ONLINE BRIEFING: Monday 8 March 2010, 11 am NZT

New Zealand manages fishing rights to the world’s fourth largest Exclusive Economic Zone, and fishing is our fourth largest export earner. Every year, the country faces difficult and complex decisions about how many fish should be harvested, and science plays a key role in those decisions.

Are our fisheries being exploited for short-term gain? Or are current catches sustainable? Perhaps most importantly, how can we measure the difference?

In this Science Media Centre briefing, a panel of fisheries and marine scientists will address the following issues:

• How do we measure how many fish are in our seas?
• What science goes into setting targets for harvesting fisheries?
• How we determine what level of catch is “safe” or “sustainable”?
• What do we understand well, and where are the key gaps in our knowledge?
• What major issues do fisheries scientists see on the horizon?

LISTEN ONLINE

Click the players below to hear an audio recording of the briefing. Registered journalists can download presenters’ slides from the SMC Resource Library.

Part one:

Part two:

SPEAKERS

Dr John McKoy – Chief scientist, Fisheries, NIWA

John McKoy is a marine zoologist with a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington.  He has contributed in a range of roles to fisheries research in New Zealand since 1973, in MAF, MAF Fisheries, and since 1995, NIWA. As a scientist he has worked on giant clam fisheries in Tonga, rock lobster, scallop, snapper and albacore fisheries and a range of other inshore species.  He was involved in the earliest days of developing mussel farming in the Marlborough Sounds. He has worked in research management in NZ for 20 years and has, for light relief, supervised the science side of fisheries surveys and consultancies in Oman, Iran, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Dr Rich Ford – Principal Scientist, Ministry of Fisheries

Rich works as a scientist in the Ministry of fisheries providing advice on the environmental impacts of fishing. His specific expertise is in community ecology of the seafloor and he has experience working on the impacts of land-use on coastal communities whilst he was an academic at the University of Auckland.

Prof John Montgomery – Director Leigh Marine Laboratory, Chair of Marine Science, University of Auckland

Professor John Montgomery has published extensively on sensory behaviour and physiology of fish, including hearing, and hydrodynamic senses.  Recent work on tagging pelagic and coastal fishes has implications for population connectivity, conservation and fisheries. His work has been recognised by election to the Royal Society of New Zealand, an International Brain Research Organisation Fellowship, and a Fulbright Scholarship.  He also plays an active role in promoting Marine Science and communicating science to the public.

Further Information
For more information, please contact the New Zealand Science Media Centre on tel: 04 499 5476 or email: smc@sciencemediacentre.co.nz

Drought-resistance, reduced greenhouse gas emissions intensity, superior nutrition for livestock — these are some of the benefits promised by researchers developing genetically modified pasture crops.

But will these be enough to convince farmers — and the wider public — to accept GM pastures?

Image credit: Pastoral Genomics

No GM pasture crop has yet been approved for release in NZ, but several, including ryegrass and clover varieties, have been under development in research organisations for years, and are now approaching readiness for market.

How far advanced is New Zealand research in this area? What risks must be evaluated? What are the prospects for dairy, meat and other producers if GM crops are released here? And what are the potential impacts on our international image?

To address these and other questions, the Royal Society of New Zealand has today released the latest in its Emerging Issues series of papers, which is now available online. This briefing brings together a panel of experts who contributed to the paper.

Audio from the briefing is posted below. Registered journalists can access slides from the speakers’ presentations in the SMC Resource Library.

Listen to an audio recording of the SMC media briefing:

Part 1

Part 2

SPEAKERS

Dr Stephen Goldson – Vice-President, Council of RSNZ; Chief Scientist, AgResearch; Prime Minister’s Science Advisory Committee.

Dr Goldson has been involved in pest management and biosecurity research for thirty years, including the study of exotic weevil pests in pasture and their suppression using biological control and plant resistance.  More recently, he has worked as AgResearch’s Chief Scientist and has contributed to many national biotechnology, biosecurity and science policy advisory groups. He is currently Vice President, Biological and Life Sciences, Royal Society of New Zealand.

