Waiheke Marine Project

Waiheke Marine Project (WMP) is a Te Tiriti (Ngāti Pāoa ki Waiheke Roopū and Community) led project to restore and regenerate the marine environment around Te Motu Ārai Roa (Waiheke Island). The five core projects empower manawhenua and the community: 1) Regenerative Dive Program: aims to remove the financial barriers to obtaining dive certification for both manawhenua (local Māori people with ancestral authority over the land and sea) and community members. 2) Kelp Gardeners: Restoring Ecosystems through Kaitiakitanga, Mātauranga, and Science. This initiative is dedicated to the restoration of seaweed reefs. 3) Kōura Dive Survey: Supporting the Ngāti Pāoa Rāhui. This project aims to gather reliable data on kōura (crayfish) populations to support the rāhui (temporary closure) established by Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust. 4) Beach Cleans 5) Marine Monitoring: working collaboratively to monitor Exotic Caulerpa and providing community education to reduce marine pest species.