News

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

  • Nature knows best?

    Feature story
    Returning water to our waterways after we’ve used it in our homes, on farms and in industry is a complex and challenging process.
  • Scientists explore deepest parts of the Kermadec Trench

    Media release
    Scientists exploring the Kermadec Trench believe they have retrieved the deepest ever sediment sample from the bottom of the ocean using a wire-deployed corer.
  • Emperor penguin foraging behaviour revealed

    Media release
    An unavoidable delay in a research ship’s voyage to Antarctica resulted in some surprising and important findings about the behaviour of emperor penguins.
  • Q&A - Bloomin' algae!

    Feature story
    A hot and steamy summer saw Kiwis heading down to rivers and lakes to cool off. But they weren’t the only ones enjoying the warmer weather – algae had a great time too.
  • Winter 2020 – NZ’s warmest winter on record

    Media release
    New Zealand has just experienced its warmest winter on record, according to official NIWA climate data.
  • Taonga Species Series: Kākahi

    Feature story
    What does science tell us about New Zealand freshwater mussels?
  • Taonga Species Series: Pātiki

    Feature story
    What does science tell us about New Zealand flounder?
  • “Very rare find” of ghost shark hatchling

    Media release
    NIWA scientists have made the rare discovery of a days-old ghost shark during a recent survey off the east coast of the South Island.
  • Tonga volcano “afterglow” causes dazzling skies in Antarctica

    Media release
    Antarctica is experiencing stunning skyscapes like those recently seen in New Zealand, thanks to the afterglow effect from the Tongan volcano.
  • NZ's warmest and wettest winter on record

    Media release
    NIWA’s climate scientists can now confirm what you may have suspected. After carefully poring through more than a century’s worth of data, it has been officially determined that winter 2022 was Aotearoa New Zealand’s warmest and wettest on record.
  • (no image provided)

    Proud of your plants? 1 June 2017

    News article
    NIWA is doing a nationwide study to discover what makes the best riparian projects. Help us give you the knowledge to make the best riparian management decisions possible by taking our 5 minute survey.
  • New database sheds light on prehistoric tsunamis affecting New Zealand

    Media release
    The scientific records of palaeotsunamis to have affected New Zealand shores can now be accessed in a new one-stop information shop.