1. Database documentation series

The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) is Data Manager and Custodian for research data owned by the Ministry of Fisheries (Mfish).

The Ministry of Fisheries data sets incorporate historic research data, data collected more recently by MAF Fisheries prior to the split in 1995 of Policy to the Ministry of Fisheries and research to NIWA, and since 1995, and data collected by NIWA and other research providers for the Ministry of Fisheries.

This document provides an introduction to the marine biodiversity and biosecurity database, and is a part of the database documentation series produced by NIWA.

All documents in this series include a summary of the database design, a description of the main data structures accompanied by an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD), and a listing of all the main tables and business rules. The ERD graphically shows how all the tables linked together.

This document is intended as a guide for users and administrators of the marine biodiversity and biosecurity database. This database is named as biods.

Access to this database is restricted to nominated personnel as specified in the Schedule 6 of the current Data Management contract between the Ministry of Fisheries and NIWA. Any requests for data should in the first instance be directed to the Ministry of Fisheries.