Nationally Significant Collections and Databases

The NIWA Invertebrate Collection (NIC) comprises a database and physical collection of marine invertebrates, with over 300,000 samples collected from around Aotearoa New Zealand, the Antarctic region and South West Pacific.

Marine Invertebrate Collection (NIC)(external link)

Custodian: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited (NIWA)

The NIWA Invertebrate Collection (NIC) holds specimens from almost all marine invertebrate phyla. This is a result of about half a century of marine taxonomic and biodiversity research in the New Zealand region, the South West Pacific and the Ross Sea, Antarctica.

New Zealand lies in the South West Pacific, a region that harbours one of the world’s highest species diversity in some marine invertebrate groups with a high proportion of endemic species (that don't occur anywhere else). This huge diversity is, amongst other things, related to the variable seafloor relief and Aotearoa New Zealand’s ancient geological history. Aotearoa New Zealand is fortunate to have a significant representation of its marine biodiversity in the NIWA Invertebrate Collection at Greta Point in Wellington.

The NIC maintains and develops long-term datasets and legacy collections of critical importance for reproducible biological science. It provides taxonomically verified records for application in a wide range of environmental and biological research including biodiversity, biosecurity, environmental surveys, and resource utilisation.

How to access

The data are free and may be downloaded from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) pages.

NIWA Invertebrate Collection(external link) — Ocean Biodiversity Information System

Physical specimens can be loaned to universities, colleges, museums and other research or education institutions for the use of resident research staff. Enquiries concerning loans should be addressed to the Collection Manager and sent to our NIWA Invertebrate Collection email.

Contacts for NIWA Invertebrate Collection staff(external link) — NIWA

The NIWA Invertebrate Collection is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License (CC BY-NC 4.0).

New Zealand's national gene-bank of grassland plant species. It also hosts the New Zealand Indigenous Species Seed-bank and is also Australia's back up gene-bank for perennial grasses and legumes.

Margot Forde Germplasm Centre(external link) — AgResearch

Custodian: AgResearch

The Margot Forde Germplasm Centre (MFGC) has New Zealand’s largest seed collection (> 160,000 individual packets of seeds of which more > 50,000 are wild populations) and the most diverse forage collection in the world. The Centre holds seeds from about 100 countries representing 2,200 species from 350 genera and over 70 plant families. Included are extensive wild collections of agriculturally useful species, samples of foreign and domestic cultivars, breeders’ lines and genetic stocks.

The MFGC has an active role in collecting and conserving the world's plant genetic resources and contributed directly (genetic base for new cultivars) or indirectly (dairy, meat and wool industries) ~$1.2billion to the New Zealand economy over the past 2 decades.

The collection is stored at 0°C (short term storage) for the working material and -20°C (long term storage) for less frequently used material with low relative humidity (RH) to prolong viability.

Associated research includes DNA analysis to evaluate the diversity and conservation of the collection, developing core collections for making working subsets available for researchers and phenotyping evaluations (from molecular to macro phenotyping) to identify useful wild species that can be crossed with economic species or introduced to Aotearoa New Zealand’s future farming systems.

The New Zealand Indigenous Species Seed-Bank is hosted at -20°C storage with 907 samples and growing.

How to access

A database is maintained of all seed holdings and issued samples. The public part of this database is available on the web. Seeds from this part of the collection are freely available to bona fide researchers in Aotearoa New Zealand and world-wide.

Margot Forde Forage Germplasm Centre database(external link)

An account setup is required to access the publicly available data by contacting: MFGC@agresearch.co.nz

Population data to monitor the effects of environmental change on Antarctic marine ecosystems, both natural and human-induced.

Adélie Penguin Census(external link) — Antarctica NZ

Custodian: Antarctica New Zealand

With over 35 years of mātauranga, the Adélie Penguin census is an important long-term data set for researchers studying the effects of environmental change. The Adélie Penguin census data is also valuable for:

• Investigating the impacts of fishing and invasive species
• Analysis of site-specific environmental relationships and species interactions
• Providing a baseline for research and monitoring associated with the Ross Sea

How to access

Adélie Penguin Census data(external link)

Database recording the short-term and long-term fluctuations in the Earth's regional magnetic field in the South Pacific and Antarctica.

