Researchers investigating data from commercial fishing vessels have found that bottom trawling activity increases sharply near newly established marine protected areas. The Green Desk's Jack Marshall spoke with Tai Lohrer about his research into the protected areas to find out why.

On the Green Desk for this week, Jack Marshall speaks to the Department of Conservation's Chief Science Advisor Mike Bunce about the role that new and developing technologies have in solving Aotearoa’s biodiversity threats.

On the Green Desk, Jack Marshall speaks to Sarah Bealing, a Restore Passenger Rail supporter from Wellington, about why causing traffic chaos and delays in the Wellington CBD is good for their cause.

Ninety percent of New Zealand’s original wetlands have been destroyed by agricultural and urban development and are still disappearing. This week on the Green Desk Jack Marshall spoke with Julie Deslippe, Senior Lecturer in Plant Ecology at Victoria University, looking at the positive effects of restoration in the lower north island.

Sometimes you can't see the forest from the trees but spare a thought for the wilderness beneath the waves. Kelp forests are found in shallow ocean waters off a third of the world's coastlines, and, according to new research are worth hundreds of billions of dollars to society.

Marine ecologist Dr Aaron Eger led the study and is also the founder and director of the Kelp Forest Alliance – a research-driven not-for-profit dedicated to accelerating the protection and restoration of kelp forests worldwide. Today he's on The Green Desk to discuss his work putting a dollar value to the kelp forests below the sea level.

Most people know the kākāpō as the endangered bird stuck on a few islands. The flightless bird was brought to the brink of extinction with only some 50 birds left at one point – But once upon a time, kākāpō covered Aotearoa from the north down to the south. What did they eat? How did they live without the rimu? This week, The Green Desk spoke to Dr Alex Boast from Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research who has been looking into the bird's pre-colonial droppings to answer these questions. 

We know plenty about the harmful impact of stoats on NZ's native wildlife, but what about their smaller weasel cousins? This week on The Green Desk we spoke with Department of Conservation Ranger Jamie McAulay about the new research the little killers.

Professor Xiaoqi Feng from The University of New South Wales has been looking into over 90 studies into nature prescriptions and wants to see them brought to Australia and New Zealand. They’re already in use in Canada, the US and the Uk and thinks is about time we join in. The evidence indicates contact with prescribed nature is associated with good social, mental, and physical health.

Any listeners interested in participating in Feng's current studies for select Australian cities can click here and sign up and sign up. Researchers interested in connecting with Feng can click here.

This week on The Green Desk, reporter Jack Marshall speaks with PhD student and researcher Sophia Volzke about her latest paper looking into the lives of southern elephant seals and the problems of polyamory.

Frances speaks to Tairāwhiti Emergency Manager Ben Green about a new flooding report.