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The Trophic Level Index (TLI) is a method of characterising the ecological health of lakes based on the amount of nutrients and algae growing in them.  It provides an integrated measure of water quality that can be tracked over time and that can be used to estimate biological productivity.  It is pr...

Read this factsheet to find out more on air quality monitoring in New Zealand, including who monitors air quality, and the standards and guidelines that air pollutants are monitored against.

Most estuary monitoring is carried out by regional councils and unitary authorities, who are responsible for managing the sustainable use of natural resources in their region and have a duty to gather and record information on the State of the Environment (SOE).  Other agencies that undertake monito...

Why monitor groundwater? Groundwater changes over time. Groundwater levels rise and fall as the seasons change, and in response to heavy rainfall and groundwater use. Groundwater quality can also respond to changes in the seasons and to rainfall events, as well as to changes in land use. By monitori...

How is land cover in New Zealand monitored? The most widely-used source of land cover monitoring data in New Zealand is the New Zealand Land Cover Database (LCDB).

National Environmental Monitoring Standards (NEMS) are a suite of technical standards that prescribe best practices for continuous measurements of a range of environmental parameters, alongside the appropriate quality coding of data, and relevant supporting information.  Learn more about NEMS

The National Environmental Monitoring Standards (NEMS) project aims to ensure consistency in the way environmental monitoring data is collected and handled throughout New Zealand.

Why does New Zealand’s air quality get worse in winter? Air quality declines in winter primarily due to increased use of wood and coal for home heating. Smoke levels are affected by what is burned and how, weather conditions, and the geography of the surrounding landscape. During calm, cold conditio...

Under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), councils must undertake SOE monitoring in order to "effectively carry out their functions". Or simply put, to check if desired environmental results are being achieved, e.g., meeting an environmental standard or guideline.   New Zealand's regional a...

Communication is the main purpose of SOE reporting - to tell us about the health of our environment and changes to it over time. SOE reporting illustrates whether environmental management is effective or where attention is required. It provides early warning of environmental risks, e.g., to air, lan...

The highly automated communications process by which measurements are made and other data collected at remote or inaccessible points and transmitted to receiving equipment for monitoring. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure. Councils use telemetry to send envir...

What is mud content? Mud content refers to the amount of fine silt and clay particles (collectively called ‘mud’) that have washed off the land and are present in the surface layers of estuary sandflats. Mud is defined as sediment particles less than 0.063 mm in diameter, and is characterised by the...