
Aquatic Environmental Services
SLR provides our clients with advice, practical support, environmental assessment, and resource consent services in the increasingly complex freshwater space. Facilitating appropriate environmental management and statutory compliance for the interests of local government and the community as a whole.

Overview
Our services range from preliminary feasibility or project scoping through to the impact assessment and project approval phase, as well as the post approval environmental monitoring, management and compliance phase.
Our team includes experienced scientists, engineers and technicians, as well as certified practicing planners. We can seamlessly draw on local and global hydrogeological expertise to provide relevant advice as required.
Our technical experts come from both freshwater and marine backgrounds and are highly regarded having significant experience monitoring and managing a wide range of aquatic ecosystems.
With our foundations in research, we value the application of robust sampling design and scientific methodology, which provides strong resolution in environmental impact assessments, and confidence for planning and management decisions.
All of our staff are trained in the latest analytical approaches, including multivariate techniques.
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Aquatic Environmental Services
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Baseline and Investigative Surveys of Aquatic Ecosystems
- Aquatic biota surveys (phytoplankton, diatoms, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, hyporheos and stygofauna, fish, turtles, frogs, water birds, water rats)
- Water quality and sediment sampling
- Desktop studies, database searches and literature reviews on existing aquatic fauna and wetland ecosystem values
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Environmental Compliance and Impact Assessment
- Design and implementation of pre and post development aquatic fauna and water quality monitoring programs
- Development of site-specific water and sediment quality guidelines in accordance with frameworks
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Threatened / Invasive Fauna Management
- Targeted surveys for Federal, State and international listed fauna
- Invasive species monitoring and removal, including boat based electrofishing
- Preparation of threatened aquatic fauna management guidelines in accordance with relevant legislation
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Environmental Management
- Specialist scientific inputs to Environmental Management Plans, Public Environmental Reviews and risk assessments
- Development of ecological performance indicators for wetlands
- Development and review of Ecological Water Requirements (EWRs), including hydraulic models and hydraulic time-series analysis
- Monitoring and assessment of effectiveness of environmental flows
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Foodweb, Stable Isotope and Ecotoxicity Studies
- Foodweb studies using stable isotopes to understand contaminant exposure/uptake pathways
- Analysis of contaminant (e.g. metals) bioaccumulation in fish, crayfish and mollusc tissues
- Ecotoxicity trials to assess heavy metal toxicity to aquatic fauna
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Invertebrate Taxonomy
In-house processing and species-level identification of freshwater macroinvertebrate and marine benthic infauna.
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Laboratory
SLR has a purpose built laboratory equipped for the processing, identification, preservation and archiving of aquatic invertebrate specimens.
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Freshwater Sciences
- Environmental monitoring of freshwater (surface and groundwater) related resource consent conditions
- Stream health assessment and water quality monitoring
- Flow and climate station monitoring
- Water related resource consent applications and Assessment of Environmental Effects
- Advice and support for aspects of three waters service transition and delivery
- Instream values assessment
- Macroinvertebrate sample processing and assessment (Macroinvertebrate
- Community Index, Quantitative
- Macroinvertebrate Community Index)
- Advice on water related policy
- GIS mapping, cartography
- Hydrological and hydrogeological assessments for proposed activities
- Annual compliance reporting
Aquatic Environmental Services Projects
Our Team Includes
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Dr. Lachlan Barnes
Technical Director, Marine Science 鈥� Asia Pacific
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Dan Govier
Technical Director, Ecology and Marine Science 鈥� Asia Pacific
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Dr. Ben Cook
Technical Director, Freshwater Ecology 鈥� Asia Pacific
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Dr. Robyn Dunmore
Principal Consultant, Ecology and Marine Science 鈥� Asia Pacific
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Brendan Alderson
Principal Consultant, Marine Science 鈥� Asia Pacific
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Mel Tucker
Principal Aquatic Ecologist, Aquatic Environmental Services 鈥� Asia Pacific
Get in Touch
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Further Reading
Recent articles
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The Journey to Nature Positive: Rethinking Nature-Based Solutions for a Resilient Future
by Dr. Kate Vincent , Ida Bailey, Caroline Dolan
View post -
The Journey to Nature Positive: Integrating Freshwater Ecological Solutions in Infrastructure
by Dr. Ben Cook, Eoin Noble
View post -
Proposed Accepted Development Requirement updates for constructing or raising waterway barrier works: what you need to know
by Dr. Ben Cook, Dr. Lachlan Barnes, Dr. Andrew Bentley
View post