Science news
Celebrating AUT through the years
Over 50 of our oldest alumni came together for the 2018 Seddon Memorial Technical College reunion hosted by the alumni office.
Gaining skills for the workplace
Can you help the Foodie Godmother?
Minister launches sustainable blueprint
THE rankings place AUT in NZ top three
AUT 2019 domestic and international fees
nztrees app puts natives on the map
Do you know your mānuka from your kānuka, your pōhutukawa from your rātā or ever wonder which trees are native?
UK science journal publishes in te reo
NZ academics have taken a major step forward in encouraging the scientific community to recognise the importance of non-Western indigenous languages.
5 questions with Professor Michael Petterson
We asked Professor Michael Petterson 5 questions about his research at the time of his Inaugural Professorial Address.
180 undergraduate students who are recipients of various AUT scholarships were welcomed at a special event this week.
Pacific youth leader in ocean conservation
AUT Marine Biology student, Antony Vavia, was selected by the Aotearoa Youth Leadership Institute to attend the first United Nations Ocean Conference in New York last month.
AUT alumni receives seafood industry honour
Seafood New Zealand has named AUT aquaculture alumni, Te Tane Trinick, as one of the seafood industry’s rising stars.
New Zealanders increasingly live, work and play in human-built environments. Over 80% of our population lives in urban areas. For most of us, our food comes via supermarkets instead of growing our own, and we spend increasing amounts of time indoors – at home and at work. Conversely, we are seeing growing rates of mental health issues in our people. More and more of us seem to be struggling to live healthy and fulfilling lives, content with who we are and how we are living.
AUT students explore Life Below Water for Cook Islands Language Week
This year, AUT is honouring our Pacific Language Weeks through a series of short videos.
Each provides a platform for Pacific students to share their thoughts on one of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, which aim to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all.
Drone records rare whale footage in the Hauraki Gulf
Unique footage of a Bryde’s Whale has been released by Auckland University of Technology. The footage shows an adult whale feeding, briefly joined by a young calf, and was filmed from a drone off the coast of Auckland. It is thought to be the first time the feeding behaviour of a Bryde’s Whale has been recorded by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
Pilot study hones in on major fisheries opportunity
An AUT research team is embarking on a unique pilot study, using remote sensing techniques to assess the impacts of surf clam dredging.
New Zealand surf clams consist of seven commercially harvested shellfish species, and together they represent a huge growth opportunity for the country’s fishery sector. With great international demand for surf clams and projected potential to sustainably harvest over 30,000 tonnes annually, New Zealand stands to benefit from widespread job creation and export earnings valued at around $300 million per annum.
National Spectral Library opens
AUT University and Auckland Museum have launched a National Spectral Library, to support remote identification of plants and large-scale mapping of plant species.
Professor Andrea Alfaro: Aquanaut, Mussel Lady and inspiring teacher
“My life has been one adventure after another and most of them have to do with the sea,” Professor Andrea Alfaro told the audience at her inaugural professorial address on Friday. She went on to regale her experiences of living under the sea, encountering purple sea urchins, winning the nickname ‘the mussel lady’, and carrying out vital aquaculture research.
Public invited to help plan Hauraki Gulf future
People are being asked what they do on the Hauraki Gulf in an online survey developed by AUT University PhD student Rebecca Jarvis.
Professor Marilyn Waring honoured with Science and Innovation Award
AUT University’s Professor Marilyn Waring has been named as the winner of the Science and Innovation Award at the inaugural New Zealand Women of Influence Awards.
Scientists to tackle traumatic brain injury
AUT University researchers have joined an international team of 38 scientific institutes and 60 European hospitals aiming to create better and more targeted treatments for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Big brother keeps an eye on NZ environment
Threatened species in New Zealand like the Maui Dolphin will receive a helping hand thanks to state-of-the-art reconnaissance technology better known for its military intelligence use.
Export windfall for seaweed harvest
Undaria pinnatifida is known as a highly invasive and unwanted organism under New Zealand biosecurity laws, yet AUT University researchers are touting it as the aquaculture sector’s next big thing.
Importance of sea and coasts needs to be recognised
As we move into the summer months, our interaction with the sea and coasts will become an even more central part of our lives so it is worthwhile to reflect on the importance of our seas as part of our nation and culture according to an AUT professor.
Giant Squid at Auckland Museum
Auckland Museum is the scene of the crime this summer.
Cutting edge scientist receives RJ Scott medal
Professor Stephen Henry has been awarded the Royal Society of New Zealand’s prestigious RJ Scott medal for engineering science and technology in recognition for his novel biotechnology research.
Giant squid gets radical plastic surgery
A giant squid is heading back to New Zealand, after being "stuffed" with silicone and preserved for posterity.
Evolution faster in the tropics
Kiwi research overturns international theories on evolution
Mammal species living in the tropics are evolving faster than their counterparts living in cooler environments, according to research carried out by New Zealand researchers.
It had previously been assumed that rates of genetic change in warm-blooded animals were independent of climate.
The new study demonstrates that DNA evolution occurs substantially faster in mammal species living in warmer environments relative to those living in cooler environments.