Meet Emma Whiteman
“I wanted to live and work in the Coromandel because it’s a very special and important place to me and I wanted to use what I had learnt, to do some good there.”
Meet Emma Whiteman
"I’ve always loved the ocean, and being able to explore this passion while at school helped me realise I wanted to turn it into a career."
Enrolling in a marine academy training programme during her final two years of school sparked Emma Whiteman’s deep affection for the ocean, ultimately motivating her to pursue a Degree in Aquaculture.
Emma is employed as a Farm Technician at Moana New Zealand, where she tends to their oyster farms in the Coromandel. She enjoys the daily variety and diversity her role provides.
Emma spent her childhood on a dairy farm in Otorohanga, living there until she was 16 years old. Her family then relocated to Whitianga, where, during her time at Mercury Bay Area School, she enrolled in the Marine Academy Course and gained her diving certificate.
Her love for biology and the sciences, combined with her frequent trips on the water, inspired her to pursue a career in aquaculture.
After finishing school, Emma enrolled in the Environmental Management Programme at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in Tauranga, where she was drawn to the marine focus. She completed a Diploma in Marine Environmental Management before transferring to the University of Waikato for her final year, where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Aquaculture.
After completing her degree, Emma was eager to find a job that was the right fit for her.
“I wanted to live and work in the Coromandel because it's a very special and important place to me,” says Emma, “and I wanted to use what I had learnt, to do some good there.”
Emma has embraced her role at Moana, describing each day on the job as unique.
"My main role revolves around keeping track of our oysters' history and the processes we've applied to them,” Emma says, “I also spend a good deal of time on the water, which I absolutely love and manage any trials or experiments we run.”