New Zealand Geomagnetic Database(external link) — GNS Science

Custodian: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS)

The New Zealand Geomagnetic Database enables the acquisition and transfer of critical Southern Hemisphere Earth’s magnetic field measurements continuously collected at the Eyrewell (Canterbury), Scott Base (Antarctica), and Apia (Samoa) geomagnetic observatories to the global INTERMAGNET database. Through INTERMAGNET (International Real-time Magnetic Observatory Network) the data are easily accessible and freely available to the public. Scientists around the globe use INTERMAGNET data to improve the understanding of the dynamics within the Earth’s core that drive our protective shield and how it changes over time. Geomagnetic storms as potential hazards to power grids and therefore to society are of particular interest for Aotearoa New Zealand.

The database includes paper records of geomagnetic field values collected at Apia in 1908-1994, at Scott Base in 1957-1994, and in Canterbury in 1916-1995 (at Amberly until 1977, at Eyrewell from 1978) and these are being scanned and digitised. Digital records for Eyrewell (EYR), Scott Base (SBA) and Apia (API) geomagnetic observatories are available since 1951 with formats and sampling rates changing over time.

How to access

The New Zealand Geomagnetic Database data can be freely accessed through links below.

New Zealand Geomagnetic Database(external link)

GeoNet(external link)

The Water Resources Archive (WRA) is a national database of river related observations from throughout New Zealand, including water levels, water flows, various water quality parameters and invertebrate samples.

Water Resources Archive(external link) — NIWA

Custodian: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited (NIWA)

The WRA system involves the collection, storage and dissemination of data from national water quantity and quality monitoring networks, including water levels, river flows and various water quality attributes. It contains the National Hydrometric Network and Database, and the National River Water Quality Network and Database.

The databases are continuously supplied with quality-assured water quantity and quality data that are stored in raw and quality assured formats.

The WRA comprises reference datasets that provide a national picture of the status of water resources of Aotearoa New Zealand, their regional differences and long-term trends. It forms a basis for improved knowledge on Aotearoa New Zealand’s water resources and their impacts on society (floods, droughts, water availability for hydro generation, water supply etc.).

How to access

The data are free and online access is through the NIWA Hydro Web Portal for Hydrometric and Water Quality data.

NIWA Hydro Web Portal(external link)

The WRA is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License (CC BY-NC 4.0).

A collection of micro-algae and cyanobacteria species, both living and cryopreserved.

Cawthron Institute Culture Collection of Microalgae (CICCM)(external link)

Custodian: Cawthron Institute

The Cawthron Institute Culture Collection of Microalgae (CICCM) is a nationally significant living collection that underpins research worldwide, and supports vital work to ensure the safety of Aotearoa New Zealand seafood. The only one of its kind in Aotearoa New Zealand, the collection is highly ranked in the Asia-Pacific region, and is a member of the Asia Oceania Algae Collection network. The collection currently contains:

• 14 classes of marine and freshwater microalgae including several species that are unique to Aotearoa New Zealand or have properties not found in overseas containments.
• more than 300 cryopreserved strains of toxic microalgae and cyanobacteria
• a living collection of 300 isolates.

How to access

Species and biological material can be purchased via the CICCM website. Microalgae identification for marine and freshwater is offered through marine toxin analysis services.

Seafood Safety(external link) — Cawthron Insitute website

Essential data for earthquakes recorded in Aotearoa New Zealand, including epicentres, depths and magnitudes, together with felt information, strong motion recordings and characteristic waveforms.

National Earthquake Information Database(external link) — GNS Science

Custodian: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS)

The Earthquake Information Database (EID) provides raw and derived data related to earthquakes in Aotearoa New Zealand, to the public, government agencies, industry, and researchers. The EID includes the Earthquake Catalogue containing information on the epicentre location, depth and magnitude of earthquake occurrences. Acquisition of new data falls to GeoNet through their monitoring network of >190 seismographs and processing of the measured waveforms. The strong motion data products results from a national network of >260 sensors. Other EID datasets include moment tensors, felt reports, the digital waveform archive, seismograph station metadata, the national velocity model, and a fault rupture model. Legacy seismograms recorded on paper or film are being scanned and digitised to help extend the record of seismicity further back in time.