Dr Michael Dunbier – Pastoral Genomics

Dr Dunbier is a research scientist with expertise in genetics and plant breeding, a former director of DSIR Crop Research and founding Chief Executive of Crop & Food Research. He chairs the Boards of the BioProtection Centre of Research Excellence, Pastoral Genomics Consortium, HorticultureNZ Vegetable Research & Innovation Board and the Governance Groups of two NIWA OBIs. He is also a Director of the Foundation for Arable Research. In 2005 he received the Bledisloe Medal from Lincoln University, and he is a Fellow of both the NZ Institute of Agricultural Science and the NZ Institute of Management.

Pastoral Genomics is a research consortium funded by the Foundation for Research Science & Technology and pastoral agricultural industry organizations in the dairy, meat and velvet industries to pursue new forage cultivars.

Prof Caroline Saunders – Director of AERU, Lincoln University

Dr Caroline Saunders has 20 years research expertise in the UK and New Zealand, with over 100 publications specialising on economic impact of policy.  Her current research specialises in economic development of New Zealand especially for the regions.  This includes assessing optimum use of NZ resources to improve well-being of NZers including research on international trade, resource use in regions, market access and development of new technologies.

In addition she is developing novel ways of assessing the impact of development including the social and environmental impacts. She has undertaken research for a wider range of private and public bodies both here and overseas.  These include the EU commission, MAF, MFAT, Treasury, MFE, High Growth and various producer groups.

What sorts of foods should you — personally — eat to be healthiest?

Nutrigenomics studies the interaction between our genes and the foods we eat. Specifically, it looks at how people with different genetic makeups are affected by different foods, with the aim of matching people to the foods that suit them best.

This emerging field brings together scientists, policy makers and health professionals in pursuit of the goal of one day providing personalised nutrition advice, and developing functional foods that will optimise health according to individual needs.

This week in Auckland, the 4th Asia Pacific Nutrigenomics Conference brings together experts from around the world to discuss this burgeoning science, and the Science Media Centre has selected an online panel to talk about the field, its potential benefits, and what’s happening in New Zealand.

Following the briefing, the audio will be posted to the SMC website, and  registered journalists can access the slides from the SMC Resource Library.

SPEAKERS

Dr Jim Kaput – Director, Division of Personalised Nutrition and Medicine, United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Dr Kaput joined the FDA/National Center for Toxicological Research in November 2007.  He also has adjunct appointments in the Division of Genetics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the Adinovo Center for Genetic & Genomic Medicine at Zhejing University (Hangzhou, China). In addition, he is an active member of the Human Variome Project (http://www.humanvariome.org) which seeks to seeks to analyze genetic variation in individuals in ancestral groups around the world.

Dr Michael Fenech – Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Food and Nutritional Sciences

Dr Fenech has more than 20 years of research experience in the field of genetic toxicology and nutrition. His current research focus is Genome Health Nutrigenomics and Nutrigenetics i.e. the investigation of how genetic and nutritional background determines nutritional requirement for genome maintenance or prevention of genome damage on an individual-by-individual basis.

Prof Lynette Ferguson – Programme leader, Nutrigenomics New Zealand; Head of Nutrition, University of Auckland

Prof Ferguson studies mutagenesis in cancer development, DNA damage and repair, and cancer in the New Zealand context. Given that some of the most common major cancers in New Zealand are associated with dietary causes, much of her basic research has focused on understanding the role of dietary fibre and other protective dietary factors in cancer. She is also Director of Mutagen Testing at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC).

Part I – Jim Kaput and Michael Fenech

Part II – Michael Fenech and Lynnette Ferguson

Further Information

To follow up on this topic with our speakers or other New Zealand experts, please contact the Science Media Centre on tel: 04 499 5476 or email: smc@sciencemediacentre.co.nz

It is 20 years since DNA evidence was first presented in a New Zealand court, a development that resulted in the conviction of Michael James Pengelly for the murder of an elderly Auckland woman.

Long-used in helping solve serious crimes, DNA samples in the mid nineties were increasingly used as evidence in criminal cases when the establishment of DNA databanks allowed known offenders to be linked to crimes through DNA samples held on record.

