The initial five-day deployment along the cyclone-prone East Coast of the North Island will use advanced environmental DNA (eDNA) to audit marine health before the mission expands across the Polynesian Triangle.

The expedition is supported by a global coalition of scientific, Indigenous, and legal partners, delivered in partnership with Apparent Winds, which supports the operational deployment of the Moananui Sanctuary's wider ocean restoration framework.

Running from 25–29 April, the East Coast mission marks the operational launch of the two-year Āvei Moana Voyage, a trans-Pacific initiative uniting Indigenous knowledge with cutting-edge science.

The expedition will operate the 75-foot ocean monitoring vessel SV Resilience, joined on the East Coast by the vessel Tangaroa, skippered by local legend and ocean protector Joe McClutchie. A US-based scientific team will conduct eDNA sampling alongside biodiversity monitoring with local hapū (tribes), gathering the rigorous empirical data required to substantiate Customary Marine Title and enforce sovereign Indigenous marine governance.

The voyage serves as the physical activation of He Whakaputanga Moana—a Pacific treaty designed to secure legal personhood for whales. Mandated by the late Māori King and championed by key leaders, including Moananui Sanctuary Chair Rāhui Papa, the Declaration has been signed by Indigenous leaders from throughout the Pacific.

It elevates whales from natural resources to right-bearing entities with the freedom to migrate and thrive. Crucially, the mission aims to establish the baselines needed to recover a population of one million whales, recognising their role as massive biological carbon sinks and vital climate engineers.

Dr. Mere Takoko, author of the Declaration and Executive Trustee of the Moananui Sanctuary, stated the mission will fundamentally shift global ocean governance.

Locally, the high-resolution data gathered will directly support the impending Customary Marine Title applications for 12 Ngāti Porou hapū. This work establishes the genetic and ecological baselines necessary to exercise Indigenous data sovereignty and prove unbroken, active management of the customary marine estate.

“Massive sediment loads from the Waiapu River are actively smothering marine habitats, driving indigenous species of shellfish like hawea and essential seaweeds to the verge of extinction,” Takoko added.

“By blending modern science with hapū-led stewardship, we are proving that our people have never relinquished the capacity or the absolute authority to audit and govern our own marine estates.”

Following the East Coast work, the Āvei Moana Voyage will expand across the Pacific along traditional ara moana (sea roads) of Ngāti Porou, travelling to Tahiti and the Marquesas, returning to Tahiti during the whale breeding season in July, and then continuing to Tonga and Samoa to harmonise legal protections with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs).

The expedition is supported by a global coalition of scientific, Indigenous, and legal partners, delivered in partnership with Apparent Winds, which supports the operational deployment of the Moananui Sanctuary’s wider ocean restoration framework.

Skipper and Executive Director of Apparent Winds, Prentice “Tripp” Brower, said the Resilience is a floating marae, a place where modern science and traditional knowledge meet.

“The biological and eDNA baselines we establish over these five days will be critical for the long-term survival of these coastlines. By supporting communities to collect their own data, we’re ensuring this knowledge stays with the people protecting these ecosystems. It’s an honour to be part of a coalition that blends traditional knowledge with modern ocean science to support conservation outcomes.”