We need faster, better ways to monitor NZ’s declining river health – using environmental DNA can help
- Written by: Michael Bunce, Honarary Professor in Environmental Genomics, University of Otago
Getty Images/Julia CrimNew Zealand’s rivers are not in a good shape. The Ministry for the Environment’s latest freshwater report shows an estimated 45% of total river length is no longer suitable for swimming and 48% is partially inaccessible to endangered migratory fish.
The science is clear. Inputs of nitrogen and phosphorous,...