A second round of doctoral research projects, part of the international Intercoast programme, will soon be underway in the Bay of Plenty.

The University of Waikato's Environmental Research Institute hosted the opening session of a two-week visit by University of Bremen delegates in Tauranga yesterday.

The session was also attended by the German Ambassador Dr Anne-Marie Schleich and senior representatives from both the New Zealand and German Governments.

Intercoast is a multidisciplinary collaboration between the two universities bringing doctoral students to New Zealand to study the marine systems of the Bay of Plenty and understand the significant changes taking place in our coastal environment.

Waikato students conduct similar research around the North Sea in Germany.

Workshops being held over the next two weeks will update plans for the second round of doctoral projects as well as developing funding proposals for the third round through to 2018.

Ambassador Dr Anne-Marie Schleich says New Zealand and Germany have collaborated in science research for 35 years and Intercoast, which was established in 2010, was the flagship science programme between the two countries.

Anne-Marie also acknowledges the support of Waikato University's key partners in the Bay of Plenty – Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Priority One and the Port of Tauranga.

Waikato's Chair in Coastal Science Professor Chris Battershill says Intercoast is a successful example of international science collaboration and the relationship has also been enormously helpful during the long-term environmental monitoring programme in the wake of the Rena grounding.

'Our collaboration with the University of Bremen allowed us to quickly harness the most sophisticated expertise and technology globally, for surveying the seabed for contaminants and debris.

'It was therefore possible to cover very large expanses of the Bay of Plenty near-shore coast that was influenced by Rena.”

Intercoast involves natural science, social science and law doctoral students. Projects include looking at the impacts of harbour development on ecosystems, protection and utilisation of the harbour and coastline.

The projects also look at sediment studies as well as the legal issues surrounding coastal and marine resources, and the social changes taking place in coastal communities.

Marine systems in both hemispheres face similar pressures from rapid population increase, commercial development and recreational usage. The projects aim to provide long-term data modelling and impact analysis to aid decision making by regional and environmental planners.

The first Intercoast student graduated from the University of Bremen in December. Several more students are almost complete.

Waikato students began later than their Bremen counterparts and are mostly halfway through their research. Twelve new Bremen students have just begun their research and expect to visit the Bay of Plenty for the New Zealand part of their research next year.