As part of this week’s “Change Maker” show of Sarah’s Country, Joshu Mountjoy from NIWA discusses a massive freshwater reservoir that was discovered 20 metres below the seafloor off the Canterbury coast.

The discovery is one of the few times a significant offshore aquifer has been located around the world and may lead to a new freshwater resource for the region.

Derived from rainfall, the aquifer is partly being replenished by groundwater flow from the coastline between Timaru and Ashburton.  However, most of the freshwater became trapped offshore during the last three Ice Ages, when sea level was more than 100 metres lower than it is today.

To watch the interview, visit www.sarahscountry.com

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