Firoz Badesab reports on sampling expedition at Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand

The first intercoast sampling expedition in Tauranga Harbour was coordinated and motivated by intercoast project IC8: Magnetic minerals as markers of coastal zone evolution. It was a joint operation involving PhD students from four different intercoast projects involving: Christopher Daly (IC1), Serena Fraccascia (IC3), Ruggero Capperucci (IC5) and Firoz Badesab (IC8).

The main aim of this expeditions was to collect the representative samples (surface samples and short sediment cores) covering most parts of tauranga region which includes wairoa river catchment, intertidal flats, southeastern tauranga harbour, dredged area, entrance channel and coast, with focus to investigate sediment distribution and dynamics. This survey was also planned with an objective to set the sampling stratergies for IC1, IC5 and IC6. projects.

Dr. Hendrik Müller lead the sampling expedition and Liane Brück, technical assistant, University of Bremen managed, the field lab in tauranga. In the field lab, the grab and short sediment cores were sub sampled, processed and stored under the freezing conditions. These samples are presently being analyzed for magnetic, sedimentological and geochemical analysis in different laboratories at University of Bremen and Senckenberg Institute, Wilhelmshaven.

Assoc Prof Roger Briggs, University of Waikato participated in field program for sampling the river catchments and upstream areas along with Firoz Badesab. Dirk Immenga, senior technical officer, University of Waikato organized the ship operation on research boat Tai Rangahau and provided the technical support for data collection.