National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Encyclopedia
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research or NIWA (Māori
: Taihoro Nukurangi), is a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand
. Established in 1992, NIWA conducts commercial and non-commercial research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental science
s. It also maintains nationally and, in some cases, internationally important environmental monitoring networks, databases, and collections.
As of 30 June 2008, NIWA had 753 staff spread across 15 sites in New Zealand and one in Perth
, Australia. Its head office is in Auckland
, with regional offices in Hamilton
, Wellington
, Christchurch
, Nelson
, and Lauder (Central Otago). It also has small field teams, focused mostly on hydrology
, stationed in Rotorua
, Turangi
, Napier
, Wanganui
, Greymouth
, Alexandra
, and Dunedin. NIWA maintains a fleet of about 30 vessels for freshwater, marine, and atmospheric research.
to enable the sustainable management of natural resources for New Zealand and the planet.”
. The Fisheries Research Division of the former Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries joined NIWA in 1995.
NIWA is currently structured as a limited liability company under the Crown Research Institutes Act 1992
NIWA’s research spans diverse fields:
Research projects are undertaken in collaboration with local and central government agencies, other Crown Research Institutes
, industry, private research companies, and universities in New Zealand and the rest of the world. In 2007–08, NIWA scientists were involved in more than 970 collaborations and NIWA had formal links with some 150 overseas institutions. Within New Zealand, NIWA has close working relationships with many Māori entities (85 entities in 2007-08) through its Māori environmental research group, Te Kūwaha o Taihoro Nukurangi.
Most of NIWA’s revenue is from contestable research funding and commercial consultancy work. As of 30 June 2008, NIWA had a revenue of $120 million and assets of $109 million.
. In 2007-08, NIWA employed 501 permanent researchers. In that year, NIWA researchers contributed to more than 1200 science publications and delivered more than 1000 science presentations. In 2007, 12 NIWA climate scientists - Greg Bodeker, Matt Dunn, Rod Henderson, Darren King, Keith Lassey, David Lowe, Brett Mullan, Kath O'Shaughnessy, Guy Penny, Jim Renwick, Jim Salinger
and David Wratt
- shared the Nobel Peace Prize
with other contributors to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
.
NIWA scientists also play a role in training future scientists (supervising 41 PhD and 10 MSc students in 2007-08) and in public outreach through talking about their science to community groups, school children, media, and the general public. They also contribute to professional development training courses for environmental agencies in New Zealand and the South Pacific.
to assess the composition of gases and their isotopes in samples of air and water, and isotope analysis of solid material; an ecotoxicology laboratory for assessing the effects of contaminants – such as heavy metals
, pesticides, and wastes – on aquatic organisms; and aquaculture research facilities at Bream Bay in Northland and Mahanga Bay, Wellington.
NIWA’s atmospheric climate research station at Lauder, in Central Otago, is the only fully instrumented Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude site in the global Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change, providing vital information on ozone depletion and climate change. It operates one of only four instruments in the world capable of measuring all the molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2) in an entire air ‘column’, from the ground to the top of the atmosphere.
NIWA also runs a Cray supercomputer for environmental forecasting, climate model
ling, ocean circulation
modelling, and fisheries modelling.
As at 1 August 2008, NIWA had 1339 operational stations in its climate and water monitoring networks, spread throughout New Zealand, including the Chatham Islands
. NIWA also holds data from more than 3000 closed stations, many of which have long usable records. The National Water Quality Network, for instance, has been operating at 77 sites since the 1970s. It can now show long-term trends in water quality.
NIWA holds the longest continuous record of atmospheric CO2 concentrations in the Southern Hemisphere, measured at Baring Head
, near Wellington, since the 1970s. Along with equivalent measurements from the Northern Hemisphere, taken at Mauna Loa Observatory
in Hawaii, these records are used to model the effects of atmospheric CO2 on global climate.
The information in NIWA’s databases is in high demand. In the 2007-08 financial year, for instance, NIWA responded to more than 350 000 requests for data from its databases. In July 2007, NIWA allowed free online access to archived data on climate, lake levels, river flow, sea levels, water quality, and freshwater fish.
