The Aotearoa Science Agency has partnerships with key scientific organisations, working with scientists to
share their research, or simply to learn a little more about a life of science. We also self-fund stories we believe are significant, fascinating, or those that help to illustrate the wonderful diversity of science and scientists in Aotearoa New Zealand.
A booming milestone for kākāpō on mainland Aotearoa

In 2025 the Kākāpō at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari completed their first season of booming – something that has not been heard on the mainland Aotearoa for more than a century.

Together with Kākāpō Recovery and Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari we filmed this footage of 11-year-old Taeatanga booming using Infrared camera technology.

🎧 Headphones on to hear the BOOM!
Catching the NZ Long-Tailed Bat: a conservation effort

We venture out into the rural Auckland Franklin District to catch the native New Zealand Long-tailed bat (Pekapeka), with the goal of attaching transmitters to track their movements and study them. This effort aims to uncover more about these threatened and mysterious animals so we can improver conservation efforts.

​Created with Auckland Council in partnership with, EcoQuest, Ngati Te Ata, Franklin Local Board, Predator Free Franklin and Auckland Zoo.
Meet Ronnie: a dog on rat patrol in the Hauraki Gulf

Rodents can undo years of conservation work in a single season - which is why early detection matters. In the Hauraki Gulf, keeping island sanctuaries pest-free takes constant vigilance.

In this story we meet Ronnie, a Department of Conservation detector dog with a sharp nose for rats and mice. Working alongside his handler, Ronnie searches likely hiding spots - from vegetation and tracks to sheds, garages and stored gear - helping to confirm whether pests are present and where control efforts should be focused. It’s careful, methodical work, and it relies on ongoing training, repeat checks, and community support to protect these important island ecosystems.
Meet Bobbie: the biosecurity dog sniffing out invasive ants
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Bobbie is a certified biosecurity detection dog working in the Hauraki Gulf, trained to find Argentine ants - and now learning to detect Darwin ants too.

It takes around two years to train and certify a dog to work safely on sensitive islands, where early detection can save huge time and cost.
Sniffing out Argentine ants: a DOC detector dog on Aotea Great Barrier Island

Argentine ants are a highly invasive pest, forming “supercolonies” where multiple nests cooperate and spread across large areas.

On Great Barrier Island, an eradication programme has been underway to stop these ants from taking hold - using a mix of specialist monitoring, data modelling, and targeted treatment.
Fighting mildew with UVC light

Powdery mildew is one of the biggest disease pressures facing grape growers, and the industry is still heavily reliant on repeated applications of synthetic fungicides, with environmental impacts and the ongoing risk of resistance.
In Marlborough, Bragato Research Institute is trialling autonomous UVC light treatments in Sauvignon blanc vineyards, building on promising international research. The goal is to test whether UVC can reduce fungicide inputs by up to 50%, by applying targeted UV at night - when the fungus can’t activate its DNA repair mechanisms.
Sauvignon Blanc 2.0: fast-tracking better grapevines

Bragato Research Institute has built a new grapevine improvement team and lab at Lincoln University, using genetics and genomic analysis to screen thousands of Sauvignon blanc clones for traits growers need most - disease resistance, higher yield, and drought resilience. 
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They’re boosting diversity by harnessing natural genetic variation, then using new tools like long-read sequencing and an AI-enabled imaging robot to rapidly score infection and stress responses - turning years of vineyard selection into something far faster.
Drones on Waiheke: precision pest baiting for restoration

Waiheke Island’s steep coastal cliffs and hard-to-reach terrain can make pest control slow, difficult, and sometimes unsafe. For Te Korowai o Waiheke, finding smarter ways to deliver conservation work is key.

We follow the team as they trial drone-based pest baiting, using pre-planned flight paths and grid patterns to accurately distribute bait across challenging landscapes. The aim is to improve coverage and consistency, while reducing time spent accessing dangerous terrain on foot. The long-term goal is to refine the method, build an island-wide plan, and secure the funding needed to scale it up.
Spreading cow pee: the wearable tech cutting emissions

A cow urine patch is an amazing nitrogen resource - but it’s usually too small and too concentrated for pasture to use efficiently.
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Āmua and AgriZeroNZ's solution is brilliantly simple: a small, lightweight cow-wearable device that takes a concentrated urine patch and spreads it out, turning waste into a more usable, fertiliser-like input.
Te Niwha: tracking bird flu risk in Aotearoa

