WELCOME TO THE SOUTHERN FIORDLAND INITIATIVE

OUR KAUPAPA

Fiordland is one of Aotearoa’s most iconic locations. It is internationally recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site and treasured both nationally and internationally. And yet, due to its remote location, it is also one of the least studied, and poorly understood ecosystems in the world. Invaluable local knowledge tells us that the Fiords are changing, but the data to monitor this change, and determine its impacts are absent. “Southern Fiordland Initiative”

aspires to change that. A national collaboration between local guardians, scientists, and citizen science will answer two questions; 

1.What are the climatic conditions and ecosystem health of the Fiords right now? 

2.How are they changing?

We will establish long-term climate monitoring, iconic species research and citizen-lead habitat-mapping in Tamatea(Dusky Sound) and Te Puaitaha (Breaksea Sound).