Welcome!

Haere mai, welcome to Oceanic Storytellers, the hub for research updates from the many seabird science projects in Tikapa Moana, the Hauraki Gulf. Our goal is to tell the stories of these often overlooked species that so desperately need our help.

rako (Buller's shearwaters), tītī wainui (Fairy prions) and pakahā (fluttering shearwaters) in a 'work-up' foraging over a fish school

Seabirds are the most threatened group of birds in the world, and face many threats both on land and at sea. Here in Tikapa Moana we have 27 species of seabirds that breed in the region, 5 of which breed nowhere else on earth (there are 28 species in the Northern New Zealand region, the addition being Buller's/Pacific albatross on Manawatāwhi the Three Kings Islands!). This amazing diversity so close to Aotearoa New Zealand's largest city is unique in the world - there's nowhere better to study seabirds! Unfortunately, it also means the seabirds in our region are also vulnerable to a large number of threats.

There are many exciting research projects currently investigating these species, to help us better understand how to conserve them. This website was established to share the stories from these research projects, about the birds, the science, and the conservation.

Head on over to our ABOUT page to learn more about what we do and the team behind all the PROJECTS, which we will begin to share more of soon! Watch this space - subscribe to our mailing list to get updates as they appear.