Click on the hyperlinks below (blue text) to view available webinars and presentation slides. For the NZCS Webinar Series you will need to download Adobe Connect (free) software to view.
Composite modelling: Experiments and CFD combined for better design insights on coastal structures.
The design of coastal structures continues to rely heavily on physical experiments, either compiled into widely-used semi-empirical formulations or to produce ad hoc formulations for non-conventional structures. Numerical modelling, having been under development for some decades now, has the potential to disrupt the design methodology in coastal engineering by providing detailed insights, additional data impossible to measure in the laboratory or by informing about scale effects. The largest benefits can be obtained when applying composite modelling, i.e. physical and numerical modelling working together in a complementary way.
In this presentation we will introduce the methodology to establish a composite modelling framework, outlining the advantages that it can offer and the challenges associated to its implementation. We will also review several practical applications in which two- and three-dimensional CFD models have been applied to analyse the wave-induced forces on a structure or the overtopping over it.
TALK TWO: Giovanni Coco, Joao Albuquerque, Laura Cagigal
Storm surge and wave climate projections (2020-2100) for Aotearoa New Zealand
A collaborative project by the University of Auckland with University of Cantabria has generated a nationwide set of projections of nearshore wave and storm surge conditions. The projections look at the next 80 years and are obtained using an innovative “multi-model” approach, which combines dynamical modelling and statistical downscaling. IPCC emission scenarios and associated climate properties are used to drive these predictions of future wave and surge processes.
The projections are calculated at a scale of about 25 (storm surge) and 10 (waves) kilometres for the whole New Zealand coastline. Also for the first time, this data is now publicly available through a free-access web-based platform. The data, which includes also hindcasts of both storm surge and waves, can be downloaded here.
This work provides unprecedented access to vital information for decision-makers involved in coastal planning. Our data also provides robust evidence to understand both the present and future changes in coastal hazards associated to climate change.
Baseline investigation of microplastic pollution in sediment and bivalves in the Tauranga Harbour (Tauranga Moana) and eastern coastline in the Bay of Plenty.
Microplastic pollutants are distributed globally in marine ecosystems and exert severe effects on biota. Microplastic pollutants contribute to additional cumulative anthropogenic stressors on vulnerable ecosystems and species. Here, the presence of microplastic particles were investigated in sediments and bivalve species; (Macomona liliana and Austrovenus stutchburyi), from Tauranga Harbour and the eastern coastline of the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. Microplastic particles were identified and quantified into three categories; fragments, fibres and films. Microplastic particles were separated from the sediment using a saturated solution of NaCl as a buoyancy density separation process. Microplastic particles were extracted from bivalves using a homogenising technique with 10 % KOH. Microplastic particles from sediment and bivalves were identified using visual light stereomicroscopy using an Olympus EP50 camera. Significant numbers of fibres, as well as some fragments and films were found to be present in the sediment throughout sampling locations. The greatest number of microplastics per m² (2800.20) were extrapolated from the intertidal area at the Omanu Sewage Outfall. M. liliana demonstrated a statistically significant higher amount of microplastic particles ingested than A. stutchburyi. This research provides baseline data for ongoing studies in the greater Bay of Plenty area and New Zealand. Furthermore, this study contributes valuable microplastics data for two bivalve species with differentiated feeding modes and functional roles in the marine environment. The results of this study; expands our understanding of the impact and magnitude of microplastic pollution in the marine ecosystem.
TALK TWO: Laura Robichaux
Evaluation of the Implementation Gap in Coastal Risk Management
Over the past century, urban development along the coast has exposed communities to flooding, erosion and inundation hazards. These risks are often exacerbated by both long-term municipal planning decisions. and environmental perturbations associated with sea level rise and climatic variability. Consequently, there is growing need to increase resilience through adoption of management strategies to mitigate the impacts of coastal hazards on communities while also avoiding overreliance on hard engineering structures. Some calls for implemented risk management solutions are tinged with frustration following decades of studies and promises and limited action. Within coastal management and climate change literature, there is acknowledgement of this “implementation gap” or “adaptation deficit” between proposed and executed projects and strategies to manage risk or adapt to climate change. Project progression from conceptualization to implementation is influenced by several social, financial and institutional factors. To examine the factors influencing each phase of the project life cycle, fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) were constructed to improve resolution of the networks influencing project development. We have identified patterns in enabling or constraining factors when comparing different types of projects: defend, adapt or retreat. These varied strategy types sit within existing institutions differently and typically provoke different reactions from communities. We critically evaluate how various project types from two distinct locations sit within socio-political environments within the project life cycle to better understand the implementation gap.
Since at least 1979, people have been calling for the Kaituna River to be re-diverted back into the estuary to address the environmental degradation. That journey began in earnest in 2009 with finalisation of a joint strategy for the Kaituna River and Maketu Estuary that included the goal of rediverting the Kaituna River and creating 100 ha of wetland. Approximately ten years later the next stage of the journey has begun with water rediverted, the estuary starting to recover and wetland projects underway.
Sea Level Rise Planning Webinar by Dr. Bruce C. Glavovic Click on the link above to view the presentation slides from the online lecture given by Massey University Professor Dr Bruce Glavovic on sea level rise. The seminar was part of the Massey University Planning Programme's Weekly Planning Seminar Series 2020.
The presentation focuses on the challenge of responding to rising sea levels. It provides an overview of key findings from recent IPCC Special Reports, focusing on insights from the chapter on sea-level rise in the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate released in September 2019. Enabling conditions for navigating the reality of sea-level rise in the short-, medium- and long-terms are outlined. Key questions are posed for communities and their governing authorities in Aotearoa-New Zealand to consider.
