Data - Page 12

Seabed trawling, when fishing nets are towed near and along the ocean floor, can physically damage seabed (benthic) habitats and species. It can also stir up sediment from the seabed, shading or smothering marine species. For this measure, coastal areas are waters shallower than 250m.
This dataset relates to the "Commercial coastal seabed trawling" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

We used NIWA’s sea-surface temperature archive, which is derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) satellite data it receives from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The archive provides high spatial (approximately 1km) and high temporal (approximately six-hourly in cloud-free locations) resolution estimates of sea-surface temperatures over the New Zealand region, dating from January 1993. Uddstrom & Oien (1999) and Uddstrom (2003) describe the methods used to derive and validate the data.
Our data extends from about 30°S to 55°S, and from 160°E to 170°W and is grouped into five areas: the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Chatham Rise, northern subtropical waters, subantarctic waters, and the Tasman Sea.
Trend direction was assessed using the Theil-Sen estimator and the Two One-Sided Test (TOST) for equivalence at the 95% confidence level.
More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

Phytoplankton are primary producers and form the basis of the oceans’ food chains. They contain the pigment chlorophyll-a (chl-a), which they use to create their own food through photosynthesis. We study concentrations of chl-a in phytoplankton to assess primary productivity in our oceans. Changes in productivity are likely to affect food chains and ultimately affect marine biodiversity, including the species we rely on for economic, cultural, or recreational purposes.
This dataset relates to the "Primary productivity" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

Source: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research

New Zealand has 92 seabird and 14 shorebird species and subspecies (taxa). Seabirds and shorebirds tend to be at or near the top of the food chain, and thrive only if the marine ecosystem is healthy. Decreasing bird populations can signal that the ecosystem is degrading.
This dataset relates to the "Conservation status of seabirds and shorebirds" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

16 April 2020: Subsequent to publication in April 2019 we discovered two small errors with this dataset. These included:

• Errors in the coordinates of some sites and their associated metadata (such as landcover and elevation).
• Errors in our calculation of dominant landcover.

In addition, flow data from TopNet has also been updated.

These changes have a minor impact on overall results. These changes have have been corrected, and are republished here, as part of the Our freshwater 2020 release.

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This dataset contains ten parameters of water quality based on measurements made at monitored river sites:

• Nitrate-nitrogen
• Ammoniacal nitrogen
• Ammoniacal nitrogen (adjusted)
• Total nitrogen
• Total phosphorus
• Dissolved reactive phosphorus
• Water clarity
• Turbidity
• Escherichia coli
• Macroinvertebrate community index

This dataset includes:

• Median values for the period 2013 to 2017
• for selected indicators, how these values compare to the National Objectives Framework (NOF) (MfE, 2017) bands related to ecosystem health and human health for recreation, and to expected concentrations in natural conditions, as shown by the default guideline values in the Australian and New Zealand guidelines for fresh and marine water quality (ANZG, 2018)

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

Summary report available at www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/fresh-water/water-qua....

New Zealand waters have at least 117 species of chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, and other cartilaginous fish species). They are particularly vulnerable to overfishing because they are long-lived, mature slowly, and have a low reproductive rate. Chondrichthyans are important for healthy ocean ecosystems, and reporting their commercial catch and bycatch helps us understand the sustainability of our fisheries.

Too much exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause skin cancer. Ozone absorbs some UV radiation, and UV levels can vary in relation to changes in atmospheric ozone. Monitoring UV levels can help us understand current skin cancer risk.
The most reliable data on solar UV irradiance in New Zealand are from spectroradiometers developed and operated by NIWA at Lauder since summer 1989/90. The dataset supplied begins in 1993, and measurements includee daily peak, noon-time mean, and total daily dose of erythemal (skin-reddening) UV.
Further information can be found in:
Liley, B, Querel, B, & McKenzie, R (2014). Measurements of Ozone and UV for New Zealand. Prepared for the Ministry for the Environment, Wellington. Available at data.mfe.govt.nz/x/LoPyPo on the Ministry for the Environment dataservice (data.mfe.govt.nz/).
This dataset relates to the "UV intensity" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

Note: PM10 concentrations are given in micrograms per cubic metre of air, or µg/m3.

Source: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences. Regional councils of Wellington,
Hawke's Bay; Nelson City Council; Marlborough District Council, Otago; Auckland Council

Note: Totals might not sum due to rounding.

Source: Statistics New Zealand