(animals without a backbone) specimens from the New Zealand region, southwestern Pacific, and the Ross Sea
(Antarctica). It holds representatives of almost all phyla
in the New Zealand region. Collected over the last 50 years and still growing, the collection holds several million specimens, ranging from single-celled organisms to giant corals. As of June 2009, it included 993 type
specimens of species new to science. The collection is used by scientists, teachers, and journalists throughout New Zealand and the world.
to create the Natural Hazards Centre as a New Zealand resource for all hazards information and advice. The centre develops systems to monitor and predict the following hazards: earthquakes, tsunami
, floods, storms, landslides, coastal flooding and waves, coastal erosion
, and volcanoes.
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
: Taihoro Nukurangi), is a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Established in 1992, NIWA conducts commercial and non-commercial research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental science
Environmental science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems...
s. It also maintains nationally and, in some cases, internationally important environmental monitoring networks, databases, and collections.
As of 30 June 2008, NIWA had 753 staff spread across 15 sites in New Zealand and one in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Australia. Its head office is in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, with regional offices in Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, Nelson
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
, and Lauder (Central Otago). It also has small field teams, focused mostly on hydrology
Hydrology
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
, stationed in Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
, Turangi
Turangi
Turangi is a small town on the west bank of the Tongariro River, 50 kilometres south-west of Taupo on the North Island Volcanic Plateau of New Zealand. It was built to accommodate the workers associated with the Tongariro hydro-electric power development project and their families...
, Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
, Wanganui
Wanganui
Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
, Greymouth
Greymouth
Greymouth is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coast's inhabitants...
, Alexandra
Alexandra, New Zealand
Alexandra is a town in the Central Otago district of the Otago region of New Zealand. It is located on the banks of the Clutha River , on State Highway 8, 188 km by road from Dunedin and 33 km south of Cromwell.At the time of the 2006 census, the permanent population was 4,827, an...
, and Dunedin. NIWA maintains a fleet of about 30 vessels for freshwater, marine, and atmospheric research.
Mission statement
“[NIWA's] mission is to conduct leading environmental scienceEnvironmental science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems...
to enable the sustainable management of natural resources for New Zealand and the planet.”
History
NIWA was formed as a stand-alone company in 1992 as part of a government initiative to restructure the New Zealand science sector. Its foundation staff came mainly from the former Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Meteorological ServiceMeteorological Service of New Zealand Limited
Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited was established as a State-Owned Enterprise in 1992. It employs about 215 staff and its headquarters are in Wellington, New Zealand...
. The Fisheries Research Division of the former Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries joined NIWA in 1995.
NIWA is currently structured as a limited liability company under the Crown Research Institutes Act 1992
Research programmes
NIWA focuses on atmospheric, marine, and freshwater research – extending from the deep ocean to the upper atmosphere – in New Zealand, the Pacific, Southern Ocean, and Antarctica.NIWA’s research spans diverse fields:
-
- aquacultureAquacultureAquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
- aquatic biodiversityBiodiversityBiodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
- aquatic biosecurityBiosecurityBiosecurity is a set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, quarantined pests, invasive alien species, living modified organisms...
- atmospheric science
- climate changeClimate changeClimate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
- coastal ecologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
- energy
- fisheries
- hydrologyHydrologyHydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
- marine geologyMarine geologyMarine geology or geological oceanography involves geophysical, geochemical, sedimentological and paleontological investigations of the ocean floor and coastal margins...
- natural hazards (e.g. tsunamiTsunamiA tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
, storm surgeStorm surgeA storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
, floods, earthquakeEarthquakeAn earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
, volcanoVolcano2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
) - oceanographyOceanographyOceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
- sedimentologySedimentologySedimentology encompasses the study of modern sediments such as sand, mud , and clay, and the processes that result in their deposition. Sedimentologists apply their understanding of modern processes to interpret geologic history through observations of sedimentary rocks and sedimentary...
