The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) has changed its name to the New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science (PHF Science) as of 1 July 2025. The new website address is www.phfscience.nz. Visitors will automatically be redirected to the new address. Please check and update any links and bookmarks after this change.

Environmental Health Report: 2022 Revisions to the alert-level framework for planktonic cyanobacteria in the ‘New Zealand Guidelines for Cyanobacteria in Recreational Freshwaters’

Please note: As of 1 July 2025, the New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science (PHF Science) is the new name for the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR). Research and reports published prior to this date may reference the organisation’s former name.

Summary

The ‘Interim New Zealand Guidelines for Cyanobacteria in Recreational Fresh Waters’ were released 2009. In 2018, the Recreational Cyanobacteria Guidelines were reviewed, with one of the recommendations being improvements to the alert-level framework (ALF) for planktonic cyanobacteria. The aim of the project was to revise the ALF for managing planktonic cyanobacteria in recreational waterbodies in-line with recommendations from the 2018 review. The majority of end-users who participated in the survey did not support the name change and it is recommended that it remains as is (a traffic light system).

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