The Portobello centre has won the Department of Conservation Community Pihinga award for an initiative called Marine Meter Squared (Mm2).
Centre director Sally Carson said Mm2 was a nationwide citizen science project encouraging the public to gather information about biodiversity.
Participants monitor a 1m by 1m square patch of their local shore once every season, recording the numbers of animals and plants that live there.
They can upload the information to the
mm2.net.nz website, and map and graph their data for comparison over time.
The survey data also helps the centre investigate patterns in the rocky intertidal zones of New Zealand.
She said staff were delighted with the award.
"It’s fantastic. We’re very excited and it’s been great to see that citizen science and the work that schools and the community are doing in monitoring the marine environment, has been recognised."
The centre was one of 11 award winners which Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor paid tribute to yesterday.
"These are the people and organisations who go above and beyond to protect Aotearoa from pests and disease to ensure our unique way of life is sustained for future generations."
The supreme award winner was Maori-owned dairy-processing company Miraka, for boosting on-farm biosecurity awareness and culture change.
"These awards acknowledge that our food and fibre sectors, tourism, biodiversity and economy are underpinned by a strong biosecurity system and that it takes all New Zealanders to protect it now and into the future," Mr O’Connor said.
Other award winners
— Established projects/initiatives: Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust; Te Tira Whakamataki Maori: Te Rawhiti 3B2 Ahu Whenua Trust; school: St Paul's Collegiate School; industry and supreme award: Miraka; local and central government: Dr Mary van Andel, MPI; science: Onside; innovation: Groundtruth Ltd; emerging leader: Thomas Malcolm, Te Tira Whakamataki and Te Arawa Waka; biosecurity: Linda Peacock, Kiwifruit Vine Health; special award: New Zealand kiwifruit industry, outstanding commitment to biosecurity.
