Cetacean Pathology Unit (CPU)

Aotearoa New Zealand's only dedicated, purpose-built facility for the assessment of stranded cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises) is based at Massey University, Auckland. Partnering with iwi, the Department of Conservation, Project Jonah and wider community stakeholders, the Cetacean Pathology Unit (CPU) examines hundreds of odontocetes (toothed whales and dolphins) involved in strandings, bycatch or vessel strike incidents each year in New Zealand.

Working across the length and breadth of New Zealand, staff and students of the CPU examine a diverse range of species, from rough-toothed dolphins in the Far North to spectacled porpoises received from the Deep South.  Each submission receives a comprehensive examination, involving data and sample curation for life history (age, growth, reproduction), diet (stomach contents, stable isotopes, fatty acids, eDNA), health (morphometrics, blubber adiposity, hormone analysis, toxicology) and disease (pathology, microbiology, virology, biotoxins) screening. Each case is reviewed by both biologists and veterinary pathologists to ensure a comprehensive assessment of each taonga submitted.

​

Responding to over 100 animals per annum, the CPU curates the southern hemisphere's largest cetacean biobank (BIOCET) - a national collection of over16,000 tissues spanning more than 25 years. From vagrants to endangered endemics - BIOCET offers an irreplaceable reference collection of specimens for research, conservation and critical disease surveillance.