New Zealand will soon widen the powers police have to take DNA samples from suspects, samples that will be included in the DNA databank for possible use in DNA profiling.

One of the pioneers of forensic DNA use, Dr Peter Gill, is in New Zealand to work with DNA forensics experts at Environmental Science and Research. In this SMC online briefing, Dr Gill and ESR’s Dr Sally Ann Harbison will outline the evolution of DNA forensics techniques over the last 25 years and look at where this area of science is heading.

Registered journalists can log into the SMC Resource Library to download a backgrounder on the history DNA forensics in New Zealand (embargoed until 3pm today).

SPEAKERS

Dr Peter Gill - Dr Gill is the only originator of forensic DNA analysis still working in the forensic field and an international expert in forensic DNA profiling. He is coming  to NZ undertake research work with ESR staff and  to coincide with the 20 year anniversary of the use of forensic of DNA in New Zealand.

Dr Gill, along with Dr Dave Werrett and Dr Jeffreys,  jointly published the first paper on applying DNA profiling to forensic science. In 1985, they were the first to demonstrate that DNA could be obtained from crime stains.

Techniques developed by Peter were used in the first ever case to both exclude the suspect in a murder case due to DNA profiling and to find the real killer through DNA.  He was also one of the lead scientists involved in the development of Low Copy Number DNA, (along with ESR’s Dr John Buckleton)

Dr Gill led the team which confirmed the remains of the Romanov family murdered in 1918 and subsequent investigation which disproved the claim of Anna Anderson to be the Duchess Anastasia

He was given a Civil Service Award for Inventors specifically for his contribution to the development of DNA profiling in the UK holds a number of other awards for his contribution to forensic science.

Dr Sally Ann Harbison  - Dr Harbison is currently the Science and Technical Leader of the Forensic Biology Group of ESR at Mt Albert in Auckland where she has been carrying out forensic DNA work and crime scene work since 1988.

Her principle responsibilities at ESR include managing the technical operation of the group of 40 staff including Quality Assurance and Training, science leadership and direction, fostering of collaborations to further the research capability of ESR, science education, forensic casework and introduction of new techniques.

She is an Honorary Lecturer in the Post graduate Forensic Science Programme at the University of Auckland and supervises many students. SallyAnn delivers training and consultancy services to forensic laboratories across Asia and is a Technical Assessor for the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, Laboratory Accreditation Board, and National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia.

Sally Ann’s research interests are currently the development of gene expression tools for the detection of body fluids in crime scene samples, the development of plant material as forensic evidence and the population genetics of Polynesia, particularly the Y chromosome.

Part I – Intro and Dr Gill

Part II – Dr Harbison and questions

Further Information

To follow up on this topic with our speakers or other New Zealand experts, please contact the Science Media Centre on tel: 04 499 5476 or email: smc@sciencemediacentre.co.nz

COP15 coverage in the New Zealand Media

COP15 analysis on Sciblogs.co.nz

AusSMC photos available to the media

AusSMC video available to the media

The SMC will be issuing daily updates on developments in Copenhagen to journalists registered to receive its updates. Media can register with the SMC to be added to its distribution list.

Virtual participation and webcast information

COP15 Webcast – All official meetings and press conferences will be available both live and on-demand

UNFCCC virtual participation site

Events

COP15 Calendar

Detailed official daily programme

Official press information site – Source of daily press briefing sheets from UNFCCC (see PDFs – ‘Note to correspondents’ series)

Side events calendar

Daily commentary on developments

Earth Negotiations Bulletin: A formal review of proceedings for each day, from IISD Reporting Services

ECO: Environmental NGO newsletter, produced co-operatively by Climate Action Network groups

Guides/resources from other organisations

COP15 for journalists: a guide to the UN climate change summit (from the International Institute for Environment and Development)

Resource page from AusSMC

Fact sheet on carbon footprint of COP15

Pocket reference guide to climate change (from the Worldwatch Institute)