Avian influenza is a major pandemic threat if it adapts to humans, and New Zealand’s risk is driven largely by migratory birds.
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Te Niwha is building the baseline by sampling wild birds across the country, including subantarctic islands.
Te Niwha: the push for broad-spectrum antivirals

Out of nearly 300 viruses that make us sick, we only have antiviral treatments for around 11, so researchers are working on broad-spectrum options that could work across many different viruses.
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This approach targets parts of the human host that viruses hijack to replicate, using existing anti-cancer drugs that have already been through clinical trials to speed up safe repurposing.
Seabird capital: helping petrels return to Auckland’s west coast

Aotearoa New Zealand is the seabird capital of the world, but many species that once bred across the mainland are now missing - pushed back by habitat loss, disturbance, and introduced predators.
Petrels are especially elusive, coming ashore under cover of darkness to feed chicks hidden in burrows. With colonies returning along Auckland’s west coast from Muriwai to Cornwallis, responsible pets, backyard trapping, and local volunteering all help give seabirds a safer place to breed.
What if... genomics could safeguard our food supply?

The rapid warming and periods of droughts as a result of climate change will impact our ability to grow food.

​ Researchers are investigating ways that genomics can help safeguard our food security in the future.

What if... genomics could protect New Zealand from invasive species?

New Zealand is constantly battling existing pests and predators, while trying to safeguard from a wide range of new threats. Could genomics provide us with new tools to keep our native flora and fauna safe from invaders?
What if... we sequenced every waterway in New Zealand?

Living things leave tiny traces of DNA as they move around their environment. Now scientists can determine the quality of a waterway by using eDNA to see who lives there.

What if...? Looks at the many and varied ways that genomics (the study of genomes / DNA) is being used in Aotearoa.
What if... we sequenced every infectious disease in NZ?

​During the Covid-19 pandemic, New Zealand researchers led the way in sequencing the virus, and in figuring out puzzling transmission pathways.

What if...? Looks at the many and varied ways that genomics (the study of genomes / DNA) is being used in Aotearoa.
What if... we can use genetic testing to beat cancer?

Around 25,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year in Aotearoa. Genomics can help us detect cancer sooner and treat it more precisely. ​

What if...? Looks at the many and varied ways that genomics (the study of genomes / DNA) is being used in Aotearoa.
What if... genomics could help save an endangered species?

In 2018 the kākāpō became the first species in the world to have every individual's genome sequenced. How is the information being used today to help conservation?

What if...? Looks at the many and varied ways that genomics (the study of genomes / DNA) is being used in Aotearoa.
Strengthening Pacific fisheries: Tonga vessel inspection training

 Across the Pacific, effective fisheries management relies on strong monitoring, control and surveillance - including skilled frontline teams who can carry out safe, consistent vessel inspections.
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We join local fisheries officers, alongside navy and police in Tonga as they take part in hands-on training focused on what to look for on board: catch handling, protected species, gear and equipment checks, and identifying potential non-compliance. Bringing agencies and countries together also strengthens the information-sharing that’s essential when vessels move across zones and jurisdictions.
An eye on the Pacific: The Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre

The Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre based in Honiara, Solomon Islands, is at the heart of the Pacific Islands Forum’s Forum Fisheries Agency’s efforts in Pacific fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance. Learn more from the FFA about how the centre operates and the work it does, which is also integral to the projects OFMP3 supports.
Cool roofs Niue: testing a low-cost way to adapt to extreme heat

Heat is a silent killer. It disrupts sleep, work, and wellbeing - and in extreme conditions it can become life-threatening, particularly for babies and vulnerable communities.
In this story we follow a global research trial testing “cool roof” technology designed to reflect the sun’s rays and reduce indoor heat, without needing power.
Created with Wellcome, this project aims to identify practical, affordable solutions that can be scaled - and shared globally.
Radio science in the fjords: tech that keeps search and rescue connected

In Fiordland’s remote waterways, geography can block signals - and in a rescue, seconds matter. During a national exercise in Te Anau simulating a 250-person cruise ship sinking, teams tested how modern radio communications can keep multiple agencies connected when coverage is patchy and the environment is hard to reach.
​Alongside traditional radios, the trial with Motorola Solutions used a converged device combining LMR and LTE, plus body-worn cameras, to share voice, video and data while crews worked on the water and relayed wellbeing checks back to base.
Science New Zealand Awards 2025: Collaboration for Impact

The Science New Zealand Awards celebrate the best science and its impacts across Aotearoa New Zealand’s Crown Research Institutes, Callaghan Innovation and partners.