How to access

The Earthquake Information Database consists of a number of datasets, web services and web map applications. These are freely accessible through the GeoNet webpage.

GeoNet(external link)

The primary source of information on the fungi of New Zealand and Pacific countries.

New Zealand Fungarium (PDD) – Te Kohinga Hekaheka o Aotearoa(external link) — Manaaki Whenua

Custodian: Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

The Fungarium is a unique, primary source of information on the fungi of Aotearoa New Zealand. Located in Auckland, it contains all the major groups of fungi, with emphasis on the plant pathogenic microfungi and wood decay basidiomycetes. Indigenous fungi are well represented, with approximately 1,700 type specimens of New Zealand fungi held. Specimens collected during surveys of plant diseases in the South Pacific are deposited in this collection. A database of all specimens is available online via our BiotaNZ website. An extensive library associated with the Fungarium concentrates on taxonomic mycology and plant pathology.

Over 150 countries are represented in the collection with the following major holdings: Aotearoa New Zealand, the Pacific Islands (over 6000 specimens, including American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu), Australia, Canada, Germany, USA.

There are over 105,000 dried specimens, stored in packets within cardboard boxes that are kept on shelves. Between 1,000 and 2,000 specimens are added each year.

The Fungarium contributes significantly to research, underpinning or contributing to programmes concerned with biota identification, functioning of natural ecosystems, and development of sustainable management practices. The collection supports and is enhanced by an associated active systematics research programme.

How to access

The Fungarium collections database is part of the wider Biota of New Zealand database and is searchable online.

Bioata of New Zealand(external link)

Another access point, the Systematics Collection Data portal, provides further ways to search including some history of specimen re-identifications, as well as specimen and loan management fields. Searches can be made by PDD accession number, organism name, associated organism (host), country, locality within New Zealand, substrate (data incomplete), habitat (data incomplete), collector, and collector's number. Images, publications, and other specimen associated data links are also published to the database.

Systematics Collection Data portal(external link)

Specimens are made available to bona fide researchers. Charges may be made for identification and use of the specimens where appropriate. Contact: PDD@LandcareResearch.co.nz

Te Kohinga Harakeke o Aotearoa is a living plant collection. It embraces 3 unique harakeke (Phormium spp.) collections.

Te Kohinga Harakeke o Aotearoa – National New Zealand Flax Collection(external link) — Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

Custodian: Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

The Rene Orchiston Māori Weaving Collection was donated to Manaaki Whenua by Renee Orchiston of Gisborne. The 50 harakeke were selected long ago from natural stands and cultivated by Māori weavers for their special leaf and fibre properties. There are varieties especially suited to making kete, whāriki, piupiu and cloaks.

The collection of 90 harakeke selected from wild places throughout Aotearoa New Zealand and the offshore islands, reflects the wide variety within Phormium ssp.

A small collection of historically interesting cultivars from the times of the industrial flax mills.

How to access

The Māori weaving collection is available to all weavers in Aotearoa New Zealand for harvesting leaves and accessing plant material from the open-ground nursery.

The associated database provides information on provenance, use, diseases, establishment/maintenance of collections, instructional videos, and a well-being resource.

Te Kohinga Harakeke o Aotearoa – National New Zealand Flax Collection(external link)

A catalogue of the Rene Orchiston Collection is freely available for download.

Rene Orchiston Collection catalogue(external link) — Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

For enquiries please contact Katarina Tawhiri(external link) — Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

A rock and mineral collection predominantly for Aotearoa New Zealand and Antarctica with a geoanalytical database containing locations, descriptions, and analyses of rock and mineral samples.

National Petrology Reference Collection and PETLAB Database(external link)

Custodian: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS)

The National Petrology Reference Collection (NPRC) contains >100,000 rock and mineral samples collected mainly from Aotearoa New Zealand and its territories since the mid-19th century. The collection contains representative and less common rock types.