The GOOD guide to COP15

Twitterfeeds / Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/TheClimatePool
(consortium of 20 global news agencies at COP15)

http://twitter.com/cop15
http://twitter.com/COP15Liveagenda (heads-up about press conferences and events via the live webcast)

http://twitter.com/UN_climatetalks

http://twitter.com/AP_ClimatePool

COP15 coverage in the New Zealand Media

Otago Daily Times: Copenhagen climate summit kicks off

Radio New Zealand Insight: Chris Bramwell on the climate negotiations

Dominion Post: New will builds for climate summit

NZ Herald: In search of low-carbon nirvana

NZ Herald: Safe temperature levels still unknown factor

NZ Herald: Emissions – global numbers on line

COP15 analysis on Sciblogs.co.nz

Our emissions profile at a glance

The walking dead in Copenhagen

AusSMC photos available to the media

The AusSMC Flickr site will be constantly updated over the coming days. Media are free to download and publish the images from this site provided credit is given to the “Australian Science Media Centre.”

AusSMC video available to the media

Go to ftp://mail.aussmc.org/COP15 for videos made available by the AusSMC. The media is free to download these files (right click and ‘save target as’).  Please credit “Australian Science Media Centre” where practicable.  Further video files will be added to this site in coming days. If you are having problems downloading from the AusSMC ftp site, let them know by emailing info@aussmc.org

While natural carbon sinks have historically been able to absorb over half of global carbon dioxide emissions, this may no longer be the case if these emissions continue to increase as they have, say scientists from leading climate research group the Global Carbon Project (GCP).

In addition, carbon dioxide emissions are still rising, to reach an all-time high of 1.3 tonnes of carbon per capita per year. While 2008 saw minor decreases in carbon emissions from oil and deforestation, increased coal use meant that emissions still rose overall.

The research, to be published in Nature Geoscience, suggests that the current growth in carbon dioxide emissions is closely linked to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.  As a result, and despite the global financial crisis which will see emissions drop slightly, anthropogenic emissions rose by 2% in 2008.  Further, they are likely to increase further when global economies recover, unless mitigation strategies are quickly implemented.

There is also concern over the possibility that natural carbon sinks are absorbing carbon less well than previously, as it suggests that carbon sinks may be negatively affected by climate change and emissions.

The GCP’s annual Global Carbon Budget report, which examines human effects on atmospheric CO2, is contributed to  by over 30 international experts from climate research institutions and is regarded as a benchmark reference for governments and policy-makers globally.

The research paper, titled ‘Trends in the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide’, can be found in the SMC Resource Library.

SPEAKERS

Dr Mike Harvey - Mike Harvey has 26 years of experience working mostly in New Zealand in atmospheric physics and chemistry, and currently leads the research programme at the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA) into Drivers and Mitigation of Global Change.  The programme measures and models human influence on the atmosphere from global down to regional scales.  His interests include surface-atmosphere exchange of trace gases and aerosols.

Dr Sara Mikaloff Fletcher – Sara Mikaloff Fletcher has used atmospheric observations and models to estimate methane emissions to the atmosphere, and employed similar techniques to determine air-sea fluxes of CO2 using ocean interior data and ocean general circulation models.  More recently, she has used atmospheric and oceanic models to study the past and present carbon cycle. Sara models carbon cycles at NIWA.

Professor Martin Manning - Professor Martin Manning is the Director of the New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute at Victoria University of Wellington.  The Institute was established to build up better links between science and policy in the area of climate change.  Previously, Professor Manning worked in the USA as Director of a Working Group for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that produces the detailed assessments of climate change science for all governments, and in New Zealand where he led research on greenhouse gases and other aspects of climate change first at DSIR and then at NIWA. Last year Martin became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his services to climate change science.

The recording of the briefing can be listened to below

Further Information
To follow up on this topic with our speakers or other New Zealand experts, please contact the Science Media Centre on tel: 04 499 5476 or email: smc@sciencemediacentre.co.nz.

In cooperation with the New Zealand Climate Change Centre and the Ministry for the Environment, the Science Media Centre held a briefing to clarify the science behind the COP15 talks and update journalists on the most important new developments in climate change research.

Click on the media player icons below to play back the presentation

SPEAKERS

Dr Howard Larsen - Principal Analyst, Ministry for the Environment.
Howard is the current New Zealand representative on the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He has extensive experience in atmospheric physics, particularly cloud physics and precipitation, and has worked in a range of countries as a scientist and lecturer at universities.

