State-of-the-art aquariums will boost marine research at Leigh

The Leigh Marine Laboratory north of Auckland has unveiled state-of-the-art aquariums set to significantly enhance marine research capabilities.

The multi-million-dollar Dr Anneliese Schuler Aquaria Laboratory at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, was officially opened with a dedication ceremony on 31 January. The facility, named in honour of philanthropist Dr Beate Schuler's mother, was previously blessed by mana whenua Ngāti Manuhiri, a partner in Hauraki Gulf restoration efforts.

This cutting-edge laboratory allows scientists to precisely control temperature, light, and noise, facilitating advanced research into animal and plant physiology, aquaculture, and the impacts of microplastics, ocean warming, low oxygen zones, and noise pollution on marine life and ecosystems.

“The facility represents a significant advancement in our ability to understand ocean life and address the impacts of various stressors, from pollution to overfishing and invasive species attracted by warmer waters,” said Professor Conrad Pilditch, head of the Institute of Marine Science.

Current research at Leigh that will benefit from the new facility encompasses areas such as:

• Heat waves’ effects on intertidal shellfish
• Invasive Caulerpa seaweed
• Effects of microplastics on seafloor ecology
• Carbon sequestration in kelp forests
• Physiological basis of sleep in fish, using sharks as a model
• Excessive growth in sea urchin populations
• Health of farmed salmon

Unlike public aquariums for tourists, this facility is strictly functional. “The key point is that the laboratory complements our research vessel and analytical labs, modernizing our overall infrastructure,” Pilditch added. “It’s an important piece of the puzzle – great on its own, but truly excellent alongside the rest of our resources.”

Philanthropist Schuler also funded the construction of the research vessel Te Kaihōpara (The Explorer).

At the new facility, seawater is pumped from the adjacent Te Hāwere-a-Maki (Goat Island) marine reserve into tanks that flow into a large main hall, which can be configured in various ways, and five adjoining temperature-controlled rooms, two of which have sound damping. Outside, a large area houses external tanks supplied with the same environmentally controlled seawater.

“We were conducting experiments in fibrolite sheds dating back to the 1960s,” said Professor Simon Thrush, former head of the Institute of Marine Science. “They weren’t quite cutting it.”

The aquarium facility sits alongside resources at the likes of the Nelson-based Cawthron Institute, and the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA) aquaculture park in Bream Bay, Northland.
 

Perched on cliffs above the sea, Leigh Marine Laboratory has been operational since 1964, launching under the direction of Dr Bill Ballantine. Ballantine initiated the creation of New Zealand’s first marine reserve, a no-take zone which will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year.

The Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre at the Leigh campus offers hands-on marine-life experiences and education for visitors to the marine reserve, famous as a snorkelling and diving spot.