PETLAB is Aotearoa New Zealand’s national rock, mineral and geoanalytical database. It is operated by GNS Science, with GNS Science, Auckland, Waikato, Massey, Victoria, Canterbury, and Otago universities all contributing data. The database contains information on all samples in the NPRC, and a subset of those in similar university collections. It also contains geochemical, geochronologic, and petrophysical data extracted from various literature sources for NPRC, and some university and other research samples.

How to access

The contents of the National Petrology Reference Collection can be searched online using the PETLAB database.

PETLAB database(external link)

Sample information and geoanalytical data can be viewed in a web browser and downloaded, although user registration (free) is required for analytical data. The Data Manager can be contacted and NPRC sample requests made via petlab@gns.cri.nz.

Fruit Crops Germplasm(external link) — Plant & Food Research

Custodian: The New Zealand Institute of Plant and Food Research Limited

A collection of key Aotearoa New Zealand fruit crops representing a wide variety of genes and genetic combinations. Includes kiwifruit, pipfruit, berryfruit and hops.

How to access

Please use this form: 

Plant Materials Request form [PDF, 192 KB](external link) — Plant & Food Research

Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest collection of cultivated and indigenous forest tree species.

National Forestry Herbarium database and Xylarium database(external link)

Custodian: Scion

The data collected by and held in the National Climate Database comprise reference climate datasets that provide a national picture of Aotearoa New Zealand's climate, its regional climate differences and long-term trends and variations. It is a basis for improved knowledge on Aotearoa New Zealand's climate and its impacts on society, and is employed by a very wide spectrum of users for operational and commercial purposes.

How to access

Loans

The National Forestry Herbarium participates in a loan programme with herbaria listed in Index Herbarium. Specimens are loaned for the purpose of taxonomic research. Those wishing to loan specimens from the National Forestry Herbarium must abide by the herbarium's loan conditions. Researchers are encouraged to make use of the online loan system.

Online loan system(external link) — Scion Research

Visitors

The National Forestry Herbarium in Rotorua is a PC 1 Containment Facility and therefore not open to the public. Access for bona fide researchers or for educational purposes is by prior arrangement with the curator only.

Phone: +64 7 343 5609
Email: herbarium@scionresearch.com

Hours

9am to 4:30pm Monday-Friday, closed on public holidays.

Contains species from around the world but specialises in indigenous and exotic plants of the New Zealand region and the South Pacific.

Allan Herbarium collection(external link) — Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

Custodian: Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

The Allan Herbarium contains plant species from around the world but specialises in indigenous and exotic plants of the Aotearoa New Zealand region and the South Pacific. There are over 800,000 specimens in the Allan Herbarium, with 3,000–5,000 being added annually. Two-thirds of the specimens are of indigenous plants with the remainder divided between naturalised, cultivated, and foreign specimens. It also has specialist collections of seed, fruit, wood, plant leaf cuticle, liquid–preserved specimens, and microscope slides. The oldest samples are the 91 duplicate specimens collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander during Captain James Cook's first voyage to New Zealand, 1769–1770. The Herbarium's main function is to collect and record the flora of Aotearoa New Zealand, and to make this information readily available to researchers, and regional and national authorities. The collections are used by systematists to classify and identify species accurately, by ecologists to determine historical distributions of species, by biosecurity managers to identify weeds, and by the general public (including botanical groups) for information on plants in Aotearoa New Zealand.

How to access

The primary data from the Allan Herbarium specimens is available online on the Systematics Collection Data portal. You can search using taxonomic name, locality, and a range of other fields. Approximately 45% of the specimens at the Allan Herbarium are currently digitised.

Systematics Collections Data(external link)

Information on plant names is provided by the Plant Names Database through the Biota of New Zealand website. This includes detailed information on names including taxonomic literature, descriptions, synonymy, vernacular (common) names and biostatus (origin and occurrence within a specific geographic region).

Biota of New Zealand(external link)

A register of fossil localities in the Aotearoa New Zealand and Antarctica regions with additional information on fossil identification and adopted age.

