Our team of experienced freshwater and estuary/coastal taxonomists excels in processing macroinvertebrate samples from a variety of ecosystems, including streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, and coastlines. We’re well-versed in all standard processing protocols used in Aotearoa, and provided expert advice to the Ministry for the Environment’s National Environmental Monitoring Standards (NEMS) Macroinvertebrates working group during the development of the NEMS Macroinvertebrates protocols. We use our processing skills for our own ecological investigations, as well as for samples collected by others, including annual State of the Environment monitoring work for regional councils. We’ve identified species from poorly understood or unsampled streams across the breadth of the country, including the remote Subantarctic islands.
Our purpose-built aquatic invertebrate processing laboratory is equipped with specialised tools and systems to assist in our accurate taxonomic identification, as we recognise that any ecological programme is only as good as the original taxa identifications. We provide comprehensive and ongoing training for our staff and adhere to stringent internal quality control standards that exceed national guidelines. Our rigorous quality assurance processes encompass the entire sample life cycle, from receipt to data delivery, and ensure that we consistently pass external quality control with very high levels of taxonomic accuracy. We maintain a range of internal taxonomic resources including an extensive reference collection and bespoke identification keys developed to build upon the information available in published keys. Our taxonomists have also produced identification keys available to the public, including the first interactive identification key for freshwater invertebrates of Campbell Island, and an ID chart for the freshwater invertebrates for use by community groups. We also maintain a network of specialist taxonomists who are consulted for taxonomic advice as needed, underscoring our commitment to taxonomic accuracy.
Taxonomy for State of the Environment Monitoring: Annual Freshwater Invertebrate Sample ProcessingRegional Councils & Unitary Authorities
Under Section 35 of the Resource Management Act 1991 and the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 (NPS-FM), regional councils are required to monitor a range of State of the Environment (SOE) data. Included within this is the collection of freshwater macroinvertebrate samples, the data from which provides information on the ecological health of the given waterway. We’ve been processing freshwater macroinvertebrate SOE samples since the 2006/2007 sampling season and is currently contracted to process SOE samples for more than a third of New Zealand’s regional councils/unitary authorities. While there is no formal accreditation process for macroinvertebrate sample processing in New Zealand, samples processed in our laboratory regularly undergo Quality Control processing by external taxonomists. We consistently exceed external Quality Control requirements with taxonomic agreement generally at or above 99%.
Since the publication of the National Environmental Monitoring Standards (NEMS) Macroinvertebrates in 2022, regional councils have begun the transition process to these new standardised methods for SOE sampling and sample processing. We continue to support these councils in adopting the NEMS Macroinvertebrates protocols, utilising our experience as part of the laboratory advisory panel to the NEMS working group and three seasons of applying the methods to refine our delivery outputs. We are also experienced at assisting councils with data management, such as preparing and compiling datasets for input into ecological databases.
Informing Estuary Health Investigations: Invertebrate Identification for Long-term MonitoringChristchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury & Ihutai Trust
As part of the long-term monitoring programme established by Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury and the Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust, we’ve been assessing the health of the Avon-Heathcote Estuary/Ihutai since 2007. Our expert team undertakes the comprehensive sampling programme conducted at up to seven sites within the estuary and its river mouths each year. This programme includes not only detailed field and in situ identification of intertidal biota from epifauna samples, but also the collection of infauna cores and high algae-load epifauna samples for detailed laboratory processing.
In our specialised aquatic invertebrate processing laboratory, we employ a range of methodologies that adhere to New Zealand’s standardised processing protocols for estuary samples. All benthic invertebrate fauna, including polychaetes, are identified to the lowest practicable level, ensuring the provision of a reliable and high-integrity dataset.
Uncovering Hidden Diversity: Freshwater Invertebrate Identification and Discovery on Campbell IslandEOS Ecology, Department of Conservation & Royal New Zealand Navy
The Campbell Island Bicentenary Expedition, coordinated by EOS Ecology in 2010–11, marked a significant leap forward in understanding the freshwater biodiversity of this remote Subantarctic island, and the discovery and identification of freshwater invertebrates was at the heart of this breakthrough. With our freshwater research team at the lead, we conducted the first comprehensive invertebrate survey of over 25 streams and 35 tarns on Campbell Island. We undertook habitat assessments and meticulously gathered invertebrate samples, alongside collections of periphyton, microbial samples, and sediment cores, all of which were carefully preserved for detailed analysis back on the mainland.
Once the expedition concluded, our focus turned to processing these samples and identifying taxa to the lowest practicable level – a task that revealed remarkable diversity within Campbell Island’s freshwater systems and expanded the known freshwater taxa inhabiting the island from 13 to over 50. With funding from the Department of Conservation, we compiled and published the first-ever taxonomic identification keys for the island’s freshwater invertebrates for the newly expanded range of taxa. Among these findings, we worked with other taxonomic specialists to describe a notable diversity of oligochaete species, with 20 taxa newly recorded for the island and several entirely new to science. These additions offer a rare glimpse into the distribution of invertebrate fauna on subantarctic islands, deepening our understanding of island biogeography and evolutionary processes in isolated environments.
Beyond the academic value, this research provided a lasting contribution to New Zealand’s National Museum, Te Papa. By delivering a comprehensive invertebrate reference collection, we enriched national collections and provided resources for future ecological and conservation efforts. Our work not only enhances biodiversity records but also serves as a baseline for monitoring changes in Campbell Island’s freshwater ecosystems, ensuring that our findings have both immediate and long-term value for New Zealand’s natural heritage.