The Collaboration for Impact award honours teams partnering with communities, business, iwi and government to deliver tangible outcomes.
Science New Zealand Awards 2025: Innovation/Commercialisation

The Success in Innovation/Commercialisation award recognises science translated into products or services with real-world uptake and commercial success. 
Science New Zealand Awards 2025: Individual/Lifetime Achievement

The Individual/Lifetime Achievement award celebrates sustained excellence and leadership across a scientific career.
Science New Zealand Awards 2025: Early Career Researcher

The Early Career Researcher award acknowledges emerging scientists making significant contributions early in their careers. 
Science New Zealand Awards 2025: Te Tohu Tūhura
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Te Tohu Tūhura recognises initiatives that deliver impact through meaningful partnership with Māori.
Better dragon fruit

Plant & Food Research is working with Sofru and VentureFruit on a dragon fruit breeding programme to improve eating quality and extend storage life - helping a spectacular-looking fruit taste as good as it looks. The work has also shifted to tackle canker, a major disease that has badly hit Vietnam’s crop, with newly licensed selections showing tolerance and the potential to lift yield and exportability.
Soil sense: a new tool for smarter vineyard management

Soils behave differently under different practices - and growers have been asking for guidance that’s specific to their blocks, not generic advice.

Bragato Research Institute's Soil Health in Vineyards project has developed a digital, map-based tool that shows growers what soil types sit across their property, what those soils are susceptible to, and which management practices are best suited - from cover cropping to cultivation and irrigation decisions
Caulerpa in the Hauraki Gulf: what it is and why it matters

First found on Aotea Great Barrier Island in 2021, exotic Caulerpa is spreading through the Hauraki Gulf, forming dense carpets across the seabed and displacing the organisms that normally live there. It can look similar to native seaweeds, but even tiny fragments can regrow and spread to new areas.
How to spot Caulerpa

Exotic Caulerpa can look similar to native seaweeds, but it forms dense carpets across the seafloor and even tiny fragments can regrow and spread to new bays. Look for fine, flat blades (rather than round beads or spiky fronds), and if you see something suspicious, take a photo and report it. If you pull any weed up on your anchor, treat it as Caulerpa: bag it and report it.
Keeping Hunua Kauri Dieback-free

The Hunua Ranges are the largest forest in the Auckland region that is still free of kauri dieback - making it a critical ecological refuge for kauri in Tāmaki Makaurau.
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This work brings partners together to survey kauri health on the ground, assessing canopy condition, checking for basal lesions, recording GPS locations, and collecting soil samples for testing. 
Myrtle rust: spot it early, protect what’s vulnerable

Myrtle rust is having a devastating impact on native plants, including vulnerable swamp mānuka, where it can kill new shoot growth year after year. Control is difficult, but targeted fungicide and seed conservation are helping protect the most vulnerable plants and support future resilience.
Windy Hill: community-led pest control on Aotea Great Barrier Island

Windy Hill started with a simple question: if rats were being caught near homes, what was happening across the wider landscape? It’s now a community-led pest management programme on Great Barrier Island spanning 800 hectares across 58 landowners, including DOC blocks and covenanted areas.
From bark to biofuel: powering MOTAT’s steam tram without coal

A collaboration between Scion and MOTAT is trialling an alternative fuel for heritage steam - bark briquettes made from forestry residue. The aim is to move away from coal while keeping the steam tram running for future generations.
The briquettes are created by extracting high-value chemicals from bark first, then compressing the remaining residue into a dense fuel source - turning a by-product of one process into energy for another.
Long-spur pruning: a faster, cheaper way to prune Sauvignon blanc

Bragato Research Institute is trialling long-spur pruning as an alternative to traditional cane pruning for Sauvignon blanc, aiming to cut winter labour costs while maintaining yield and wine quality. Early results suggest pruning costs can be around half that of cane pruning, with growers reporting faster training for new pruners and more even vine growth and ripening.

