A marine scientist with many interests - David Culliford

David enjoys the way research allows him to follow his own marine studies interests - of which he has many - and the way he has been able to mentor research scholarship students and involve them in his projects. 

Recent projects include:

• Ongoing research investigating habitat health within the Waikareao Estuary
• Development of the ‘Davinator’, a low-cost and portable system for mapping underwater habitats in shallow coastal waters combining sonar data with photogrammetry, using a fish finder and GoPro camera inside a waterproof box
• Monitoring the Northern Seawall Renewal Project in Tauranga Harbour with the creation of an artificial natural rocky foreshore. Part of international research into seawall enhancement 

Recent publications include:

Culliford, D. (2025). I’ll be back: The Davinator enables repeatable habitat assessment and mapping in shallow aquatic environments. Southland Institute of technology Journal of Applied Research.  

Wilde, T., Culliford, D., & Jeans, R. (2024), Tauranga Northern Seawall renewal, 'Living Seawall' project. Coastal News, 85, 3-5.