Ngā Koiora Tuku Iho - Biological Heritage National Science Challenge - Lifetime Summary

Our prosperity and wellbeing depend on the biological heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. However, that unique natural heritage is at risk from invasive organisms and from new threats emerging in a rapidly changing global environment.

Established in 2014 to tackle one of the most pressing problems facing Aotearoa New Zealand, the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge had the Governmentmandated (Gazetted) objective to ‘Protect and manage New Zealand’s biodiversity, improve our biosecurity, and enhance our resilience to harmful organisms’. This report is a demonstration of how we have addressed this Gazetted Objective.

What follows is a selection of our research chievements from the decade of investment, and examples of how by ‘doing science differently’ we’ve made a real impact. With New Zealand facing growing biosecurity threats and biodiversity loss, we propose key recommendations for the science sector on what should happen next.