New Zealand Fossil Record File(external link)

Custodian: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS)

The New Zealand Fossil Record File (FRF) comprises a comprehensive archive of fossil collections made from >110,000 locations around Aotearoa New Zealand and surrounding areas, including Antarctica and New Caledonia. It records detailed locality information, stratigraphic data, age and paleoenvironmental interpretations, and, for many records, taxonomic lists of the fossils collected. The FRF has a digital equivalent Fossil Record Electronic Database (FRED) hosted by GNS Science that enables searches, analysis and downloads of fossil-related data. The New Zealand Fossil Record File is jointly managed by the Geoscience Society of New Zealand and GNS Science.

How to access

The database version of the Fossil Record File is accessible through a web application and web map application.

FRED :: The Fossil Record Electronic Database(external link)

Access is free, although user registration is required.

The National Climate Database (NCD) contains information on temperature, rainfall, wind, solar radiation, and other climate elements in various time intervals (from minutes up to years) from about 6,500 climate stations, with some observations dating back to 1850.

National Climate Database(external link)

Custodian: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited (NIWA)

The climate database holds data from about 6,500 climate stations which have been operating for various periods since the earliest observations were made in the year 1850. The database continues to receive data from over 600 stations that are currently operating.

The database is continuously supplied with quality assured climate data and archives the publicly funded weather observations made by the Aotearoa New Zealand Meteorological Service.

The database returns raw data and statistical summaries. Raw data include ten minute, hourly and daily frequencies. Statistical data include about eighty different types of monthly and annual statistics and six types of thirty−year normals.

The data collected by and held in the National Climate Database comprise reference climate datasets that provide a national picture of Aotearoa New Zealand's climate, its regional climate differences and long-term trends and variations.  It is a basis for improved knowledge on Aotearoa New Zealand's climate and its impacts on society and is employed by a very wide spectrum of users for operational and commercial purposes.

How to access

NCD data are free and available online through the CliFlo webpages. This availability is designed to promote the widespread use of this nationally significant climate database by users of climate data.

The National Climate Database(external link)

Access is by subscription, with some restrictions because NIWA does not own all sites in the network.

End user licence agreement(external link) — The National Climate Database

Collection of hydrological and hydrochemical quarterly data collected at 100+ sites across the country. This long-term research and monitoring programme is coordinated by GNS Science and operated in collaboration with all of Aotearoa New Zealand  regional authorities since the early 1990s.

National Groundwater Monitoring Programme(external link) — GNS Science

Custodian: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS)

The National Groundwater Monitoring Programme (NGMP) is a groundwater quality dataset, collected regularly from 110 sites and operated in collaboration with all Aotearoa New Zealand regional authorities since the early 1990s. The network attained national coverage in 1998. Information stored in the NGMP dataset includes groundwater source location, groundwater quality indicators (e.g. major ions, nutrients, dissolved metals), groundwater age tracer measurements (e.g. chlorofluorocarbons, tritium, and sulphur hexafluoride), mean residence time age interpretation at each site and key hydrogeological properties, where available. Samples are collected according a national, dedicated protocol (published in 1999, updated in 2006, national environmental Monitoring Standards for discrete water quality 2009).

The NGMP assets are preserved and enhanced through dedicated quality assurance procedures, maintaining the viability and longevity of the network, adding new samples and data, undertaking research to enhance the assets, and ensuring that curation facilities are appropriate for long-term protection and availability. The NGMP dataset is stored in the broader Geothermal and Groundwater (GGW) Database.

How to access

The National Groundwater Monitoring Programme data can be viewed on the GNS Science Geothermal and Groundwater Database (GGW).

GNS Science Geothermal and Groundwater Database (GGW)(external link)

The Data Manager can be contacted through ggw_data@gns.cri.nz

Information on how Māori used plants to survive in New Zealand, including references on traditional resource rights and intellectual property claims relating to plant uses by indigenous peoples.

Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga(external link) — Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research

Custodian: Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research

Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga is a website with detailed information on how Māori use and have used Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique biota, particularly before the arrival of Europeans. Material relating to later economic uses of native plants is also found here. The information is taken from written records, mostly published (books, articles, newspapers) and some unpublished (such as manuscripts and letters). All this information is referenced to the source where it was originally published.

Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga originally focused on flowering plants, but it now includes some information on other groups such as fungi and seaweeds, and there are references to some Pacific plants, such as Pandanus, which have links to Māori culture. There are also pertinent references on traditional resource rights and intellectual property claims relating to plant uses by indigenous peoples.

The name for the database, Ngā Tipu Whakaoranga, was originally suggested by Te Taura Whiri o te Reo Māori – meaning the plants that sustain us. This name has been retained for the database, but the widening scope of the data is reflected in the name of the website where the data are made accessible. It is named Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga – meaning the organisms that sustain us.

How to access

Data can be browsed from the Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga website.

To contact Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research about the website email RauropiWhakaoranga@landcareresearch.co.nz

A data resource relating to volcano science, containing eruption-related parts of databases and datasets, including photographs, that cover Aotearoa New Zealand's active and dormant volcanoes.

New Zealand Volcano Database(external link) — GNS Science

Custodian: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS)

The New Zealand Volcano Database is largely a virtual collection of volcano-related data covering Aotearoa New Zealand's active and dormant volcanoes. Volcano-related images and videos, and data such as seismic, acoustic, geochemistry, ground deformation and geological maps are all stored as part of larger databases, many supported by the GeoNet hazard monitoring network. Volcano-specific datasets include the Eruption History Database.

How to access

Many datasets relating to volcanoes can be accessed online through links provided on the GNS New Zealand Volcano Database webpage.

GNS New Zealand Volcano Database(external link)

The Data Manager can be contacted through nzvolcdb@gns.cri.nz.

The national repository of geological maps and regional geological information for Aotearoa New Zealand and its territories generated over the past 160 years.

Regional Geological Map Archive and Datafile(external link) — GNS Science

Custodian: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS)

The Regional Geological Map Archive and Datafile (RGMAD) is a collection of nearly 7000 published and unpublished geological maps in hardcopy as well as digital image and GIS formats for Aotearoa New Zealand, its offshore territories and Antarctica. The maps range from field sheets to draft compilations to complete maps as published, vary in scale and extent from national to local, and range in emphasis, including general, urban, volcano, resource and tectonic. The collection includes maps dating back to the mid-19th century and is regularly added to when new geological maps are completed.

The hardcopy maps are stored in the Historic Geological Map Archive dataset at GNS Science's Lower Hutt building and some of the oldest maps are stored with the National Library. The maps in the archive are available as high resolution, georeferenced scans available from viewing and download via a map image server.

Vector GIS format geological and geomorphological maps, as well as 3D geological models, created since the mid-1990s are part of the Geological Map of New Zealand dataset, stored on GNS Science servers and available through web services and web map applications. These include digital GIS-based national geological map coverage at 1:1,000,000 (less detailed) and 1:250,000 (more detailed) as well as post-2012 geological map products for the areas of Christchurch-eastern Canterbury, Middlemarch, Napier-Hastings, Tongariro National Park, Victoria Range, north-eastern Otago and Pukekohe.

How to access

RGMAD geological maps, and their underlying digital data where applicable, can be obtained through the GNS Science Online Shop and/or the GNS Dataset Catalogue, many as free downloads.

GNS Science online shop(external link)

GNS Science Dataset Catalogue(external link)

A geological web map application enables viewing of national 1:1,000,000 and 1:250,000 geological datasets and these and other data layers can also be used with mainstream GIS software by calling web services.

New Zealand geology web map(external link)

ArcGIS REST services directory(external link)

The Data Manager can be contacted through spatialdata@gns.cri.nz.

Arable and Vegetable Crop Germplasm(external link) — Plant & Food Research

Custodian: The New Zealand Institute of Plant and Food Research Limited

A collection of arable and vegetable germplasm that acts as a genetic library for breeding programmes. Includes seed of oats, wheat, barley and peas, plus living plants of potato.

How to access

Please use our form:

Plant Materials Request form [PDF, 192 KB](external link) — Plant & Food Research

Comprehensive collections of fossil taxa from Aotearoa New Zealand and its surrounding area (including Antarctica), datasets describing these taxa, the New Zealand Stratigraphic Lexicon and the New Zealand Geological Timescale.

