The Mauri Compass is an assessment tool developed by Ngāti Mutunga to evaluate the mauri and spiritual well-being of the environment. There are three domains:

Ngāti Mutunga undertook a Mauri Compass assessment at Kukuriki Reef to evaluate the cultural and environmental health of this significant marine area. This initiative, based on Māori knowledge and family narratives, reveals the state of Kukuriki Reef's mauri.

A wānanga held in June brought Ngāti Mutunga whānau together to take carry out various attributes of the Mauri Compass dashboard. The hui created space for kōrero, story sharing, and the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and aspirations for the moana. Whānau contributed their experiences and observations, helping to shape a shared understanding of current conditions and future goals for restoring and protecting the mauri of their environment.

For Ngāti Mutunga, the ocean remains a great treasure, an original wellspring of tribal identity and enduring culture. The whakapapa to the ocean is acknowledged by generations who have long resided for the ocean.

Score: 4.0/5.0

For Ngāti Mutunga, the moana remains central to identity and wellbeing — a living link to tūpuna and a source of kai, culture, and connection. This relationship is deeply valued (score: 5) and continues to shape who the iwi are today.

Many whānau still gather kaimoana (score: 4), while others do so less often. There’s a clear drive to reconnect — especially by supporting rangatahi to learn and spend time by the moana. The loss of some kaumātua has made passing down knowledge harder, highlighting the need for iwi-led wānanga to strengthen mahinga kai practices.

Access to important wāhi tapu is becoming more difficult (score: 2), with erosion, private ownership, and land restrictions limiting engagement. Despite this, whānau remain determined to protect and honour these ancestral sites.

Kaitiakitanga remains strong (score: 4). Ngāti Mutunga continue to uphold their role as guardians of the moana, facing modern pressures with resilience. Compared to 40 years ago, tikanga, protection of taonga species, and active stewardship are more visible — showing that kaitiakitanga is lived and evolving to uphold the mauri of the marine environment for future generations.

Score: 2.0/5.0

Tikanga connected to the moana is still present within Ngāti Mutunga, but its expression has weakened over time. Practices such as rāhui, tangihanga, and waka activities happen occasionally (score: 3) and often depend on the place and the whānau involved. Some examples remain strong — like rāhui placed over mahinga kai areas at Mimi and Urenui due to E. coli contamination — but these are not consistent across the rohe.

In many areas, tikanga has faded due to disconnection, limited transmission, or changing priorities. The full range of tikanga wai Māori and wai tai is now rarely practiced (score: 1), and karakia — once central to engaging with the environment — has been lost in parts, though signs of renewal are emerging.

The revival of tikanga relies heavily on intergenerational transmission and active effort. Without being lived and taught, it risks disappearing. Yet there is growing awareness and commitment among whānau to restore it — through wānanga, tikanga-based learning, and deeper understanding of the “why” behind each practice.

Overall, the iwi recognises what has been lost and is working to strengthen what remains — aiming to restore tikanga in a way that is relevant, grounded, and led by Ngāti Mutunga themselves.

Score: 3.3 / 5.0

Ngāti Mutunga maintains a deep spiritual bond with the moana, grounded in whakapapa, sacred sites, and its role as a place of healing and identity. The moana is widely seen as a source of ūkaipō — nourishment for the soul (score: 5) — used for rongoā, healing, and restoring balance.

Knowledge of wāhi tapu remains strong across the iwi (score: 4), though visitation is limited (score: 2) due to access issues, especially where sites are on private land. Some areas have visible markers or signage, helping keep that awareness alive. There’s shared recognition that rangatahi need support to carry this knowledge forward.

Protection of wāhi tapu receives mixed feedback (score: 3). Legal mechanisms exist, but cultural recognition and practical safeguarding often fall short. Frustration was expressed about symbolic gestures of biculturalism that don’t lead to real protection — though there’s optimism around growing youth involvement and future policy change.

The moana’s spiritual use remains active, particularly for gathering rongoā (score: 5) and occasional cleansing rituals such as waikarakia and waitapu (score: 3). However, contamination at some sites has limited safe access for these practices.

Ngāti Mutunga's traditional mahinga kai practices have significantly declined over time, with participation being infrequent today. The 2025 indicator is 1.8, which shows that practices are remembered and considered, but not consistently carried out.

Score: 1.5 / 5.0

Mahinga kai among Ngāti Mutunga has declined sharply from its former strength. The 2025 score reflects practices that are remembered and valued but now rarely upheld due to ecological damage, disconnection, and limited knowledge holders.

