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Pipelines at the Icelandic company Carbfix, which has developed a technology to store carbon dioxide.

The government plans to regulate carbon capture technologies – but who will be the regulating agency?

Barry Barton, University of Waikato

Reefs in the ‘middle’ light zone along NZ’s coast are biodiversity hotspots – many are home to protected species

James J Bell, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

An underwater image of the seabed.
A century after its discovery, scientists capture first confirmed footage of a colossal squid in the deep

Kat Bolstad, Auckland University of Technology

An image of a juvenile colossal squid recorded by a remotely oprated vehicle
As more communities have to consider relocation, we explore what happens to the land after people leave

Christina Hanna, University of Waikato; Iain White, University of Waikato; Pip Wallace, University of Waikato, and Raven Cretney, Lincoln University, New Zealand

Aerial view of a coastline
New satellite data shows NZ’s major cities are sinking – meaning rising seas will affect them sooner

Jesse Kearse, Kyoto University

Aerial panorama of Christchurch city, New Brighton beach, Southshore and Sumner beach at sunset

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Looking up into the canopy of tall southern beech trees in a native forest

The latest update on NZ’s state of the environment is sobering – but there are glimmers of progress

Christina McCabe, University of Canterbury

Aerial footage of hot sulphur springs at sunrise, showing colour-splashed geothermal reserve of boiling water and steam evaporating in North Island of New Zealand

Hotter and deeper: how NZ’s plan to drill for ‘supercritical’ geothermal energy holds promise and risk

David Dempsey, University of Canterbury

An aerial view of a braided river

Giving rivers room to move: how rethinking flood management can benefit people and nature

Christina McCabe, University of Canterbury and Jonathan Tonkin, University of Canterbury

If NZ wants to decarbonise energy, we need to know which renewables deliver the best payback

Alan Brent, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Isabella Pimentel Pincelli, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Engineer in blue suit and protective helmet installing photovoltaic panels on a roof system
Southern elephant seals are adaptable – but they struggle when faced with both rapid climate change and human impacts

Nic Rawlence, University of Otago; Mark de Bruyn, Griffith University, and Michael Knapp, University of Otago

A male southern elephant seal on Kerguelen Islands
NZ has no dedicated database to track losses from weather disasters – without it, we’re planning in the dark

Ilan Noy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

A house with a green roof, broken and destroyed by Cyclone gabrielle in February 2023; in the Esk Valley in Hawke's Bay
Devastating landslides have hit Milford Sound in the past – if it happened today, the impact would dwarf Whakaari/White Island

Tim Davies, University of Canterbury

Milford Sound, viewed from the shore and looking out to Mitre Peak.

Curious Kids: what was the biggest dinosaur that ever lived?

Nic Rawlence, University of Otago

Dinosaurs with a volcano in the background
How ocean giants are born: tracking the long-distance impact and danger of extreme swells

Tom Shand, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

How ocean giants are born: tracking the long-distance impact and danger of extreme swells
NZ hopes to store carbon in marine ecosystems – but some are so degraded they’re already a source of emissions

Simon Francis Thrush, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Underwater image of sun rays shining on fish and kelp through clear water near Poor Knights Islands
Nature and shops: here’s what people told us they want most from urban planning

Iain White, University of Waikato; Silvia Serrao-Neumann, University of Waikato, and Xinyu Fu, University of Waikato

Downtown Auckland, with a park in the foreground