Science Centres: Aquatic Biodiversity and Biosecurity

Although the National Centre for Aquatic Biodiversity and Biosecurity obviously concerns itself with matters aquatic, it can capitalise on work by NIWA’s atmospheric scientists.

NIWA has developed models to predict how wind-borne pests and diseases could spread. These have been used to help Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry entomologists at the National Plant Pests Reference Laboratory determine where pests may go and where they may have come from if carried by the wind. The dispersal of Asian gypsy moths in Hamilton, tropical fire ants at Mount Maunganui, and red imported fire ants in Napier have all been modelled.

Similar techniques can be applied to the aquatic environment to predict the spread of pests and pollutants.