News

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

Subscribe by RSS

Hotspot Watch 20 May 2022

Hot spot
20 May 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought. This will be the final update of the Hotspot Watch for this season. Weekly Hotspot Watch updates will resume in the spring.

Removing barriers to ensure freshwater fish can complete their life cycle

Media Release
19 May 2022
New Zealand has just over 50 native freshwater fish species. Of these, 85 % are endemic and 75 % are deemed to be at risk of decline or are threatened.

Hotspot Watch 13 May 2022

Hot spot
13 May 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent.

Anchors cause “extensive, persistent” damage to seafloor

Media Release
12 May 2022
High-resolution mapping has produced the first ever global estimates of coastal habitat damage caused by anchoring.

Survey provides snapshot of harbour’s health

10 May 2022
Greater Wellington Regional Council regularly assess sediment quality and seafloor community health in the subtidal areas of Te Awarua-o-Porirua (Porirua Harbour) and Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington Harbour).

Guide explores the benefits of combating marine biofouling

10 May 2022
NIWA is contributing to an international effort to help developing countries reduce the impact of biofouling on aquatic-based industries and environments.

Hotspot Watch 6 May 2022

Hot spot
6 May 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Hotspot Watch 29 April 2022

Hot spot
29 April 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Easy access to environmental research data

Media Release
27 April 2022
Identifying unknown organisms, forecasting the weather and understanding the potential impacts of a tsunami. These are all possibilities opened up by a new website that has been built to provide easy access to an enormous range of environmental research data.

Hotspot Watch 22 April 2022

Hot spot
22 April 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Hotspot Watch 14 April 2022

Hot spot
14 April 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Understanding why our giant glaciers disappeared in the past gives clues to the future

Media Release
13 April 2022
An international team of climate scientists is working in North Canterbury to try to understand the reasons why giant glaciers disappeared thousands of years ago.

Hotspot Watch 8 April 2022

Hot spot
8 April 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Taonga Species Series: Kanae

Feature story
8 April 2022
What does science tell us about New Zealand mullet?

NIWA-Nippon Foundation Tonga Eruption Seabed Mapping Project a “rare opportunity” to study effects of Tonga eruption

Media Release
1 April 2022
NIWA and The Nippon Foundation are undertaking a mission to discover the undersea impacts of the recent Tongan volcanic eruption.

Hotspot Watch 31 March 2022

Hot spot
31 March 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Glaciers continue to shrink this year, says NIWA

Media Release
28 March 2022
The annual end-of-summer snowline survey of more than 50 South Island glaciers has revealed continued loss of snow and ice. Last week, scientists from NIWA, Victoria University of Wellington, and Department of Conservation took thousands of aerial photographs of glaciers. Some of them are used to build 3D models that track ice volume changes.

New national rainfall record surpasses 56-year-old record

Media Release
25 March 2022
This week’s torrential rains have set a new national rainfall record.

Hotspot Watch 24 March 2022

Hot spot
24 March 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Hotspot Watch 18 March 2022

Hot spot
18 March 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Pages

Subscribe to NIWA news feed