Providing kai from the moana for hui or tangihanga is now infrequent (score: 2), with many lacking confidence, access, or resources to gather safely. Some whānau source kaimoana from elsewhere, like Wharekauri, showing the pressure on local stocks. Environmental decline, lifestyle changes, and access issues have all contributed to this shift.

Customary gathering of materials such as harakeke, stones, seaweed, and pingao also happens only occasionally (score: 2). While some still use these taonga for carving, dyes, or marakai, the practice is a shadow of its past. Few rangatahi are actively involved, though there’s a growing call to reconnect through wānanga and teaching.

Access to safe, healthy kai is limited (score: 2), with sedimentation, forestry runoff, and wastewater discharges affecting confidence in water quality. The presence of sewage in near by awa (score: 1) has made sites unsafe, posing serious cultural and health risks. Some whānau choose not to harvest at all, reflecting a tikanga-based form of restraint and care.

Few pūkenga are consistently engaged in teaching mahinga kai (score: 2), though wānanga are emerging as a way forward. Revitalising these practices will rely on reactivating knowledge holders and ensuring rangatahi can learn and live tikanga daily.

Only 19 marine species were found at Kukuriki Reef, less than half of the 40 species identified at Turangi Reef. This decline indicates the fragile environment and the impact on this area.

Score: 2.0 / 5.0

Kukuriki Reef supports a range of taonga species, but overall richness is low compared to sites like Turangi Reef. Nineteen species of marine flora and fauna were recorded during the intertidal survey — including mussels, limpets, chitons, barnacles, sea lettuce, snails, and crabs — less than half the 40 species found at Turangi.

The lower diversity reflects Kukuriki’s exposed setting, with sandy surrounds and eroding cliffs limiting habitat variety. While it remains an important kaimoana site, the reef lacks the broader range of taonga and mahinga kai species seen in more sheltered environments. This suggests a system that is functional but naturally constrained in its ability to support high biodiversity.

Score: 2.5/5.0

From Ngāti Mutunga’s perspective, the overall abundance of taonga species is low. Whānau have noted a marked decline in kaimoana compared to the once plentiful stocks recalled in living memory. Sedimentation, farming runoff, pine forestry, and wastewater discharges have all contributed to habitat degradation and reduced species numbers. Recent toxin events along the Taranaki coast have further limited access and recovery, reinforcing concerns over the long-term health and abundance of taonga species within the rohe.

Score: 1.5 / 5.0

The presence of paralytic shellfish toxins has directly impacted the health of taonga species such as kuku, pipi, and tuatua along the Taranaki coast. The algae responsible for this event produce dangerous toxins that accumulate in the gut and flesh of shellfish through filter-feeding, affecting their overall condition and survivability.

These toxins not only make kai unsafe for people but also disrupt natural food chains and stress wider marine ecosystems. The mauri of this attribute is low, with recovery dependent on the decline of harmful algal blooms and the restoration of healthy, balanced water conditions.

Score: 4.0 / 5.0

Green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus) are abundant across Kukuriki Reef, forming near-continuous coverage in parts of the intertidal zone. Their dominance highlights the reef’s importance as a kaimoana source for Ngāti Mutunga and local communities. Kuku thrive in the lower intertidal where they stay submerged longer, while those higher up show stress from sand buildup. The spread across reef zones suggests a mix of age and growth stages, indicating an active and self-sustaining population.

Score: 4.0 / 5.0

Overall kuku health appears strong, with no visible signs of disease, discolouration, or parasites. The population shows good vitality across zones, though natural pressures such as sand movement and turbidity create some vulnerability. These stressors could affect the long-term stability of mussel beds if conditions worsen, but at present, the species remains robust and resilient.

Score: 2.5 / 5.0

Kukuriki Reef is the only rocky reef along this stretch of sandy coast, hindered by eroding cliffs and rocky outcrops. This is an important, yet small and vulnerable, environment for marine life.

Score: 2.5 / 5.0

Kukuriki Reef is a partly natural but highly constrained habitat — the only rocky reef along a stretch of sandy coastline backed by eroding papa and sandstone cliffs. The hard substrate provides essential anchorage for shellfish, algae, and other species that can’t survive in shifting sands. Small pools in the cliffs retain seawater at low tide, supporting intertidal life, and clear zonation is visible with mussels, barnacles, and chitons occupying different levels. However, the reef’s limited scale, high exposure, and frequent sand and sediment movement reduce its overall habitat diversity and resilience. Compared to reference sites like Turangi Reef, Kukuriki is less complex but remains ecologically and culturally significant as the only hard structure in the area.