- aquaculture
Research projects are undertaken in collaboration with local and central government agencies, other Crown Research Institutes
Crown Research Institutes
In New Zealand, Crown Research Institutes are corporatised Crown entities charged with conducting scientific research.Crown Research Institutes date from 1992, with most formed out of the parts of the former Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and of elements of various government...
, industry, private research companies, and universities in New Zealand and the rest of the world. In 2007–08, NIWA scientists were involved in more than 970 collaborations and NIWA had formal links with some 150 overseas institutions. Within New Zealand, NIWA has close working relationships with many Māori entities (85 entities in 2007-08) through its Māori environmental research group, Te Kūwaha o Taihoro Nukurangi.
Most of NIWA’s revenue is from contestable research funding and commercial consultancy work. As of 30 June 2008, NIWA had a revenue of $120 million and assets of $109 million.
NIWA’s scientists
NIWA’s greatest asset is its scientists, who come from all over the world and hold expertise in a wide range of disciplines, from atmospheric science to zoologyZoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
. In 2007-08, NIWA employed 501 permanent researchers. In that year, NIWA researchers contributed to more than 1200 science publications and delivered more than 1000 science presentations. In 2007, 12 NIWA climate scientists - Greg Bodeker, Matt Dunn, Rod Henderson, Darren King, Keith Lassey, David Lowe, Brett Mullan, Kath O'Shaughnessy, Guy Penny, Jim Renwick, Jim Salinger
Jim Salinger
M. Jim Salinger is an Auckland-based climate change scientist who formerly worked for the Crown Research Institute NIWA ....
and David Wratt
David Wratt
David Wratt is the Chief Scientist at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and is responsible for NIWA's National Climate Centre. He has a PhD in atmospheric physics from the University of Canterbury. He has worked in the USA and Australia as well as New Zealand...
- shared the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
with other contributors to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a scientific intergovernmental body which provides comprehensive assessments of current scientific, technical and socio-economic information worldwide about the risk of climate change caused by human activity, its potential environmental and...
.
NIWA scientists also play a role in training future scientists (supervising 41 PhD and 10 MSc students in 2007-08) and in public outreach through talking about their science to community groups, school children, media, and the general public. They also contribute to professional development training courses for environmental agencies in New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Research facilities
Included among NIWA’s wide-ranging research facilities are a gas laboratory which uses gas chromatography and mass spectrometryMass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of charged particles.It is used for determining masses of particles, for determining the elemental composition of a sample or molecule, and for elucidating the chemical structures of molecules, such as peptides and...
to assess the composition of gases and their isotopes in samples of air and water, and isotope analysis of solid material; an ecotoxicology laboratory for assessing the effects of contaminants – such as heavy metals
Heavy metals
A heavy metal is a member of a loosely-defined subset of elements that exhibit metallic properties. It mainly includes the transition metals, some metalloids, lanthanides, and actinides. Many different definitions have been proposed—some based on density, some on atomic number or atomic weight,...
, pesticides, and wastes – on aquatic organisms; and aquaculture research facilities at Bream Bay in Northland and Mahanga Bay, Wellington.
NIWA’s atmospheric climate research station at Lauder, in Central Otago, is the only fully instrumented Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude site in the global Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change, providing vital information on ozone depletion and climate change. It operates one of only four instruments in the world capable of measuring all the molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2) in an entire air ‘column’, from the ground to the top of the atmosphere.
NIWA also runs a Cray supercomputer for environmental forecasting, climate model
Climate model
Climate models use quantitative methods to simulate the interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land surface, and ice. They are used for a variety of purposes from study of the dynamics of the climate system to projections of future climate...
ling, ocean circulation
Ocean current
An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of ocean water generated by the forces acting upon this mean flow, such as breaking waves, wind, Coriolis effect, cabbeling, temperature and salinity differences and tides caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun...
modelling, and fisheries modelling.
