Scientific Research on MV Kaselehlia

MV Kaselelia was a research vessel for a number of scientific research programmes. These were mainly carried out in the Marlborough Sounds. Staff and students from University of Otago, The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and the University of Auckland participated.

The main focus of these expeditions was collecting modern comparative material for osteological research relating to archaeozoology. In particular, collecting large numbers of individual species of fish, from very small to very large. Ministry of Fisheries issued special permits for taking undersized specimens for this research. For example, blue cod was the target of one of these projects. After specimens were collected they were measured and weighed, and then rendered down to skeletons, and various parts of the anatomy are measured and the data captured in a database. This research enables the original live weight and length of the fish to be accurately estimated from the size of bones in the skeleton. In turn these matehematical relationships are used for reconstructing ancient fish catches from bones in archaeological sites. For example, This diagram shows the catch of blue cod at two different periods of time from archaeological sites on Mana Island.

Another type of research work which Kaselehlia permitted was finding and recording archaeological sites in the Marlborough Sounds where boat access is necessary. This included many early historic period sites, such as small whaling stations, as well as pre-European Maori sites.

Finally, Kaselehlia has been equipped for detailed benthic surveying. This has been a joint research project with University of Otago Department of Computer Science. Differential GPS is employed with a portable ground station transmitter which sends GPS correction data to the onboard GPS. Software was written for sea-bottom mapping and plotting with corrections for tidal movements in real-time on board.

The following are some snapshots of personnel on these Scientific surveys