What makes Te Tauihu a good place to study aquaculture and marine conservation?

Te Tauihu (the top of the South) is a hub for aquaculture and marine research in New Zealand. Cawthron Institute and many of the country's leading aquaculture businesses are based here, so industry is right on your doorstep.

Field sites. Students use a wide range of environments, including Abel Tasman, the Marlborough Sounds, Nelson Haven, Rabbit Island, beaches and coastlines throughout the region, and freshwater sites such as the Wairau Valley, the Brook and the Maitai. We're also organising a trip to Kaikōura next year.

Industry connections. Because everything is close by, it's easy to bring in industry guests and to arrange field trips around tides and weather. Businesses sometimes ask us for extra hands when they're sampling. One of our labs is at Cawthron Aquaculture Park in the Glen, alongside industry neighbours including Moananui, Clearwater, SPATnz and Marlborough Oysters.

Networking. There's a lot going on locally for students, including the Blue House (which we're actively involved with), Young Fish (meetups for people under 35), the Next Gen event series, and Women in Aquaculture, which is based in Nelson and welcomes anyone who supports women in the industry. The New Zealand Aquaculture Conference is often held in Nelson, and we take second and third year students along as volunteers so they can meet people across the sector.