NIWA vessels
Foremost among NIWA’s 30 vessels is 70 metre deepwater research vessel Tangaroa, New Zealand’s only ice-strengthened research ship. Tangaroa was purpose-built for NIWA’s offshore operations in 1991 by shipbuilders Mjellem & Karlsen Verf in Norway. Tangaroa is equipped for hydrographic, bathymetric, and oceanographic surveys to measure and map various properties of the ocean and seabed; biological surveys; and for both acoustic and trawl fisheries surveys. The 28 metre RV Kaharoa is used mainly for coastal research, but has gone further afield to deploy ocean-profiling ‘Argo’ floats, from Chile to Mauritius.Environmental Monitoring Networks
NIWA maintains a range of monitoring networks that collect long-term environmental data, including climate information, sea level, river flows, water quality, and freshwater fish distributions and habitats.As at 1 August 2008, NIWA had 1339 operational stations in its climate and water monitoring networks, spread throughout New Zealand, including the Chatham Islands
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands are an archipelago and New Zealand territory in the Pacific Ocean consisting of about ten islands within a radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island. Their name in the indigenous language, Moriori, means Misty Sun...
. NIWA also holds data from more than 3000 closed stations, many of which have long usable records. The National Water Quality Network, for instance, has been operating at 77 sites since the 1970s. It can now show long-term trends in water quality.
Environmental data
NIWA maintains several databases containing long-term records of environmental data, and species records. The National Climate Database, for instance, contains more than 250 million individual measurements (as of August 2008), with records dating back to the 1850s. The New Zealand Freshwater Fish Database records the occurrence of fish in fresh waters of New Zealand, including major offshore islands, and details of their habitats. As of June 2009, the database included more than 28 000 records. Among other things, these databases are used to detect geographical and temporal trends in the state of the environment.Baring Head
Baring Head lies between Wellington Harbour and Palliser Bay at the southern end of the North Island of New Zealand. The Baring Head Lighthouse, constructed in 1935, is located on the headland....
, near Wellington, since the 1970s. Along with equivalent measurements from the Northern Hemisphere, taken at Mauna Loa Observatory
Mauna Loa Observatory
The Mauna Loa Observatory is an atmospheric baseline station on Mauna Loa volcano, on the big island of Hawaii.-The observatory:Since 1956 Mauna Loa Observatory has been monitoring and collecting data relating to atmospheric change, and is known especially for the continuous monitoring of...
in Hawaii, these records are used to model the effects of atmospheric CO2 on global climate.
The information in NIWA’s databases is in high demand. In the 2007-08 financial year, for instance, NIWA responded to more than 350 000 requests for data from its databases. In July 2007, NIWA allowed free online access to archived data on climate, lake levels, river flow, sea levels, water quality, and freshwater fish.
NIWA Invertebrate Collection
The NIWA Invertebrate Collection is the largest repository of marine invertebrateInvertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
(animals without a backbone) specimens from the New Zealand region, southwestern Pacific, and the Ross Sea
Ross Sea
The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land.-Description:The Ross Sea was discovered by James Ross in 1841. In the west of the Ross Sea is Ross Island with the Mt. Erebus volcano, in the east Roosevelt Island. The southern part is covered...
(Antarctica). It holds representatives of almost all phyla
Phyla
Phyla, the plural of phylum, may refer to:* Phylum, a biological taxon between Kingdom and Class* Phylum , in linguistics, a large division of possibly related languagesPhyla, as a singular, may refer to:...
in the New Zealand region. Collected over the last 50 years and still growing, the collection holds several million specimens, ranging from single-celled organisms to giant corals. As of June 2009, it included 993 type
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
specimens of species new to science. The collection is used by scientists, teachers, and journalists throughout New Zealand and the world.
Natural Hazards Centre
In 2002 NIWA teamed up with the Institute of Geological and Nuclear ScienceGNS Science
GNS Science is a New Zealand Crown Research Institute. It focuses on geology, geophysics , and nuclear science ....
to create the Natural Hazards Centre as a New Zealand resource for all hazards information and advice. The centre develops systems to monitor and predict the following hazards: earthquakes, tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
, floods, storms, landslides, coastal flooding and waves, coastal erosion
Coastal erosion
Coastal erosion is the wearing away of land and the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, or drainage...
, and volcanoes.