Slowing the mud invasion
New Zealand's estuaries were once sandy, forest-lined gems.
Freshwater Update 80, March 2019
4 March 2019
Freshwater Update 80 brings you the latest information from our Freshwater & Estuaries Centre, with articles that cross a broad spectrum of freshwater research. This edition has articles about the sources of plastics in our waterways, the discovery of long-lost lake plant species and a breakthrough in research about freshwater mussels/kākahi.
The search for a long-lost plant to bring life back to our coastal lakes
The plight of some coastal lakes in Canterbury is well-known. Many were once abundant mahinga kai site for local Māori, some are now the most polluted waterbodies in the country.
Scientist collects rubbish to rid river of plastics
It may be rubbish to everyone else, but to Amanda Valois each little scrap of plastic on a river bank or in a waterway tells a valuable story.
Glass eel ear bones could reveal migration patterns
The ear bones of tiny eels might hold clues to their largely secret life.
Scientists make break-through in saving freshwater mussels
Doctoral student, Michele Melchior, has made an important breakthrough in the effort to save New Zealand's freshwater mussels, or kākahi.
Kākahi were once a valuable food source for Māori, and they also play a crucial role as indicators of the health of waterways. All three kakahi species in New Zealand are in decline.
The New Zealand Water Model (NZWaM) – a new water modelling approach
Models have an important role to play in water management in New Zealand. To be useful, models need to be both flexible and complex; flexible because they are needed for a wide range of purposes, and complex because they need to simulate complex natural and man-made systems