Score: 2.0 / 5.0

The catchment above Kukuriki Reef is dominated by steep papa and sandstone cliffs with farmland along the foreshore, where ongoing erosion feeds sediment into the coastal environment. This erosion is the main source of turbidity and sand movement around the reef. Native vegetation is sparse, and riparian buffers are largely absent, leaving the area vulnerable to runoff and further degradation. While no direct pollution discharges were noted, diffuse sediment input is continual and expected to worsen during heavy rain or increased land use. From a Mauri Compass perspective, catchment health is moderate to poor — shaped by natural erosion but worsened by the lack of vegetative stability and management intervention.

Score: 1.0/5.0

Failing septic tanks have caused serious environmental and cultural impacts across the Ngāti Mutunga rohe. Untreated wastewater flowing into the Urenui River brings pathogens like E. coli, along with nutrients and other pollutants that reduce water quality and harm aquatic life. These discharges fuel algal growth, damage habitats, and contribute to biodiversity loss, upsetting the natural balance of the catchment.

While the worst effects are seen in the estuary, the contamination continues downstream into the moana, where pollutants build up and weaken the health of marine species and habitats. This ongoing issue goes against Ngāti Mutunga’s kaupapa of protecting the integrity of coastal waters.

Together, these pressures have diminished the mauri and wairua of both the river and the sea, made mahinga kai unsafe, and limited Ngāti Mutunga’s ability to uphold kaitiakitanga. Fixing failing wastewater systems and stopping discharges into waterways are key steps to restoring the mana and mauri of the environment.

The recent paralytic shellfish toxin alert, caused by harmful algal blooms, reinforces these concerns—showing how excess nutrients and changing conditions are now creating space for toxic algae to thrive, further weakening biodiversity and resilience along the coast.

Score: 1.0 / 5.0

Paralytic shellfish toxins found in Taranaki shellfish pose a serious chemical hazard to both marine life and people. Produced by harmful algal blooms, these toxins build up in filter-feeding species and remain in their tissue long after the bloom subsides. This contamination has led to official harvest bans, showing how even naturally occurring compounds can threaten mahinga kai and disrupt customary practices. The event reflects a decline in the mauri of the coastal environment, with recovery dependent on ongoing monitoring, catchment nutrient control, and early detection of bloom conditions to prevent future outbreaks.

For Ngāti Mutunga, the ocean remains a great treasure, an original wellspring of tribal identity and enduring culture. The whakapapa to the ocean is acknowledged by generations who have long resided for the ocean.

Score: 4.0/5.0

For Ngāti Mutunga, the moana remains central to identity and wellbeing — a living link to tūpuna and a source of kai, culture, and connection. This relationship is deeply valued (score: 5) and continues to shape who the iwi are today.

Many whānau still gather kaimoana (score: 4), while others do so less often. There’s a clear drive to reconnect — especially by supporting rangatahi to learn and spend time by the moana. The loss of some kaumātua has made passing down knowledge harder, highlighting the need for iwi-led wānanga to strengthen mahinga kai practices.

Access to important wāhi tapu is becoming more difficult (score: 2), with erosion, private ownership, and land restrictions limiting engagement. Despite this, whānau remain determined to protect and honour these ancestral sites.

Kaitiakitanga remains strong (score: 4). Ngāti Mutunga continue to uphold their role as guardians of the moana, facing modern pressures with resilience. Compared to 40 years ago, tikanga, protection of taonga species, and active stewardship are more visible — showing that kaitiakitanga is lived and evolving to uphold the mauri of the marine environment for future generations.

Score: 2.0/5.0

Tikanga connected to the moana is still present within Ngāti Mutunga, but its expression has weakened over time. Practices such as rāhui, tangihanga, and waka activities happen occasionally (score: 3) and often depend on the place and the whānau involved. Some examples remain strong — like rāhui placed over mahinga kai areas at Mimi and Urenui due to E. coli contamination — but these are not consistent across the rohe.

In many areas, tikanga has faded due to disconnection, limited transmission, or changing priorities. The full range of tikanga wai Māori and wai tai is now rarely practiced (score: 1), and karakia — once central to engaging with the environment — has been lost in parts, though signs of renewal are emerging.

The revival of tikanga relies heavily on intergenerational transmission and active effort. Without being lived and taught, it risks disappearing. Yet there is growing awareness and commitment among whānau to restore it — through wānanga, tikanga-based learning, and deeper understanding of the “why” behind each practice.

Overall, the iwi recognises what has been lost and is working to strengthen what remains — aiming to restore tikanga in a way that is relevant, grounded, and led by Ngāti Mutunga themselves.

Score: 3.7 / 5.0

Ngāti Mutunga maintains a deep spiritual bond with the moana, grounded in whakapapa, sacred sites, and its role as a place of healing and identity. The moana is widely seen as a source of ūkaipō — nourishment for the soul (score: 5) — used for rongoā, healing, and restoring balance.

