Science Centres: Aquatic Biodiversity and Biosecurity

FBIS map showing where data on freshwater species have been collected around Auckland.

Information on freshwater biodiversity is now available on the web at the click of a mouse.

NIWA, supported by funding from the Department of Conservation, has created the Freshwater Biodata Information System (FBIS), which contains records of over 105 000 samples of plants and animals living in lakes, rivers, and streams, and their locations.

Here are some examples of how FBIS could be used.

• A developer wants to take water from one of several streams in an area. FBIS might show that rare native fish live in one stream but not another.
• An iwi is concerned that invasive plants could clog up a lake. FBIS can map where pest plants have been recorded, track their spread over time, and show the proximity of ‘clean’ waterways to infested ones.
• A regional council is considering an application for resource consent to take water from a river. FBIS can help identify what aquatic plants and animals live downstream.

‘Several of NIWA’s databases have been transferred to FBIS and integrated to enable easy searching. Data from other organisations can be added easily if they wish,’ says Dr Don Robertson of NIWA.

FBIS produces detailed, high-resolution maps for any part of the country and will show any combination of information specified by the user.

You can see FBIS in action at http://fbis.niwa.co.nz

If you are interested in adding your freshwater data to the system, contact:
Don Robertson, General Manager, Biodiversity, Biosecurity, & Information Services: d.robertson@niwa.co.nz