New Zealand National Paleontological Collection and associated databases(external link) — GNS Science

Custodian: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS)

The National Paleontological Collection (NPC) contains fossil samples collected from Aotearoa New Zealand and its territories, some dating from the early 19th century. The collections include vertebrate, invertebrate and plant macrofossils, animal and plant microfossils, trace fossils, and fossil bearing rocks or rocks that have been sampled for microfossils. In addition to systematic reference collections of macro- and micro-fossil taxa from Aotearoa New Zealand and surrounding areas, the NPC includes a large number of type and figured specimens, as well as some important historical collections and a small amount of foreign reference material. Notably, the NPC also hosts the only International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Micropaleontological Reference Centre located in the Southern Hemisphere.

Included in this NSCD are 2 important databases that are founded in part on paleontological information; the New Zealand Stratigraphic Lexicon and the New Zealand Geological Time Scale. The Stratigraphic Lexicon records usage of stratigraphic nomenclature in Aotearoa New Zealand and is organised hierarchically. The lexicon can be viewed and searched through a web application. The New Zealand Geological Time Scale is the official record of important geological age boundaries and their definitions for the Aotearoa New Zealand region.

How to access

The fossil specimens in the National Paleontological Collection are available, wherever possible, for scientific study by appointment. The New Zealand Stratigraphic Lexicon is searchable through the web application below, and representations of the New Zealand Geological Timescale are downloadable from GNS Science website.

New Zealand Stratigraphic Lexicon(external link)

GNS Science(external link)

The New Zealand Freshwater Fish Database (NZFFD) contains over 50,000 observations of freshwater fish from across Aotearoa New Zealand, from 1901 to the present.

New Zealand Freshwater Fish Database(external link)

Custodian: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited (NIWA)

The New Zealand Freshwater Fish Database (NZFFD) contains over 50,000 freshwater fish sampling records. Data stored in each record include the location of the sample site, sampling method and the fish species present, with many records also containing information on fish abundance and size, and a physical description of the site. Data from the River Environment Classification (REC) has also been linked to the NZFFD, adding further environmental information to each NZFFD record.

Records are contributed voluntarily by people from many different groups including NIWA, the Department of Conservation, regional councils, environmental consultants, universities, fish and game councils, other crown research institutes, schools, iwi groups and members of the public.

How to access

The data is free and available online. The pages comprise the online download and data entry system for the NZFFD. No sign-in is required to download data.

NZ Freshwater Fish Database(external link)

To contribute your own new freshwater fish records, request an account by sending an email to fwdba@niwa.co.nz. Submitted records are reviewed by a database administrator before being available for download.

The New Zealand Freshwater Fish Database is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand License 2012.

A major international collection of living microorganism cultures.

ICMP culture collection(external link) — Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

Custodian: Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

The ICMP (International Collection of Microorganisms from Plants) contains over 23,000 strains of living Fungi, Bacteria, and Chromist cultures. These are predominantly isolated from plants, insects, soil, and water that have been collected from natural and managed environments around the world. The collection also contains important reference and 'type' cultures of the world's plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Notably the collection has the 'type' culture of every plant pathogenic bacteria ever described.

The collection provides an important resource for researchers preserving and providing living cultures of the world's plant diseases for experimentation, and underpins quarantine and border control decisions by providing records of the presence and absence of fungal and bacterial pathogens in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Cultures are permanently stored frozen in liquid nitrogen. The ICMP laboratory is an MPI approved PC2 Containment Facility and a Transitional Facility for Microorganisms. The collection is registered internationally as WDCM 589.

How to access

The ICMP culture collection welcomes new deposits of fungi and bacteria from Aotearoa New Zealand and throughout the world, and can supply cultures for legitimate research purposes or teaching.

The ICMP database is available online at the Systematics Collection Data portal. You can search taxonomic names, localities, hosts, or specific culture properties such as antibiotic resistance. All cultures are digitised, and many include DNA sequence and image data.

Systematics Collections Data(external link)

Information on fungal and bacterial names is provided by the NZFUNGI database though the Biota of New Zealand website. This includes detailed information on names including taxonomic literature, descriptions, synonymy, host plant disease records, and Aotearoa New Zealand presence / absence biostatus.