Knowledge of wāhi tapu remains strong across the iwi (score: 4), though visitation is limited (score: 2) due to access issues, especially where sites are on private land. Some areas have visible markers or signage, helping keep that awareness alive. There’s shared recognition that rangatahi need support to carry this knowledge forward.

Protection of wāhi tapu receives mixed feedback (score: 3). Legal mechanisms exist, but cultural recognition and practical safeguarding often fall short. Frustration was expressed about symbolic gestures of biculturalism that don’t lead to real protection — though there’s optimism around growing youth involvement and future policy change.

The moana’s spiritual use remains active, particularly for gathering rongoā (score: 5) and occasional cleansing rituals such as waikarakia and waitapu (score: 3). However, contamination at some sites has limited safe access for these practices.

Score: 1.0/5.0

Failing septic tanks have caused significant environmental and cultural degradation within the Ngāti Mutunga rohe. Untreated wastewater has entered the Urenui River, introducing pathogens (e.g., E. coli), nutrients, and other pollutants that degrade water quality and harm aquatic life. These contaminants contribute to algal blooms, habitat decline, and biodiversity loss, disrupting the natural balance of the ecosystem.

Although the immediate impacts are visible in the estuary, the effects extend downstream into the moana, where pollutants accumulate and further weaken the health of marine species and habitats. This ongoing contamination directly conflicts with Ngāti Mutunga’s kaupapa to protect the integrity of coastal waters.

Collectively, these impacts have diminished the mauri and wairua of both the river and the sea, made mahinga kai unsafe, and undermined Ngāti Mutunga’s ability to exercise kaitiakitanga. Strengthening wastewater infrastructure and eliminating discharges into waterways are essential to upholding this policy and restoring the mana and mauri of the environment.

The Ngāti Mutunga Iwi Management Plan's Coast section provides essential context regarding the iwi's relationship with and concerns for the coastal environment.

Scientific data from the 30-year monitoring program reveals distinct characteristics and challenges for each of the 6 key reef sites, corroborating cultural observations of their health and resilience.

The Port Taranaki dredging report for 2022-2024 confirms regular maintenance dredging operations continue with high environmental performance and compliance. This ongoing assessment is crucial for understanding the localised effects of industrial activity on our vital marine ecosystems and kaimoana.

These findings reinforce the importance of continuous monitoring. The assessment aligns with Mauri Compass insights by acknowledging how industrial activities influence the same marine areas, underscoring the need for integrated environmental stewardship for future generations.

MPI leads New Zealand's marine pest management system, working with local government and industries to protect coastal waters.

Port Taranaki is a critical entry point for marine pests into the region. Vessels arriving from both international and domestic ports pose a significant biosecurity risk, potentially carrying invasive species that can disrupt delicate marine ecosystems.

While MPI leads international biosecurity efforts, domestic vessel movements often lack the same rigorous controls, creating vulnerable pathways. A surveillance program routinely checks high-risk sites like Port Taranaki twice yearly to detect new threats.

Taranaki's coastal waters face diverse chemical contamination risks from industrial, agricultural, and urban sources. These hazards threaten marine ecosystems, kaimoana safety, and cultural practices, requiring urgent comprehensive monitoring.

These widespread hazards impact kaimoana safety and diminish cultural practices like mahinga kai.

Significant monitoring gaps exist, highlighting the critical need for comprehensive chemical testing.

Here's a concise overview of the key statistics and findings from the Kororā monitoring program:

The report brings together nearly four years of monitoring across Urenui and Waiiti Beaches, providing a solid foundation for understanding local kororā populations. While the data shows strong effort and coverage, there are key gaps - particularly around linking individual birds to nests, recording egg and chick counts, and identifying adults during checks. These missing details limit current understanding of breeding success and survival.

However, the overall dataset is a strong starting point: well-structured, covering multiple years and sites, with consistent tagging methods. To build on this work, recommendations include standardizing field recording, improving bird-nest linkages, ensuring key measurements are always captured, and increasing resighting efforts. These steps will make future analyses more powerful and strengthen understanding of kororā health, behavior, and long-term trends in Taranaki.

Wilderlab offers DNA metabarcoding services for kororā research.

Ngāti Mutunga is implementing a comprehensive monitoring plan for kororā (little blue penguins), integrating traditional tohu with modern low-impact science methods to protect these cultural and environmental treasures. The plan utilizes a four-pillar approach: prey richness & abundance, diet confirmation, foraging effort, and bird condition & productivity.

Ngāti Mutunga is embarking on iwi-led intertidal assessments of two reefs within their rohe. This vital initiative will leverage existing scientific data, creating a robust framework for environmental stewardship.