KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Di Tracey
2025 NZMSS award - Matai Mōana - winner
Di Tracey is a deep-sea Emerita scientist at Earth Sciences NZ with a long career in fisheries and coral research. She has focussed on the biology of deepwater fishes such as orange roughy, spending a lot of time at sea on trawl surveys to collect data and biomass estimates for use in fisheries stock assessments. Di has been instrumental in coordinating and advocating for deep-sea coral research in Aotearoa New Zealand, leading and contributing to research publications on their taxonomy, identification and distribution, age and growth, life-history traits, and threats. Her efforts have greatly increased awareness and understanding of deep-sea coral biodiversity; as such, Di is a recognised international expert on deep-sea corals.
Di has a strong history of advocacy for and mentoring of women working in science during her 40+ year career. She has been a willing and strong mentor for women researchers, has hosted numerous national and international students in the lab and at sea, and supervised several PhD and Masters students. She was awarded a New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal in 1993, was the recipient of the Miriam Dell Award for Excellence in Science Mentoring, and is the 2025 NZ Marine Sciences Society Award winner.
Dr Jenni Stanley
Dr Jenni Stanley is a Senior Lecturer in Marine Science at the University of Waikato and a Rutherford Discovery Fellow. She is a marine ecologist and aquatic acoustician with broad expertise in underwater sound, from the sounds produced by marine animals to the effects of human-made noise on marine ecosystems.
Her research combines soundscape ecology, underwater acoustic analysis, signal processing, sensory ecology, bioacoustics, animal behaviour, and noise pollution. Her current work focuses on the underwater soundscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand’s marine protected areas, exploring how much anthropogenic noise occurs within these spaces, which sound-producing species are present, and how human-made noise may alter the acoustic environment. This work supports the development of non-invasive and cost-effective approaches for monitoring and managing marine protected areas.
Jenni works closely with marine managers, regulatory agencies, and conservation professionals to help translate acoustic science into practical environmental management. She has worked internationally, including in the United States as a Research Scientist with NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and later with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Prof James J Bell
Below the kelp zone and before the deep sea: exploring the mesophotic communities of Aotearoa New Zealand
James Bell is a Professor of Marine Biology at Victoria University of Wellington, where he leads a research team focused on subtidal reef ecology. His work spans shallow coastal habitats to mesophotic ecosystems, with a strong emphasis on understanding how anthropogenic stressors influence benthic communities. He is best known for his research on sponges.
His research integrates field surveys, experimental ecology, genomics, and emerging technologies such as photogrammetry and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to map and monitor reef biodiversity across Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.
James is currently supported by a Royal Society Mana Tūārangi Distinguished Researcher Fellowship, multiple Marsden grants, and philanthropic funding. He is actively involved in national and international collaborations with government agencies and regional councils, focusing on classification and mapping frameworks for deep reef habitats. He is a past recipient of the Royal Society of New Zealand Charles Fleming Award.
He has supervised over 50 postgraduate students, with past members of his group now working worldwide as researchers, lecturers, environmental managers, and consultants. He has also led national outreach programmes, developed teaching resources for schools, and featured in documentaries, podcasts, and magazines, as well as giving numerous media interviews.
Presentation Abstract
Below the kelp zone and before the deep sea: exploring the mesophotic communities of Aotearoa New Zealand Just below the kelp zone, but before reaching the deep sea, lies the mesophotic zone. These unique ecosystems exist at the lower limit of light availability for photosynthesis and typically span depths from 25 to 150 m, although in some light-limited locations, such as Fiordland and parts of Wellington, they occur in much shallower waters. In recent years, the increased availability of small, lower-cost remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) has revolutionised our ability to explore mesophotic ecosystems. Over the past five years, my research group has explored deep rocky reefs within the mesophotic zone across Aotearoa New Zealand and has also worked on shallower mesophotic ecosystems in Fiordland, Wellington, and other parts of the world. Although sponges often dominate temperate mesophotic ecosystems, we have documented a wide range of ecosystem types, including red coral gardens off Fiordland, sponge and anemone forests in Wellington, and ascidian beds off Rakiura/Stewart Island. In this talk, I will discuss my group’s work to explore, characterise, and map mesophotic communities across Aotearoa. I will describe our research to understand the ecological function of mesophotic reefs and the role they play in supporting ecologically, culturally and economically important species. I will outline our efforts, working with the Department of Conservation and regional councils, to develop a habitat/biotope classification scheme for mesophotic reefs and apply new photogrammetry approaches to establish ROV-based monitoring programmes. I will also discuss our group’s experimental work to understand how dominant mesophotic organisms respond to anthropogenic stressors, particularly the response of sponges to marine heatwaves (MHWs). This will include our recent work to understand the role of symbiotic microbes in supporting sponge acclimation to MHWs and the potential for sponges to survive in changing warmer oceans.
