Following the flight of the wind wanderers

Nifty vid on a Scion (ex-NZ Forest Research Institute) project I'm supporting. Basically, Aotearoa receives potential pests and diseases from offshore by various pathways including 'airbridges', many of which originate from our friends and generally good neighbours, Australia. 

This MBIE funded project explores warning systems to alert us when the aerial arrival of insects and pathogens is more likely. It began in October 2023 and runs through to 2028. Researchers are looking to fill critical knowledge gaps in atmospheric science and aerial invader biology to understand how organisms survive the journey in extreme atmospheric conditions and model techniques for how airbridges connect Aotearoa New Zealand to other landmasses, and how stuff is deposited on our whenua.

"It’s time to learn how we can strengthen our “biosecurity net” to predict when organisms may arrive and which are more welcome than others."

Key partners are Taranaki Mounga who assist in finding locations for monitoring and also supporting the integration of the science into efforts to protect their mounga. Mana whenua are helping with surveillance and identifying how this research can benefit Taranaki iwi.