News

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

  • Understanding the threat of sea level rise to NZ’s wetlands

    Media release
    Specialised monitoring equipment has been installed in Bay of Plenty estuaries to understand whether our coastal wetlands can survive the threat of inevitable sea-level rise.
  • Marine invader Caulerpa triggers biosecurity response

    Media release
    NIWA is part of a multi-agency biosecurity response to an invasive seaweed discovered at Aotea Great Barrier Island and subsequently at Ahuahu Great Mercury Island.
  • Impact of new energy efficient streetlights on insects revealed

    Media release
    New energy efficient streetlights are playing a major role in influencing insect behaviour, says NIWA.
  • Satellites reveal NZ’s coastal health

    Media release
    For the first time, satellites have been used to track coastal water health around Aotearoa New Zealand.
  • "Exceptional" August atmospheric river sets record

    Media release
    NIWA meteorologists say last week’s atmospheric river (AR), which was responsible for widespread devastation in both the North and South Islands, was a record-breaker.
  • 2020 Australian wildfires reveal significant hole in our understanding of ozone

    Media release
    Smoke from the devastating Australian wildfires impacted the atmosphere in a way that’s never been seen before.
  • 2022 off to a searing start

    Media release
    New Zealand’s weather is proving no exception to the record-breaking extremes occurring around the globe.
  • Matariki viewing prospects

    Media release
    NIWA meteorologists say people living in the lower North Island and eastern South Island are likely to get the best views of the Matariki star cluster during the upcoming weekend.
  • Seen a stunning sunrise or sunset lately? The Tongan volcano may be the cause

    Media release
    The Tongan volcanic eruption may be responsible for New Zealand’s unusually vibrant sunrises and sunsets, say NIWA scientists.
  • In the snow: new tool to advise New Zealanders of snow conditions

    Media release
    A new tool giving near real-time snow data has been made available to the public for the first time.
  • Demand grows for NIWA’s Riparian Management Training

    Media release
    NIWA has updated and restarted a course using a riparian planning tool developed by one of its former chief scientists more than 20 years ago.
  • Ki uta ki tai: NIWA’s role in mountains-to-sea estuarine management

    Media release
    Estuaries are coastal waterbodies where freshwater mixes with seawater. Many estuaries in Aotearoa New Zealand have been impacted by pollutants and contaminants entering via freshwater.