New Zealand is a world-leader in conservation techniques. 

We successfully took back Campbell Island from the rats in 2001. In 2009 PhD student Kyle Morrison visited an island in the Aleutian chain named Rat Island. “New Zealand eradication expertise has been so effective there that the island now needs a new name!” But he says we’re short on answers when it comes to the staggering decline of the Rockhopper Penguin. Morrison hopes to change that, while also providing a critical case study on the effects of global warming.

Kyle Morrison (Canada) – Massey University (Biological Sciences) PhD (Also pictured – a North Island Brown Kiwi.)

Between the early 1940’s and the mid-1980’s the breeding population of Southern Rockhopper Penguins on New Zealand’s Campbell Island shrunk by more than 1.5 million penguins. The main threats to rare birds on ‘mainland’ New Zealand are well known: predation by introduced mammals, and habitat loss. But these factors are not prime suspects in the Rockhopper’s decline on Campbell. Experts suspect that global warming has led to a reduction in the availability of the fish, krill, and squid species the penguins feed on, resulting in juvenile and adult survival rates that are too low, and/or breeding success that is too low to maintain a stable population. Morrison’s PhD research will estimate the change in population size since the mid-1980’s, measure survival and breeding success rates to determine their impact on population dynamics, and evaluate how the penguin’s diet and foraging behaviour influences their body condition and breeding success. 

And this is no small task. The penguins on Campbell Island breed in exposed colonies on rocky slopes below tall vertical cliffs, some over 300 metres high. Because of this steep terrain, only one of the eight main breeding colonies of Rockhoppers is readily accessible to researchers. This colony occurs in aptly named Penguin Bay, at the Western tip of the island. “The two-bunk hut situated nearby is called The Penguin Bay Hilton,” explains Morrison. “The Hilton has a 5-star view of Campbell’s rugged west coast, but being the size of a garden-shed it lacks a few of the amenities one might expect to find at a luxury resort, such as electricity, heat, shower, and toilet.” All their gear, food, and fuel must be packed out to the hut on a five-hour tramp from the main base. The sea lions share their tramping tracks, and although they would rather munch on fish and penguins than people, care must be taken. “You don’t want to startle a grumpy bachelor from his sleep!”

Morrison previously spent four field seasons researching seabirds on remote islands in the North Pacific, along the coast of British Columbia and in Alaska’s western Aleutian Islands, reveling in the isolation, wildlife, and stunning scenery of these natural places. Similarly, the opportunity to spend three field-seasons studying Rockhoppers on a beautiful island on the opposite end of the Pacific Ocean presented a strong draw. “My MSc research focused on Tufted Puffins, which have been described as looking like ‘bikers’. Similarly the spiky crest feathers and feisty attitude of Rockhoppers make them little rock-stars in my mind.” 

Morrison’s father’s keen interest in natural history has been a strong influence throughout his life. His career as a big game biologist was dedicated to managing bear, moose, and deer populations in Ontario, Canada, but his spare time was filled with watching birds, and capturing their beauty in wood carvings and taxidermy. “My Dad’s creative talent and detailed knowledge of birds taught me a great deal and he continues to educate the public through displays of his bird-mounts in museums and Visitor’s centres.” 

“I think that university collaboration with government bodies such as the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and the Department of Conservation (DOC) are of great benefit to ecological research here, and are making my research possible.” 

Morrison went on to get a BSc in Biology from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and an MSc in Biology from Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. “My seabird research began during my MSc under the supervision of Dr. Mark Hipfner, an Associate Professor at Simon Fraser University and Research Scientist at Environment Canada. His passion for seabirds and science and immense contribution to our understanding of seabirds through his publication record inspires me.” 

Morrison had about a year out of school between his MSc and PhD where he volunteered to do seabird research in Alaska. “I then moved to New Zealand and did wind farm consulting, bird-monitoring work, and I started researching a PhD project and applying for scholarships.”

He’s excited to be doing his PhD at a New Zealand institution. “I am early on in my New Zealand education experience, but I think that university collaboration with government bodies such as NIWA and DoC are of great benefit to ecological research here, and are making my research possible.” Researchers at New Zealand universities, says Morrison, commonly have collaborative research projects with other researchers internationally, and this sharing of information and skills is of huge benefit to everyone. 

“New Zealand’s PhD programmes that are focused exclusively on a thesis research project and do not have paper requirements makes them different from PhDs in North America. Having equal tuition costs for New Zealand and international students is (also) fairly unique and can’t help but attract worthy students to New Zealand who would otherwise be unable to study here.”

In New Zealand, Morrison sees a beautiful natural environment with a population who want to find innovative solutions to common problems with conservation, energy and development. “New Zealand has a lot on its plate when it comes to conserving its natural environment, given the number of unique species occurring here. I think the country has done well to preserve the extensive land areas it has done before the human population grows large enough to swallow up more habitat.” But he’s quick to point out the downside. The mining in conservation land proposal of 2010, for example, shows that pressures to utilise natural resources will continue to grow. “The strong response of the public in condemning the proposal is to be commended in my opinion. Natural areas will retain their tourism and intrinsic values in perpetuity if conserved properly, but exploited land and lost species can not be recovered.”