Sustainable Farmed Whitebait launched in Bluff

Manaaki Whitebait is a world first - and aims to be a gamechanger for our endangered freshwater fish species while meeting the demand for fresh, year-round whitebait in homes and restaurants around Aotearoa.
This new facility in Bluff is the result of two decades of research into the breeding of the numerous kōkopu species, which naturally begin their lives at sea before moving back to the freshwater. This created a number of challenges to overcome for the researchers, but having successfully cracked the secret, they hope the various species are now much less vulnerably to extinction. 

Te Aho Mutunga Kore - Auckland Museum connecting communities

Much like an iceberg, Tāmaki Paenga Hira, Auckland War Memorial Museum, has far more beneath the surface than you'd think by visiting the public galleries. Among the incredible collections are vast amounts of textiles, woven fabrics from Aotearoa, the Pacific and beyond.
Te Aho Mutunga Kore is a project that aims to re-connect communities, Māori and Pasifika, with those artefacts, through community-led projects of discovery and learning, enabling future generations to learn from the processes and techniques of those who have gone before.

A game-changing new way to grow wine

Some of the most interesting stories we've been making at Aotearoa Science Agency in the past year have been with Bragato Research Institute - the science research arm of Winegrowers NZ.
One project that looks likely to be an absolute game-changer is changing the way grapes are grown, from the traditional model that's been unchanged for centuries simply because that's the way it's always been, to a much higher, spread-out vine. It's already being done in the apple industry, and with grapes has the potential to double, triple -or even beyond- the yield from each plant!
COVID-19 behind-the-scenes

During the COVID-19 lockdowns we have been privileged to film the incredible public health response, to help show the public what goes in to managing a pandemic on the front lines.

Providing the footage ensured that multiple video crews were not required to enter health-sensitive locations, we have produced stories for Northern Region DHBs showing the preparation of ICU areas, mobilisation of contact tracing, community testing and laboratory processing throughout Auckland.
Behind the Artefact

As part of a pilot project for Auckland Museum, Behind the Artefact takes a deep dive into a specific item in the collection, from its collection to its use in the ongoing work at the museum today.

In this episode, we look at a Spotted Shag specimen that was collected a century ago by museum staff, and watch as it is scanned, 3D printed and painted, before being installed on Otata Island in the Noises Group, to try and establish a new colony of shags, on the site where the birds once nested.

This project was made with support from the Auckland Museum Institute.
Aotearoa Science Agency off to Italy in search of the stink bug

If there's one thing that strikes fear into the hearts of New Zealand growers and biosecurity officials, it's the letters BMSB.

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is a highly invasive species causing devastation around the world, but it's not here in New Zealand... yet.

As part of a series of work with the Ministry of Primary Industries, we have been investigating the threat posed by - and the possible scientific solutions to - the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug before it's too late.

This project involves two trips to the orchards and farms of Northern Italy, the most recent country to fall prey to the prolific pest.
Ancient human occupation revealed in the Hauraki Gulf

Once lost to Rangitoto's ash and time, signs of ancient human occupation on the obscure Otata Island has been revealed following a storm.

By digging into an ancient midden on the island, and observing the archaeology within it, we could gain new insight into some of the earliest human occupation in the Hauraki Gulf.

Along side researchers from the Auckland Museum, we travelled to the island to document this amazing discovery. 
Black Petrel on Aotea Great Barrier Island

On Aotea Great Barrier Island, conservation teams band black petrel chicks as they prepare to fledge. A close-up look at a seabird that spends most of its life out at sea. For Sanford, seeing the breeding colony firsthand connects what happens on the water with the responsibility to reduce risk to seabirds, backed by practical mitigation on fishing vessels and a wider pledge to help black petrels thrive.
Auckland Museum - Dissecting a giant squid

The deep-sea dweller was caught (already deceased) by a fishing vessel off Whakaari (White Island), and while it was originally reported to be a Giant Squid, it is in fact a large Taningia specimen, which is one of the largest identified squid species. 