Dr David Wratt – Chief climate scientist at NIWA.
David has worked in the USA, Australia, and NZ on a range of basic and applied topics in climate and meteorology, including climate change science and impacts, mountain meteorology, and air quality. He is a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand, and Chair of its New Zealand Climate Committee. He is a member of the Bureau of the IPCC and a Vice-Chair of Working Group 1, which assesses the physical science of climate change.

Dr Tim Naish – Director of the Antarctic Research Centre at Victoria University of Wellington.
Tim is a glaciologist, chief scientist on the international ANDRILL drilling project and a Principal Scientist at GNS Science. He is an expert on the integration of geological and ice core research with ice sheet and global climate models.

Dr Andy Reisinger – Senior Research Fellow, NZ Climate Change Research Institute, VUW.
Andy is a climate scientist with a background in measurement and modelling of ozone depletion, urban air pollution and agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. He has worked in climate change science and policy as a research scientist and senior policy adviser, and was responsible for managing the production of the Synthesis Report of the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC.

Dr Harry Clark – Establishment Project manager for the recently announced Centre for Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research. Until recently Harry was AgResearch’s head of Climate, Land & Environment section, comprising Rumen Microbiology, Ruminant Greenhouse Gases Abatement and Welfare and Behavioural Science teams. Harry joined MAF Tech (now AgResearch) in 1991 after spending six years working for MAFF, UK as a specialist livestock adviser. His current research involves quantifying CH4 emissions from grazing ruminants and the development of more accurate methods for estimating CH4 emissions from ruminant livestock at the national scale.

Part 1

Part 3

Part 3

Next month, the world will gather in Copenhagen for the UN Climate Change Conference (7 – 18 December) to negotiate a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol.

In cooperation with the New Zealand Climate Change Centre and the Ministry for the Environment, the Science Media Centre will host a briefing to clarify the science behind the COP15 talks and update journalists on the most important new developments in climate change research.

SPEAKERS

Dr Howard Larsen - Principal Analyst, Ministry for the Environment.
Howard is the current New Zealand representative on the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He has extensive experience in atmospheric physics, particularly cloud physics and precipitation, and has worked in a range of countries as a scientist and lecturer at universities.

Dr David Wratt – Chief climate scientist at NIWA.
David has worked in the USA, Australia, and NZ on a range of basic and applied topics in climate and meteorology, including climate change science and impacts, mountain meteorology, and air quality. He is a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand, and Chair of its New Zealand Climate Committee. He is a member of the Bureau of the IPCC and a Vice-Chair of Working Group 1, which assesses the physical science of climate change.

Dr Tim Naish – Director of the Antarctic Research Centre at Victoria University of Wellington.
Tim is a glaciologist, chief scientist on the international ANDRILL drilling project and a Principal Scientist at GNS Science. He is an expert on the integration of geological and ice core research with ice sheet and global climate models.

Dr Andy Reisinger – Senior Research Fellow, NZ Climate Change Research Institute, VUW.
Andy is a climate scientist with a background in measurement and modelling of ozone depletion, urban air pollution and agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. He has worked in climate change science and policy as a research scientist and senior policy adviser, and was responsible for managing the production of the Synthesis Report of the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC.

Dr Harry Clark – AgResearch. Dr. Harry Clark developed the methodology used to compile the New Zealand agricultural methane emissions inventory and is a principle investigator with the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium (PGgRC). He leads programmes looking at nutritional approaches to reducing methane emissions from ruminant animals and exploiting animal to animal variation in methane emissions. He is currently acting director of the recently announced New Zealand Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Research Centre.

BRIEFING DETAILS

DATE: 11 November

START TIME: 10 a.m. (dial in five minutes beforehand)

DURATION: Approx. 90 minutes

VENUE: Wellington, Ministry for the Environment, 23 Kate Sheppard Place

or  dial in by phone and online

Further Information
Journalists wishing to join the briefing or arrange interviews with New Zealand experts on climate change, please contact the Science Media Centre on tel: 04 499 5476 or email: smc@sciencemediacentre.co.nz.