E aro whānui nei tēnei tuhinga ki ētahi rangahau i whakamahi i te mātauranga moana kia whakamōhiotia, kia hāpaitia hoki ngā tukanga rangahau ā-papa me ngā rūritanga o te pūtaiao Pākehā. I whakatau te mātauranga Māori ā-wāhi nei, ā-moana nei hoki, i te tikanga tuku me te tikanga ine i ngā taonga hirahira nei ki te ahurea Māori pēnei me; te Kina, te Koura, te Kūtai, te Pāua anō hoki, i ngā ākau i hï ngohi ai ngā whakareanga maha, i whakahaerehia rā hoki e rātou. Kātahi taua mātauranga ka whakamaheretia, ka whakamahia hoki hei taumata ine i ngā rūri-tanga rangahautanga ā-papa o te pūtaiao mō te takutai moana. Ko ngā kitenga i hua mai i te rangahau matarau mō te moana i whakamahia rā kia whanake ake ngā mahi whakahaerenga ki te hāpai i ngā umanga Māori me ngā umanga Kāwanatanga kia pai ake, kia tiketike ake, kia whakahaumarutia ake anō hoki ngā taonga a Tangaroa ā haere nei te wā. Ka āta wetewete, ka whakatauira hoki tēnei tuhinga i te whaipānga me te kōkiri tahi-tanga i waenga i te mātauranga Māori me te pūtaiao Pākehā, me te hiranga o ngā rautaki kaupapa Māori nei kia whakamanahia ai ko te mahi tahi me te Māori, ka tahi, ka rua ko tō te Māori reo i te whakawhanake takirua nei, i te whakatinanahanga, i ngā whakawhiti kōrero anō hoki i roto i ngā rangahau ā-moana.
This article provides an overview of research which used mātauranga moana (Māori marine knowledge systems) to inform and assist Western science field research methods and surveys. Place-based Māori marine knowledge identified the traditional distribution range and sizing of taonga (culturally important) species in traditional coastal areas which had been fished and managed by consecutive generations of Māori; kina, Evechinus chloroticus, sea urchin; koura, Jasus edwardsii, red rock lob-ster; kūtai, Perna canaliculus, green lipped mussel; and pāua, Haliotis iris, abalone. This knowledge was then mapped and used as the baseline for sub-tidal marine science field research surveys. Findings from the transdisciplinary marine research was used to develop management actions to assist Māori and Government entities for improving, enhancing and safeguarding marine taonga species into the future. This article critically discusses and demonstrates the relevance and complementarity of mātauranga Māori and Western science, and the importance of kaupapa Māori strategies for empowering Māori collaboration and voices in marine research co-development, implementation and communication.