Freshwater news

News and media releases related to our freshwater work.

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An international team of scientists has analysed 7000 years’ worth of lake-bottom mud from central Hawke’s Bay to work out how often the region might expect earthquakes.
Te Waihora is a special lake in need of some intensive care. Together, scientists, iwi, locals and environmentalists are pooling their knowledge and resources to make it better.
Kneeling in the mud under the cover of trees, covered in anoraks, sandflies and dedication, three scientists are looking out for the little guy.
NIWA and Auckland Council freshwater scientists using fish pheromone samplers have made a rare discovery in two Auckland streams.
A NIWA study has shown that environmental factors influence the level of mercury in fish and other organisms in lakes in New Zealand's North Island geothermal area
Your favourite lake may look picturesque, calm and inviting but beware what lurks beneath – aliens are on the attack.
After two years of groundwork, NIWA scientists have finally unlocked the mystery of the elusive lamprey breeding grounds.
NIWA scientists have secured funding for a project they hope will take them a step closer to discovering why the number of freshwater crayfish, or koura, in the Upper Waikato River has dramatically declined.
Next week, NIWA scientists will showcase the latest version of the National Freshwater Fish Database at an international conference in Hamilton.

Work to restore islands in the Waikato River is a step closer with the completion of an illustrated species guide to plants already established on the islands.

NIWA scientists have made an important discovery about the spawning habits of New Zealand's largest whitebait species in a central Hamilton stream.

A glow-in-the-dark limpet, a fierce-looking 'toe-biter' (which isn't fierce at all and would scarper at first sniff of your toe) and a mayfly that lacks a functioning mouth (and, not-surprisingly, lives as an adult for only a few days) are just some of the weird and wonderful critters to be found in New Zealand's 425,000 kilometres of streams and rivers.

The New Zealand Hydrological Society Conference takes place in Nelson this week. The theme for the conference is "Water: Know your limits". Water conservation and management is a hot topic.

Scientists from around the world that work on lakes are pooling data and expertise, to better understand global changes in lake temperature.

NIWA scientists are featured in a new 13-part science television series on Maori Television.

The series - PROJECT MATAURANGA - looks at the growth of Maori worldviews within the scientific community, and a wide range of subjects including koura management in lakes, the risks associated with eating traditional kai, and sustainable wastewater management for marae.

Scientists are using a remote-controlled miniature speedboat to gauge New Zealand river flows. It's red and cute, and just two metres long. They call it a Q-boat.

How far and fast can aquatic insects travel upstream? Do the adults have to fly, or can the larvae crawl? A NIWA scientist is using obstacle courses to test the ability of fly larvae for upstream travel - a kind of flyathalon. This work will identify some of the barriers to stream restoration, including movement of insects as they recolonise restored areas.

Flying above the New Zealand coastline on cloudless days, you can sometimes see plumes of material-laden river water, much of it containing sediment from land runoff. Understanding where this material ends up will help assess the land use impacts on our vulnerable coastal ecosystems, and guide mitigation measures to reduce those impacts.

Wild kai such as eel (tuna), lamprey (kanakana) and whitebait are a significant cultural, recreational and economic resource for Māori in South Canterbury.

A NIWA scientist has been looking at the effects of shifts in climate on water resources, in water-limited parts of New Zealand. 

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