| 23 Cawthron Institute - Clearwater Mussels REGIONAL MOTION AND CONTROL ENGINEERING AT ITS BEST. Trusted by Clearwater Mussels for hydraulics that handle the demands of the marine environment. ćXLGSRZHU FR Q] Reliable performance, expert support and industry-leading know-how. Christchurch | Timaru | Greymouth | Nelson | Wānaka E hello@do.nz P 0800 999 333 www.do.nz Geotechnical Engineering / Environmental Science Surveying / Civil Engineering / Structural Engineering Planning and Resource Management THINK. CREATE. DO. T T Russell Fredric Turning science into practical solutions Cawthron’s role is to turn excellent science into practical solutions that help New Zealand’s aquaculture sector become more productive, more resilient and more sustainable. Science is helping shape New Zealand’s blue economy, and Cawthron Institute is turning marine research into practical innovations that strengthen aquaculture, regional industries, and export growth. Based in Nelson, Cawthron Institute is New Zealand’s largest independent research organisation specialising in coastal and freshwater science. Its work spans shellfish and finfish aquaculture, marine ecology, genetics, biosecurity, environmental monitoring and biotechnology, with a strong emphasis on translating scientific discovery into practical outcomes. Cawthron’s role is to turn excellent science into practical solutions that help New Zealand’s aquaculture sector become more productive, more resilient and more sustainable. The institute believes research delivers its greatest value when scientific knowledge can be successfully applied by industry. Aquaculture is a major focus of the institute’s research. Rather than concentrating on a single aspect of production, Cawthron’s scientists work across the value chain, from selective breeding and hatchery technologies through to environmental management and seafood safety. The multidisciplinary approach combines expertise in genetics, microbiology, marine ecology and advanced data science to solve complex challenges facing the sector. Advances in genetics, hatchery technologies, environmental monitoring and data science are giving producers better tools to improve performance while working with the natural marine environment. One of the institute’s most significant contributions has been advancing shellfish hatchery science. For decades, New Zealand’s Greenshell mussel industry has relied heavily on wild-caught spat, creating fluctuations in supply and performance. Cawthron has invested years of research into improving broodstock management, spawning, larval nutrition, settlement techniques, and juvenile nursery systems to provide more reliable hatchery-produced seedstock. Selective breeding has become another major area of innovation. Using modern genomic tools, researchers identify desirable traits, including faster growth, improved survival, stronger shells and greater resilience to changing environmental conditions. Better genetics and more reliable hatchery production give growers greater confidence in crop consistency, while strengthening the longterm resilience of the industry, demonstrating how applied science delivers lasting value beyond the laboratory. Supporting healthy marine ecosystems is equally important. Cawthron’s scientists monitor water quality, phytoplankton communities, nutrient cycling and harmful algal blooms to better understand how environmental conditions influence aquaculture production. The institute is also internationally recognised for its expertise in marine biotoxins, while technologies, including environmental DNA, genomics, microbiome science, artificial intelligence and automated environmental monitoring are providing earlier detection of disease organisms and environmental change. Cawthron also works closely with industry to ensure scientific discoveries move beyond the laboratory. Its collaboration with one commercial operator on advanced hatchery and nursery capability is helping reduce reliance on variable wild spat while improving the consistency and quality of juvenile mussels. The partnership combines Cawthron’s research capability with commercial production expertise to develop scalable solutions that benefit the wider mussel industry. The collaboration demonstrates what can be achieved when science and industry invest together, with research improving productivity, strengthening biosecurity and supporting premium export markets. Those benefits extend beyond individual businesses to regional communities, skilled employment and the national economy. Beyond individual projects, Cawthron’s research improves productivity, strengthens biosecurity and supports premium export markets, creating value throughout New Zealand’s aquaculture supply chain while supporting regional investment and export earnings.
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