Science Centres: Aquaculture and Biotechnology, Aquatic Biodiversity and Biosecurity, Atmosphere, Climate, Coasts, Energy, Fisheries, Freshwater, Natural Hazards, Oceans, Pacific Rim, Te Kūwaha, Vessels

It’s been a busy few months for NIWA, with lots of our interesting and exciting science stories being mentioned in the media.

NIWA finds new ways of seeing past earthquakes – under the sea

NIWA scientists are working at the cutting edge of earthquake research, developing new ways to interpret the history of undersea earthquakes occurring on major faultlines around New Zealand. Read more…

NIWA launches biggest-ever scientific air quality campaign

NIWA is looking at the long-term effects of motorways and wood smoke on air quality. Scientists are assessing the impacts of Auckland’s southern motorway on air quality in a surrounding neighbourhood. They are doing this to understand more about the health effects of air pollution…read more

NIWA ocean bathymetry data released

Highly detailed maps of New Zealand’s seabed are now freely available on NIWA’s website. The 250m resolution digital terrain maps of New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone are available in multiple high-resolution file formats, thereby having applications that range from school projects to use by researchers and industry…read more

River Water Quality Network: are our rivers clean enough to swim in?

We recently converted water quality data from the 77 sites of the National Rivers Water Quality Network (NRWQN) into a water quality index. This index indicates the suitability of our rivers for recreation/swimming...read more

Land and Water Forum Report Released

The Land & Water Forum, established to inform the Minister for the Environment on new ways to manage freshwater in New Zealand, released its major report titled ‘A Fresh Start for Freshwater’ at a function in Parliament Buildings on 22 September.

NIWA provided significant input and advice throughout the Forum’s deliberations and in the writing of the report. This contribution has been well recognised by Forum members (who represented all facets of business, conservation, environmental management, iwi and society) with the Chair specifically mentioning our contribution in his speech at the launch and in his foreword to the report, “I should also like to thank NIWA which has made its resources available to us with unstinting generosity”.

The report contains recommendations to Government on the way freshwater management needs to change if problems of inefficient water allocation and deteriorating water quality are to be overcome. There is now a period for public submission on the report followed by a Cabinet policy response to the recommendations…read more