News

Read about the important science being undertaken at NIWA, and how it affects New Zealanders

  • Lake Ohinewai Rototurf

    Rolling life back into New Zealand’s lakes

    Media release
    NIWA is using biodegradable “life rafts” to reintroduce native plants to degraded lakes. 
  • Another world.. A football floated past a team of divers. Upon closer inspection, it was like a min world with pelagic crabs and barnacles making the adidas football their 'mini world. Northland.

    Scientists capture stunning snapshots

    Media release
    A unique river portrait and a humorous moment with bubbles are some of the award-winning images taken by NIWA staff this year.
  • A teabag being buried in a saltmarsh in Tasmania.

    “Spilling the tea” on wetlands

    Media release
    Scientists find link between temperature and carbon storage rates
  • Lauder UV Index sign

    Warm, dry summer ahead sparks SunSmart reminder

    Media release
    New Zealanders are likely to spend considerable time outdoors this summer, with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) predicting warm and dry conditions across most of the motu.
  • Microbes behind unprecedented surge in methane emissions

    Media release
    Microbes - such as those living in wetlands, landfills or the digestive tracts of livestock – are behind unprecedented spikes in methane emissions.
  • Pentaceration_forkandbrewer.png

    Cheers to crustaceans: New species named after Welly brewery

    Media release
    A new species has been named after favourite Wellington brewpub Fork and Brewer
  • AI_Flooding_Banner_Image

    Forecasting floods in a fraction of the time with AI

    Media release
    NIWA is using machine learning to forecast flood inundation in a fraction of the time required to run physical models. 
  • Orchard damage following Cyclone Gabrielle

    Microsites for rapid impact assessment & recovery after Cyclone Gabrielle 

    News article
    The rapid impact assessment tool provides a scenario model framework to rapidly assess natural hazard exposure or impacts.
  • Kiribati sea wall

    Coastal inundation risk in the Pacific

    News article
    Researchers created national sea-level risk profiles for populations, buildings, croplands & infrastructure under present & future climate scenarios.
  • The thing

    Clever sleuthing unmasks mystery ocean creature

    Media release
    A mystery specimen has been identified as a species never documented in New Zealand waters.
  • Clouds-landscape

    Government announcement about NIWA and MetService

    News article
    NIWA is pleased with the announcement today by the Science, Innovation and Technology Minister of the Government’s response to a recent review of New Zealand’s weather forecasting system.
  • New Ghost Shark

    New species of NZ ghost shark discovered

    Media release
    Scientists have found a new ghost shark that lives exclusively in the deep waters of Australia and New Zealand.