A team of NIWA freshwater ecologists have completed their research on the use of biodegradable plant mats as life rafts to help reintroduce native aquatic plants to degraded freshwater lakes. The ...

NIWA freshwater scientists have launched a groundbreaking initiative that is transforming mapping of freshwater environments. The team of hydro-ecological modellers have developed digital networks ...

New Zealand could face twice as many of the most extreme atmospheric rivers by the end of the century, according to new research. Not only could the narrow bands of concentrated water vapour increase, ...

The ocean and atmosphere remain in a weak La Niña state, primarily focused on the central Pacific (i.e., La Niña “Modoki”). However, there is a 75% chance that ENSO-neutral conditions will emerge ...

Could bubbles and strobe lights stop pest fish swimming where they’re not wanted? A team of NIWA freshwater scientists is investigating the effectiveness of an acoustic bubble-screen coupled with ...

New research by NIWA scientists suggests environmental targets for managing fine sediment in rivers may need to be revised to better account for the impacts of climate change. Currently, attribute ...

The risk of undersea landslides and their potential to cause tsunamis along New Zealand’s east coast is being investigated by scientists aboard the German research vessel RV Sonne as part of a ...

In February 2025, oceanic and atmospheric conditions remained broadly consistent with a weak La Niña. The ocean and the atmosphere in the tropical Pacific are not strongly nor consistently coupled, ...

Temperature Temperatures were above average (0.51-1.20°C above average) or well above average (>1.20°C above average) for most regions of the country. Temperatures were near average (±0.50°C of ...

Sea life in the seafloor of New Zealand’s most productive and important commercial fishing ground shows resilience to disturbance, according to a new study published in the New Zealand Journal of ...

NIWA and its partners have begun critical research to understand how to halt the spread of a tiny clam which threatens to do millions of dollars of damage to New Zealand’s freshwater ecosystems. NIWA ...

NIWA scientists are on the hunt for valuable water quality and economic data on freshwater mitigation efforts across New Zealand to help improve predictive models they are developing. By incorporating ...