Measured oceanic chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations as an indicator of marine primary productivity. Phytoplankton are primary producers of biomass (mass of living organisms) and form the main basis of marine food chains. They use the chl-a pigment to capture the sun’s energy through the process of photosynthesis. Phytoplankton growth is affected by the...

"Freshwater plant and animal pests can have significant negative impacts on ecosystem health by reducing indigenous biodiversity through predation and competition, and destabilising aquatic habitats. Freshwater plant pests can cause economic losses through blocking water intakes for hydroelectricity generation, impeded drainage or irrigation. In addition,...

Hydroelectricity is a renewable source of electricity. It makes an important contribution to New Zealand’s energy supply and economy. This dataset relates to the "Contribution of hydroelectricity to total electricity generation" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

We measure the annual concentrations and proportions of natural and anthropogenic particulate matter 10 micrometres or less in diameter (PM10). PM10 in the air comprises solid particles and liquid droplets from both natural and human-made sources. PM10 occurs naturally, for example, as sea salt, dust (airborne soil), or pollen. Airborne soil particles,...

Note: Metadata relates to the mosaicked imagery. This layer has been provided to enable users to explore coverage and capture dates of the imagery. To enquire about ordering the imagery, please e-mail lucas[at]mfe.govt.nz. This imagery is 10m, ten-band multispectral, cloud-minimised mosaics of Sentinel 2A satellite tiles over mainland New Zealand made...

UPDATED 21/04/2017 (See "Land domain updates" page for details; http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/environment/environmental-reporting-series/environmental-indicators/Home/Land/land-domain-updates.aspx) Different land uses put pressure on the land environment and can result in changes to soil health. Healthy soil supports the productivity of...

"Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plant and animal life. Total phosphorus (TP) includes all concentrations in a sample, whether dissolved, in solid form or bound to sediment in the river. Dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) is the portion which is dissolved and can immediately support plant and algae growth. Excess phosphorus in our rivers can...

Extreme wave indexes estimate the occurrence of extreme wave events in coastal and oceanic waters. Extreme wave indexes estimate the number of times a significant wave height exceeds one of three threshold values for at least 12 hours in 24 marine regions. The three wave-height thresholds are four metres, six metres, and eight metres. This indicator...

Industrial activities emit a range of pollutants that affect our air quality. The health effects associated with exposure to these pollutants range from respiratory irritation to some forms of cancer. Nationally, industrial activities are the main human-made source of sulphur dioxide emissions. This dataset relates to the "Industrial emissions" measure on...

"Freshwater plant and animal pests can have significant negative impacts on ecosystem health by reducing indigenous biodiversity through predation and competition, and destabilising aquatic habitats. Freshwater plant pests can cause economic losses through blocking water intakes for hydroelectricity generation, impeded drainage or irrigation. In addition,...

Livestock numbers reflect changes in the number of farmed beef and dairy cattle, deer, and sheep across New Zealand. Livestock farming is a widespread land use in this country. It is important to monitor this use because it can affect the indigenous biodiversity, soil health, and water quality. Column headings: numbers = numbers of animals This dataset...

OECD countries, 2011 PM10 concentrations are given in micrograms per cubic metre of air, or µg/m3. Source: World Health Organization Note that data for Israel and Australia are for 2008 Note that data for Japan and Denmark are for 2010 Note that data for New Zealand and Canada are for 2012

Ozone (O3) is a gas that is of interest in two regions of Earth’s atmosphere – at ground level and in the upper atmosphere (stratosphere). Stratospheric ozone absorbs ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun and protects Earth from harmful levels of UV. Exposure to these UV rays has been linked to skin cancer. Monitoring variations in stratospheric ozone...

The New Zealand River Environment Classification (REC) organises information about the physical characteristics of New Zealand's rivers. Individual river sections are mapped according to physical factors such as climate, source of flow for the river water, topography, and geology, and catchment land cover eg, forest, pasture or urban. Sections of river...

"Freshwater plant and animal pests can have significant negative impacts on ecosystem health by reducing indigenous biodiversity through predation and competition, and destabilising aquatic habitats. Freshwater plant pests can cause economic losses through blocking water intakes for hydroelectricity generation, impeded drainage or irrigation. In addition,...

Sea-level rise is a consequence of climate change. Increases in global temperature cause ocean waters to expand, and glaciers and ice sheets to melt into oceans. Sea-level rise affects estuaries, coastal wetlands, and intertidal and sub-tidal habitats and species. The increased likelihood of coastal erosion from sea-level rise presents a risk for seaside...

"Freshwater plant and animal pests can have significant negative impacts on ecosystem health by reducing indigenous biodiversity through predation and competition, and destabilising aquatic habitats. Freshwater plant pests can cause economic losses through blocking water intakes for hydroelectricity generation, impeded drainage or irrigation. In addition,...

Land Environments of New Zealand (LENZ) is a classification of fifteen climate, landform, and soil variables chosen for their relevance to biological distributions. Classification groups were derived by automatic classification using a multivariate procedure. Four levels of classification detail have been produced from this analysis, containing 20, 100,...

Groundwater is the water stored beneath Earth’s surface in aquifers (layers of water-bearing rock or sand). It is used for human and stock drinking water, irrigation, and industry, and also has a role in sustaining some rivers, lakes, and wetlands, especially during low-flow periods. The health of surface-water ecosystems also depends on groundwater....

The New Zealand River Environment Classification (REC) organises information about the physical characteristics of New Zealand's rivers. Individual river sections are mapped according to physical factors such as climate, source of flow for the river water, topography, and geology, and catchment land cover eg, forest, pasture or urban. Sections of river...