Alongside teams from Waikato University, Massey University and Auckland University of Technology, scientists will use what they've learned through the dissection to learn not just about the squid itself but also its environment and, for example, whether the toxicity of the waters around Whakaari were affected after last year’s eruption.
Rotorua on Mars

What can Rotorua’s hot springs tell us about life on Mars? This project follows scientists sampling silica rich hot pools and the finger like mineral structures that form around them, comparing them with similar deposits found by the Spirit rover. By testing whether these features can form with or without microbes, the team is building a roadmap for what to look for in Martian hot spring deposits, and what signs of life might be preserved in the silica.
Tamarin twins at Auckland Zoo

Auckland Zoo is celebrating the arrival of cotton-top tamarin twins, a critically endangered species where every birth matters. In tamarin family groups, the father and older siblings do much of the carrying so mum can keep eating enough to produce milk, and the zoo will wait for natural glimpses to confirm the babies’ genders before naming them.
Studying salmon for the future of aquaculture

Cawthron Institute are monitoring the performance of King Salmon to identify more efficient fish.​

​Aquaculture is a major opportunity for New Zealand’s blue economy, but growth needs to be matched with strong science and environmental monitoring. This story follows researchers building the foundational knowledge for king salmon, from breeding programmes that improve feed efficiency and health to new tools like eDNA that track seabed impacts, helping farmers scale production without compromising surrounding marine ecosystems.
Kiwifruit productivity and the science of stored energy

Flower and fruit production in kiwifruit relies on energy reserves stored over winter, then released in spring to drive growth. Plant & Food Research scientists are investigating how different cultivars store and use that energy by analysing kiwifruit canes under the microscope and measuring starch levels, then linking those patterns to flowering and yield. The goal is to give growers practical guidance on what wood to retain over winter so they can optimise flower production and fruiting.
Reducing disease in kiwifruit

Psa has been a major challenge for kiwifruit growers, with impacts including bud browning, leaf spotting and vine dieback that can reduce crop yields and require heavy pruning. This story follows Plant & Food Research work to pinpoint when flower buds are most susceptible, so growers can better time protection, alongside ongoing development of new tools such as biological products and breeding for greater resistance in future cultivars.
Ngā Te Ringaringa Nursery

Ngā Te Ringaringa is a community nursery growing eco-sourced natives from seed and spore, raising them until they are ready to be planted out in local parks, reserves, wetlands, streams, and estuary edges. Run by volunteers, the nursery supports revegetation and helps rebuild community connections, with Auckland Council providing advice and support to strengthen best practice, including eco-sourcing and biosecurity.
Aotea Great Barrier Island: stopping wilding pines from taking over

Aotea Great Barrier Island is a biodiversity jewel - but if wilding pines are left unchecked, they can spread into dense monocultures that crowd out native understory and block forest regeneration.
Golf course planting in Royal Oak

At Royal Oak and Range Golf Club, students from Mount Eden Primary planted seedlings they had grown over nine months as part of an Auckland Council partnership supporting restoration planting across golf courses. The programme brings golf clubs, community groups, schools and mana whenua together to improve water quality, grow urban green space, and normalise community-led planting days across Tāmaki Makaurau.
Good Grub turning food waste into low-emissions protein

Good Grub is building circular “mini livestock factories” using black soldier fly larvae to turn food and agricultural waste into high-value products. In just two weeks, the insects are harvested for protein used in pet food, aquafeed and poultry feed, while the by-product frass becomes a biofertiliser that can be returned to farms to improve soil health. By replacing slower, higher-emissions proteins, the team aims to cut emissions in the feed supply chain and scale up to a commercial plant processing around 15 tonnes of waste per day.
CRISPR gene editing for flowering fruit

Plant & Food Research scientist Professor Andrew Allan explains how CRISPR gene editing is being used to develop climate-resilient fruit trees.
New vibration sensors for NZ buildings

With funding support from the Earthquake Commission (EQC), civil engineer researchers from AUT are now trialing their new sensors, designed to remotely monitor and analyse how vibrations are affecting buildings.

This new technology could go a long way into helping scientists and engineers better detect earthquakes. 
COVID Chat with Dr Siouxsie Wiles

During Alert Levels 3 and 4, Dr Siouxsie Wiles was in high demand. The media and the public all wanted Sioxusie's straightforward and informative explanations on what we could expect from this new disease that had reached our shores.

By producing 'Covid Chat' 3 times a week during lockdown, offered free of charge to major media, we were able to answer hundreds of questions from viewers and keep the public up to date with the public health response and latest scientific advice on COVID-19.

