Lakes380 – Our lakes’ health: past, present, future is the largest scientific study ever undertaken on lakes in Aotearoa New Zealand. The programme, jointly led by GNS Science and Cawthron Institute, has sampled around 10% of the 3,800 lakes larger than 1 hectare – about the size of a rugby field. The researchers have taken water, surface sediment and sediment cores from lakes across the motu (country) and are analysing the material contained in the samples. The aim of the study is to gain an understanding of the current and historical health of our lakes.