Scientists studying the health of New Zealand's lakes have been given $1.8 million by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology to find out why they are deteriorating.
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) and the University of Otago will use the money to focuson studying South Island lakes over the next five years.
Niwa's freshwater and education general manager, Dr Clive Howard-Williams, said lakes research over the past decade had concentrated on the problems associated with sediments and erosion.
"But with this new foundation funding we'll probably be winding down work on sediments and increasing work on nutrients as a pollutant," he said.
About $100,000 of the grant would be spent studying nutrient issues in Lake Taupo. It was hoped the results would applicable to ailing lakes in the central North Island as they had similar characteristics and problems.
The foundation last month approved a $13 million project to help farmers improve Lake Taupo's water quality.