Bioata of New Zealand(external link)

ICMP@LandcareResearch.co.nz

A repository of soil and land resource databases and associated digital and physical material, that includes the New Zealand Land Resource Inventory, National Soils Database and other soils data in the National Soil Data Repository as well as related environmental data e.g., the land cover database of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Land Resource Information System website(external link)

Custodian: Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

The Land Resource Information Systems (LRIS) is a repository of authoritative Aotearoa New Zealand science land resource datasets and information.

A research-oriented data infrastructure platform provides the framework for managing, maintaining, and providing access for users to the digital data. Data and information products are then published through a suite of web applications and online services. There is strong focus on maximising the data usable e.g., as maps, metadata and supporting documentation.

How to access

To download land resource data use the LRIS portal.

Land Resource Information System portal(external link)

To view maps and reports based on LRIS data and the NZ Landcover Database go to Our Environment.

Our Environment website(external link)

To view maps based on the NZLRI Fundamental soil data use the Soil Map Viewer.

Soil Map Viewer(external link)

To download the National Soil Database and a subset of the National Soil Data Repository.

Soil Data Repository(external link)

Information on Aotearoa New Zealand soils is available from the LRIS Soils Portal.

LRIS Soils portal(external link)

In some cases, the user is required to register to access the service.

Collection of terrestrial insects and invertebrates from the New Zealand subregion.

New Zealand Arthropod Collection (NZAC)(external link) — Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research

Custodian: Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

The NZAC has the most complete coverage of terrestrial invertebrates from Aotearoa New Zealand in the world. In addition to its fundamental value for the science of taxonomy and systematics, the collection underpins biosecurity decisions (e.gs., verifying the presence or absence of species in Aotearoa New Zealand for the EPA and confirming identity of newly arrived potential pests for MPI and the primary production sector). The collection makes important contributions to conservation by identifying threatened species in collaboration with the Department of Conservation. On behalf of Pacific Island nations, the NZAC also holds a large collection of specimens from the Pacific region.

Researchers at universities and Crown Research Institutes use the NZAC as a repository for specimens and a source of authoritative information and identifications. There are 1.6million objects (7 million specimens), and over 4,100 primary type specimens.

How to access

Specimen records and data are available via GBIF. Specimens in the NZAC are available for study by bona fide researchers. The collection is located in St Johns, Auckland and visitor access is available Monday-Friday between 9am-4.30pm. Authorisation to use the collection is required for all visitors. Further Information on access, use of the collection, and loan conditions are given in the NZAC Policy document.

Policy and objectives of the New Zealand Arthropod Collection(external link) — Rio Journal

nzac@LandcareResearch.co.nz

Physical archive and electronic databank containing plot–based vegetation data describing plant species occurrence and abundance, vegetation structure, and environment.

National Vegetation Survey (NVS) databank(external link) — Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

Custodian: Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) databank is a world-leading repository for Aotearoa New Zealand’s plot-based vegetation data describing plant species occurrence and abundance, vegetation structure, and environment. It is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 132,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 26,000 permanent plots. These data can be explored online as well as requested for download. It provides a unique record, spanning more than 75 years, of indigenous and exotic plants. Spatially, NVS data cover Aotearoa New Zealand's 3 main islands, many nearshore islands, Rangitāhua (Kermadec Islands), Rekohu (Chatham Island), Motu Ihupuku (Campbell Island), Tini Heke (Snares Island), and Motu Maha (Auckland Islands). Ecologically, NVS data cover all of NZ’s major ecosystems and a selection of naturally uncommon ecosystems.

How to access

Datasets in NVS are available for request and download by registered users. Datasets have either unrestricted (i.e., are in the public domain for New Zealand users) or restricted access (i.e., require permission from the data owner before they can be supplied to you). Public domain datasets are freely available and can be downloaded immediately through the NVS databank, while restricted access datasets require an additional approval from the data owner before downloads can be completed. The download process will notify both owners and requesters by email when a data request requires approval and when these datasets are available for download. In both cases datasets are supplied on agreement with the NVS Protocol for data use and data use terms.