Café des Idées in Wellington - Marine darkwaves

The next Café des Idées, organised by and , is honoured to host François Thoral and Māia-te-oho Holman-Wharehoka for a captivating discussion on the marine darkwaves and the issue of murky waters in Aotearoa New Zealand and Whanganui-a-Tara.

The ocean is changing colour, both internationally and around Aotearoa New Zealand. Around the motu, recent extreme events like cyclone Gabrielle has darkened coastal waters for weeks to months, prompting the emergence of a new framework to identify extreme periods of underwater blackouts: the marine darkwave framework.

In this presentation, we shed light on marine darkwaves, and relate them to the local context of Te Whanganui-a-Tara, the Wellington harbour. We highlight key concerns from Taranaki Whānui on the health of Te Whanganui-a-Tara and future directions where Indigenous and scientific Knowledge Systems are combined to create a healthier future for Te Whanganui-a-Tara, and its human and non-human inhabitants.

François Thoral is a postdoctoral fellow between the University of Waikato and Earth Sciences New Zealand.

Māia-te-oho Holman-Wharehoka is a Kaimānga mō Taranaki Whānui at Ahumai consultants.

📅 Friday, 17 April 2026 - 5.30pm
📍 Alliance Française Wellington, 78 Victoria Street, Wellington
🎟️ Free entry, koha donation

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