Produced with the support of the Science Media Centre.
Biodiversity efforts in Tāmaki Makaurau

As part of a series of videos undertaken together with Auckland Council, Aotearoa Science Agency has been filming a number of community-led initiatives across the city and the Hauraki Gulf islands.

From planting and weeding to pest control and education, this series of videos has been a great insight into the huge amount of work being done by volunteers around the city, on a variety of scales, from backyard clean-ups to transforming sanctuary islands.
New Zealand throws away the kilogram

​In case you didn't realise, in March this year New Zealand threw away the kilogram. Or at least the way in which we measure it, which has traditionally be in reference to a lump of metal in France.

To celebrate and inform people about this significant metrological event, the Measurement Standards Laboratory engaged ASA, and a Commonwealth gold medal hammer thrower, to really put some heft into the event.

Our story went even further than Julia's throw - making it all the way to the Wall Street Journal!
Kaikoura: A Big Year - finalist in Voyager Media Awards

It may have been called Kaikoura: A Big Year, but producing a feature-length documentary on the 2017 earthquake and subsequent rebuild actually took more than 18 months from start to finish.

The small town of Kaikoura changed forever on November 14, 2016. Over the following year, an enormous operation was mounted to reopen the roads to the north and south, reconnecting Kaikoura to the rest of the country.
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Being given exclusive access behind the scenes in some of the most beautiful but challenging conditions, we are incredibly proud of the documentary, which went on to be TVNZ's highest rating programme for the month of November.

​A huge thank you to the people of Kaikoura and all the men and women working on the rebuild for this amazing opportunity.
Spotted Shag Installation on Otata Island

Replica's of shags from 1913, fake poo, and a sound system are hoped to encourage the re-establishment of a spotted shag colony on Otata Island.

3D printing has been used to make the six replica shags, which were modelled on specimens from 1913 found in the Auckland Museum.

Spotted shags in the Hauraki Gulf are under threat, with only two colonies left.  It is hoped that these replica's may entice passing birds to stop and roost there as the breeding season begins.
Our Navy: Sailing into History

On the 75th Anniversary of the Royal New Zealand Navy, this documentary follows the frigate HMNZS Te Kaha on a journey around the world, from commemorating the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey, toa high-stakes anti-narcotics operation off the coast of Africa.
Electrode Implant Aids Stroke Recovery

An implant of an electrode in the healthy side of the brain of stroke patients has resulted in life-changing results.

Professors Dirk De Ridder and John Reynolds of Otago University have made the unconventional move of inserting an electrode above the healthy motor cortex of stroke patients. 

Improvements seen by participants have been life-changing. Where previously they could not grip anything with their impaired hand, at the end of treatment they each could lift at least 7kg, and had regained many fine-motor skills.
Photon Factory: Engender

At Auckland University's Photon Factory, new technology is being developed to sort and sex bull sperm using lasers.
Siouxsie and Eve Investigate - Trailer

A trailer for the four-part kids series which follows University of Auckland Microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles and her daughter Eve as they investigate the science behind all the tiny living things around us.

Created for TVNZ's kids channel HEIHEI, their adventures range from investigating glowing bacteria in fungi – to making cheese from the bacteria on their feet!
The Science behind the perfect steak

We know what a good steak tastes like, but how do we measure that scientifically?

For the first time, scientists from around the country - led by AgResearch together with Callaghan Innovation, University of Auckland and University of Otago, are working together to devise a system that can be implemented on the processing plant floor. 

It's hoped that this will provide feedback to farmers, to help build and improve on New Zealand's $3 billion red meat export industry.
Breeding Climate-Resilient Apples

As the climate heats up, fruits like apples and pears, which thrive in temperate climates (warm days, cool nights) are under threat.

Plant and Food Research scientists have teamed up with their Spanish counterparts to create new apple and pear varieties that will thrive in these hot climates.
Auckland Biodiviersity - Spotted Shag Survey 2018

While relatively common in other parts of the country, the Hauraki Gulf is home to a threatened population of Spotted Shags - a population that is genetically distinct.

Each year a team of scientists surveys the nesting birds to determine how the population is faring.

This video was created for Auckland Council's biodiversity team and features ecologist Tim Lovegrove and Auckland Museum's Matt Rayner conducting the 2018 survey in some stunning Hauraki Gulf conditions!
The Elderly Housing Crisis

Experts from the Ageing Well National Science Challenge are warning of a looming crisis in elderly housing. 

