Research

NIWA provides national capabilities in Water Quality Monitoring.

CFCs have damaged the ozone layer and led to higher UV levels and increased health risks. Our role is to understand the causes and effects of ozone depletion, to inform the public of the risk.

Rig shark is an important inshore commercial fish species in New Zealand, and we need to understand more about their habitats, movements, nursery grounds and vulnerability to human impacts to ensure they are managed sustainably and their productivity is enhanced.

A participatory project empowering communities with self-help tools to improve water, sanitation and hygiene.

NIWA has recently created synthetic, multi-year, 10-minute wind datasets at 15 wind farm sites across New Zealand. These will be used by the Electricity Commission to model the impact of wind farms on the national grid.

Biogas from pig farms

Developing probabilistic scenarios of expected future regional climate changes.

This project demonstrates how to assess high value alternative land-use options by means of a quantitative analysis of the growing potential of selected niche crops and tree species.

Temperature trends from 1930s to present day

NIWA collects wave data, develops and verifies wave forecasting systems, and is developing and producing wave projections.

NIWA expends considerable effort on determining the age of commercial fish species. But why age a fish? And how do we do it?

This collaborative NZaid project worked with coastal Fijian villagers at Votua on the Coral Coast of Viti Levu to develop pragmatic water supply and waste treatment solutions to protect public health and reduce contamination of coastal waters.