Nelson Science Stories

Nelson Science Stories

Hosted by Graeme Robertson, Nelson Science Stories shines a light on the discoveries, people, and places that have shaped the region’s rich scientific heritage. From early innovations to modern breakthroughs, each episode uncovers the fascinating stories behind Nelson’s contribution to science in Aotearoa and beyond.

Episodes

Jan 14 2026 ep11 - Tesla nodes, aliens and other nasties

January 13, 2026 • 11 mins
(For the “wild & wacky” section) An earnest visitor wants Cawthron to start research into cetacean behaviour. Turns out he believes aliens are extracting energy from our planet, from a “Tesla node” above Farewell Spit. That visit gets aired on RNZ. Prof Yasumoto, the foremost expert in Japan on Marine biotoxins, visited Cawthron after the 92/93. At a dinner in Wellington with officials he pushed his request for samples. He and his...
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Jan 07 2026 ep10 - Glenhaven Aquaculture Centre Ltd

January 6, 2026 • 12 mins
In the 1990s, Cawthron’s Aquaculture Park began with Henry Kaspar’s vision, converting a small oyster hatchery into a research facility. The installation of a polythene pond liner, deployed by surprised volunteers in minutes rather than hours, turned out to be a good omen. The mussel breeding program initially struggled with highly labor-intensive batch rearing. SwItching to a continuous-flow system proved critical for scaling prod...
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Dec 31 2025 ep09 - Solving the mussel breeding problem

December 30, 2025 • 9 mins
In the 1990s, New Zealand’s mussel industry relied on unpredictable wild spat collection. Scientist had been working for decades to grow Greenshell mussels in a hatchery, without success. A would-be PhD student persuaded Cawthron to give him a job and build a research hatchery to tackle the problem. We hired him and he succeeded. The story describes the beginnings of Cawthron’s mussel breeding programme, the Cawthron Aquaculture Pa...
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Dec 24 2025 ep08 - Giant Bloom shuts down baby mussel supply

December 23, 2025 • 8 mins
In the late 1990s, a massive toxic algal bloom off the North Island halted mussel spat transfers to South Island farms. Cawthron set up emergency 24-hour testing, hiring and training casual staff to meet demand. Later, they developed an innovative solution to clean contaminated spat, enabling the restoration of South Island operations within months. That successful project strengthened Cawthron’s industry ties, and won the industr...
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Dec 17 2025 ep07 - Medinzaherbs

December 16, 2025 • 8 mins
Cawthron found itself in the centre of a search for alternatives for tobacco growers in the Nelson Tasman District. A quartet consisting of Cawthron, the DSIR, MAF Technology and the NZ Trade Development Board signed a contract with a giant Japanese company specialising in medicinal herbs. A company, Medinzaherbs Ltd, was formed and at its peak was harvesting and drying 35 Ha of root crops. The research eventually showed that the s...
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Dec 10 2025 ep06 - Japan Connections

December 9, 2025 • 12 mins
In the years immediately after I joined Cawthron, contacts with Japanese scientists boosted our connections with New Zealand research organisations and enhanced our reputation. Cawthron Fellow Prof Tatsuo Kosuge, recently retired from the University of Shizuoka, provided crucial funding during difficult times. I learned a great deal from him and his connections with Japanese academics and companies proved invaluable. This episode d...
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Dec 03 2025 ep05 - Culture, values and early media attempts

December 2, 2025 • 10 mins
A bit of a mixture: some reflections on Cawthron’s values and an engineer’s experience managing people who were cleverer than him, plus an early media experience
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Nov 26 2025 ep04 - Marine Biosecurity and Invasive Species

November 25, 2025 • 11 mins
The discovery of an apparently invasive toxic algae on the sea floor around the loading terminal for giant iron ore carriers showed the dangers of jumping to conclusions. Both cases show that, with a heads up and some guidance, companies will very often do the right thing.
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Nov 19 2025 ep03 - Microbiology Lab

November 18, 2025 • 11 mins
A brief account of the early days of Cawthron’s microbiology lab. In 1988, at Cawthron scientist had discovered a novel organism which could produce high-purity xanthan gum from dairy waste. Despite impressive science the patent was reluctantly allowed to lapse. Meanwhile, the lab’s commercial testing thrived. A high-profile listeria case involving Kiwi Mussels tested the lab’s integrity and highlighted risks of food safety fraud....
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Nov 12 2025 ep02 - New Zealand's First Algal Blooms

November 11, 2025 • 16 mins
In 1992/93, toxic algal blooms in Northland prompted nationwide harvest bans. Most of these turned out to be false alarms, due to unreliable mouse bioassay tests. The shellfish industry pushed for better monitoring, leading Cawthron to develop an early warning system for toxic algae and advanced toxin testing methods. Cawthron’s work, later approved by international regulators, established NZ shellfish as the world’s safest. They a...
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Nov 05 2025 ep01 - Jim Bolger

November 4, 2025 • 6 mins
In the mid-90s, the then Prime Minister Jim Bolger visited Cawthron’s new research hatchery out at the Glen. Peter Dixon, a key shareholder, was gravely ill. The Prime Minister took time out from his busy schedule to visit Peter at home, sharing a heartfelt moment with his family. This was an emotionally charged visit before Peter’s death days later.
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