forests. Here we are all worrying about possums! Could out-of-control insects be doing more damage? … Read More
Rebecca McLeod • Feb 09, 2010 •
The South Island’s West Coast Marine Protection Forum looks set to be the first region to put a marine protected area (MPA) proposal to the Government under the new(ish) MPA Policy and Implementation Plan, with the group recently wrapping up an extensive consultation process. The proposal that was put out for public comment outlined four main sites … Read More
Rebecca McLeod • Feb 02, 2010 •
The document outlines how a forum of up to 14 stakeholders will be appointed in each of the defined regions in NZ. These stakeholders will encompass tangata whenua, commercial fishers, recreational users, conservation groups, tourism operators, aquaculture industry, minerals industry… and scientists. Read More
Rebecca McLeod • Nov 03, 2009 •
There is also no easy way to tell male and female frogs apart – there are no colour, size, or other morphological differences between sexes, and this has posed problems for those trying to save them. Read More
Rebecca McLeod • Oct 14, 2009 •
Southern right whales, hunted perilously close to extinction last century, appear to be making a remarkable recovery in New Zealand according to recent research. Read More