In 20 years' time more than half of people over 65 will be renting.

This poses questions about what their outcomes will be in terms of affordable housing, health and welfare.
DNA study finds answer to one-in-a-billion mysterious condition

For nearly 20 years Rebecca Clough and her family had no idea what was going on - Rebecca was born with her face paralysed, unable to smile, and with difficulty eating and drinking. Her young brother Arthur was born the same way. 

Doctors were baffled, but a new study has finally provided answers - using next generation DNA technology and some old-fashioned detective work.

Finally the siblings have an answer - an incredibly rare condition called Carey-Fineman-Ziter Syndrome, with only 10 cases reported worldwide.
Mitigating the risk of ocean acidification to greenshell mussels.

Ocean acidification as a result of rising CO2 levels in the water poses a threat to shellfish, inhibiting their ability to produce strong shells.

Professor Cliff Law of NIWA and his team are looking at possible ways to limit the impact on the NZ Greenshell musssel industry, from recycling empty mussel shells back onto the farms, to oxygenating the water using bubble lines - just like an aquarium at home!

This research is part of the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge, carried out at Sanford's experimental farm in the Marlborough Sounds.
Improving End of Life care in Pasifika families

Pasifika families care for their dying relatives at a much higher rate than Western cultures, often making sacrifices they can't afford in the process - leaving employment or school, with little or no state support. 

Dr Ofa Dewes of Auckland University is researching this phenomenon and how better to provide support and assistance, as part of the Ageing Well National Science Challenge.

Aotearoa Science Agency partnered with TVNZ's highly-respected Pacific Correspondent Barbara Dreaver on this story.
Recruiting kids in the war on pests

Biosecurity is vital to New Zealand's economy, and requires public vigilance. 

'Invasion Busters' is a board game developed by an AgReseach scientist, to get primary school students interested and aware of the invasive species threatening our borders every day. 

​Judging by the students at Welcome Bay School, the game is a hit with kids, and a great way of getting the biosecurity message across to a range of ages.
Muffins or squats? The key to better living in seniors

500 senior New Zealanders are part of this trial - making it the second biggest of its kind in the world - to see what programmes have the best impact on keeping older New Zealanders living independently.

Led by Dr Ruth Teh of Auckland University, as part of the Ageing Well National Science Challenge, this trial splits participants into four groups - a nutrition/cooking class, Steady As You Go exercise class, a socialisation group, and one that does both the cooking and exercise programmes. The outcome of this long running trial will be known in a year's time.
Turning a goat's frown upside down

At the Ruakura Research Centre, AgResearch scientists are studying a herd of milking goats to see if they can understand better how to measure animals' moods and personalities.

Using an elaborate series of experiences and tasks together with hi-tech measuring devices such as High Frame Rate and Infra-red cameras, the aim of the research is to better ensure the welfare of farm animals.
What's killing our korora?

This story about the plight of the world's smallest species of penguin, the korora, or Little Blue Penguin, gained attention both here and overseas. 

Thousands of dead and starving young penguins have been found on our beaches over Summer, leading to one question - why?

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Climbing Kauri for Climate Change

Our native forest giant, the mighty kauri, is an iconic species in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Auckland University scientist Dr Cate Macinnis-Ng has dedicated her research to learning how this species copes with drought, to better understand how it will adapt to a changing climate.
Catching Long-Tailed Bats in the Waitakere Ranges

Aotearoa has the smallest bats in the world - 'micro bats' as they're known. With small populations in the two surviving species, little is known about their habits.

In this story we follow a group of bat experts as they trap and track Long-Tailed Bats to learn more about their behaviour - this footage is rare indeed!
"Doctor Spider" - Dr Fiona Cross

How do you go from being a young girl terrified of the spiders living in your backyard, to one of New Zealand's leading arachnologists, studying jumping spiders in Africa?

Dr Fiona Cross' passion is a fascinating and reassuring story for those who aren't quite so enamoured with our eight-legged friends.
Antarctic scientist Natalie Robinson

Natalie Robinson is a seasoned Antarctic scientist with a number of visits to the ice under her belt. During our visit to Antarctica we took a trip to Camp K131 on the Ross Sea Ice, to stay with Natalie and learn about her oceanographic research.

Also featured - the southernmost curling venue in the world!
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