Development of a National Aquatic

Biodiversity Information System

for New Zealand

Jacqui BurgessSenior ScientistMinistry of Fisheries New Zealand

New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy

• Responding to a decline in indigenous biodiversity

• Key component of vision:– Biodiversity is valued and

better understood

• $ NZ1.4 m to improve understanding of marine biodiversity

Marine Biodiversity Research Programme

• Aims to improve understanding of NZ marine biodiversity by:– Improving information management

– Increasing knowledge of communities

• Three project areas:– Marine communities in NZ waters

– Marine communities in Ross Sea, Antarctica

– National Aquatic Biodiversity Information System (NABIS)

What will NABIS do?

• Provide free access to information about the marine environment via an Internet based GIS

• Add value to existing data by transforming it into information

• Enable users to query information, discover data sources and produce maps

• Improve geospatial data management and apply common standards

Evolution of NABIS

• Consultation

• Decisions decisions decisions

• More consultation

• Hard decisions made

• Ready to go after 2 years!

Initial Consultation Process

• Individual interviews

• Discussion paper

Key Outcomes of Consultation

• Need information not data

– People do not have skills to interrogate or interpret distributed databases

– Managers need information for quick decision making (not data)

– Improved access to information will lead to better decision making

Information vs Data

Information:• Is derived from some form of data

analysis• May be derived from a variety of

data sources• Avoids complications surrounding

ownership of data • Avoids misinterpretation of data

points

But what information?

• Newsletter

• Questionnaire

Base information layers

• Coastline

• NZ EEZ

• Place names (Town, city, port location)

• NZ 12 nautical mile limit

• Fisheries administrative boundaries

High priority information layers

•Species distributions/ranges

•Fisheries catch

•Breeding colonies/areas

•Bathymetry

•Aquaculture

•Marine Protected Areas

Presentation of Information

EXAMPLE 1:• Fisheries catch by Fisheries

Management Area• Combined data from all

vessels fishing for stated species over a particular period of time

• Attribute data available for each FMA may include: tonnes, effort, fishing methods etc

Presentation of Information

EXAMPLE 2:• Species distribution• May combine data from a

number of databases holding information on distribution of stated species

• Metadata may include: data sources, data owners, data managers, etc

Presentation of Information

EXAMPLE 3:• Position of marine farms • Data source local

government, verified on site• Attribute data may include:

Farm name, Farm owner, species farmed, reliability of position, etc

Process for Development

NABIS will be delivered in two distinct phases :

– Phase 1 Prototype Implementation (early 2003)

– Phase 2 Full Implementation (late 2003)

NABIS PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT TO

DATE

Bridges yet to cross…

• Sourcing relevant data for information layers

• Final decisions on functionality of system

• Metadata standards

• Managing stakeholder expectations

Acknowledgments

• David Prentice (Project Manager)

• Pete Smith (System Developer)• NIWA (photos of NZ & Ross

Sea marine biodiversity)

Future updates on NABIS at: www.fish.govt.nz