The Finniss River drains an area of around three thousand square kilometres into Fog Bay, and is located approximately 100 km SH of Darwin. The potential mosquito breeding habitats in the study area to the north of the lower reaches of the Finniss River (Maps 1 & 2) are comprised of low lying black soil plains, mangroves, paperbark , grassy and reedy swamps. The district is only a few hours drive from Darwin and is of increasing recreational and commercial importance. The latter is from fishing, prawning and tourism industries conducted in the district . Also, as an undeveloped area close to Darwin it is the subject of a number of sub-division proposals .
This survey was undertaken to determine what mosquito species were present in the area, what type of habitats were most productive for mosquito breeding, and whether mosquitoes presented a potential health hazard for current and proposed land use.