This National Chemical Contaminants Programme (NCCP) – Raw Milk Result Summary July 2014 to June 2015 provides a summary of results for raw milk and colostrum sampled over the full 2014/2015 dairy season, spanning the period 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015

This National Chemical Contaminants Programme (NCCP) – Raw Milk Result Summary July 2013 to June 2014 provides a summary of results for raw milk and colostrum sampled over the full 2013/14 dairy season, spanning the period July 2013 to June 2014

This Dairy National Chemical Contaminants Programme (NCCP) Report provides a summary of results for the full 2011/12 dairy season, spanning the period July 2011 to June 2012

This Dairy National Chemical Contaminants Programme (NCCP) Report provides a summary of results for the full 2012/13 dairy season, spanning the period July 2012 to June 2013

Tiny amounts can be serious for people with allergies

Rig nursery grounds were defined and ranked from a review of existing information and a nationwide set net survey of 14 major harbours and estuaries in 2011. Kaipara and Raglan harbours were very important nurseries, followed by Waitemata, Tamaki and Porirua harbours. South Island harbours do not appear to be important rig nurseries. Juvenile snapper and grey mullet were frequent bycatch in North Island estuaries, and were most abundant in the same harbours as rig.

This review of existing information describes the current state of knowledge on soft-sediment marine assemblages around New Zealand; it identifies hotspots of biodiversity; highlights threats to, and the vulnerability of, assemblages; discusses knowledge gaps; and recommends areas or assemblages that could be the subject of directed future research. The review is supported by The Marine Soft Sediment Biodiversity Bibliographic Database which houses over 700 references.

This report describes relationships, patterns and contrasts in benthic species composition, assemblages and habitats, both within and between sites and initial sampling strata across the Challenger Plateau and Chatham Rise. Data used came from four different fauna collection methods: DTIS video; seamount sled; still images taken along the DTIS video; and beam trawls.

The development and retrospective application of a system of trauma classification to all sea lions captured from 1999/00 to 2007/08 is discussed, and results compared across years and between groups (e.g. SLED versus non-SLED captures). A lack of brain examinations in the years before 2006/07, in combination with difficulties in interpreting lesions from frozen cadavers, means that this retrospective review has some limitations.

Rhodolith beds in New Zealand harboured high diversity of associated macroalgae and invertebrates, undescribed taxa as well new records and range extensions of known species. Subtidal beds were investigated, examining structure and physical characteristics at two locations in the Bay of Islands, and characterising two species, Lithothamnion crispatum and Sporolithon durum. Responses of these rhodolith species to environmental stressors were also investigated both in the field and in culture.

Use of shallow samples to estimate the total carbon storage in pastoral soils.

With projected increases in temperature and incidences of droughts and floods, pastures are likely to become more vulnerable to weeds and poor pasture persistence to become an increasingly significant issue. This on-farm study investigates whether increasing the diversity of sown pasture species can increase the pasture resilience and resistance to weeds under different climatic conditions. Thirty paddocks were selected in Northland, Waikato, Taranaki and North Canterbury.

This study provides improved estimates of fire danger for New Zealand under
future climate. Fire danger ratings for two projection periods (the 2050s, 2040-
2059; and 2080s, 2070-2089) were estimated using monthly changes in weather
inputs (temperature, humidity, wind speed and rainfall).

Evaluation of the impact and direct effect of climate change on the productivity of New Zealand's planted forest systems.

The goal is to construct a 'state of the art' continuous flow fermentation system for use by rumen microbiologists/rumen nutritionists in order to speed up work on developing mitigation solutions for enteric methane emissions from ruminants.