Jamie Morton, a specialist in science and environmental reporting for New Zealand's Herald, has spent the last decade writing about everything from conservation and cosmology to climate change and COVID-19.
Jamie Morton, a specialist in science and environmental reporting for New Zealand's Herald, has spent the last decade writing about everything from conservation and cosmology to climate change and COVID-19. He pursued a career in journalism from a young age, first studying media, then training under renowned tutor and journalist Jim Tucker in New Plymouth in 2004. After spending a year as a freelance writer for various Wellington newspapers, he joined the company in 2005, reporting on community newspapers in Hawke’s Bay. Following two years at the Wairarapa Times-Age, he had a year-long stint at the Bay of Plenty Times, covering health and local news. Jamie arrived at the New Zealand Herald in 2011, first working as a Tauranga-based branch reporter who covered breaking news and major stories from Coromandel to Taupo. His introduction to science and environment reporting was covering the Rena disaster in 2011: hearing experts calmly communicate science to a public furiously demanding answers left a deep impression. He took over the science and environment round soon after: and has spent the last decade writing about everything from conservation and cosmology to climate change and Covid-19. Highlights have included covering two major volcanic eruptions (2012 and 2019); the Kaikoura Earthquake (2018); travelling to disaster zones in the US, China and Japan (2013); the UN climate conference in Paris (2015); the Square Kilometre Array telescope in Western Australia (2014); and reporting from Antarctica (2016 and 2019). He's also contributed to two books and a UN desk guide for reporting on climate change, and won several major awards for his reporting: including science reporter of the year in 2013, 2016, 2022 and 2023. Over the past few years, he's been heavily focused on the Covid-19 pandemic, while raising a young family in his native Taranaki. Jamie can be contacted at jamie.morton@nzherald.co.nz.
‘Strong’ marine heatwave conditions around North Island fueling warmth, humidity
Abnormal ocean warmth around northern coasts may already be noticeable for beachgoers.
Heatwave behind NZ’s hottest summer could become ‘almost annual’ by 2040s
Regional NZ heatwaves once considered one-in-300-year events now concerningly more common.
Aucklanders brace for gales, hail, cold temperatures, possible blackouts; snow falls in Chch
A major highway in the South Island has been closed to due snow and ice.
Lightning and La Nina: Weather to watch out for this spring
Forecasters pick spring weather to be even messier than usual. Jamie Morton explains why.
'Football field' of land: New maps reveal where NZ's coasts are crumbling fastest
Parts of our coastline are losing 'football field' of land each generation.
Three big winter weather trends: Was May’s chill a prelude to a freezing few months?
The first half of 2024 brought us drought and deluges. So what's to come in winter?
Comets, meteors and supermoons: A star-gazer’s guide to 2024
There's plenty on the calendar to keep stargazers and space enthusiasts happy this year.
How rising seas are threatening a trove of Aotearoa’s culture heritage
Study reveals nearly 2000 archaeological sites are threatened by erosion and rising seas.
'It’s just been devastating': What this extreme summer did to our beaches
Many of NZ's famous northern beaches left markedly eroded by a slew of summer storms.
Weather: What we know about tomorrow’s ‘atmospheric river’
Many of the key weather elements behind Friday’s freak deluge may align again tomorrow.
Covid 19: How many lives did NZ's pandemic response save?
NZ remains one of only nine countries with negative excess mortality since pandemic began.
3302 cases today as Covid becomes one of NZ's biggest killers
One in seven recent NZ deaths were from Covid-19. So why are we growing indifferent to it?
Auckland families reinfected with Covid for third time
Te Whanau o Waipareira Trust is seeing more families reporting Covid-19 reinfections.
Three new cases since 1pm - one has link to border; AUT student among 10 cases - in lecture with 84 others
Ten Covid cases confirmed - AUT student was in lecture with 84 other students.
A large earthquake is happening right now - but you can't feel it
No one can feel it, but a large - and very slow - quake is unfolding off NZ's East Coast.
Budget 2021: Govt puts $28m into war against kauri killer
Govt spending $28m at effort to stop as-yet incurable disease killing NZ's iconic kauri.
Major 8.1 quake a rare and 'very notable event' - scientist
Scientist says 8.1 'thrust' event can spark tsunami due to rare size and shallow depth.
Summer heat set to roll on amid another northern dry
Summer-like weather set to linger into autumn in already-parched parts of NZ, Niwa says.
Why aren't we seeing more Covid-19 cases in Northland?
Why have there been no further Northland community cases? An expert proposes two reasons.
Live: 3.5-hour wait for Covid testing as officials urge patience
Two more of the community case's close contacts are waiting for test results.
30C scorcher: NZ set to swelter in the sun; forecasters also on cyclone watch
Some spots could hit 30C this week, with warm, sunny weather in store for most regions.
The big wet: Upper NZ, Auckland set to be deluged
Weeks after it was soaked by a severe storm, Northland is in for another big deluge.
Revealed: Which regions are driving NZ's emissions?
Canterbury's cows singled out alongside Auckland's cars for driving NZ emissions.
Our lost continent Zealandia - as never seen before
New interactive maps have revealed a never-before-seen look at our sunken continent.
Why our seas scorched: NZ's back-to-back freak marine heatwaves
Scientists have shed fresh light on two of the most freakish climate events in NZ history.
'This trend is not our friend' - 2019 NZ's fourth hottest year
Last year was NZ's fourth hottest on record - continuing a trend 'that is not our friend'.
Deep geothermal: Is this NZ's clean energy future?
The key to driving NZ's emissions to net zero by 2050 may lie kilometres beneath our feet.
'Welcome back to the dark ages': Our measles disaster explained
Why are we still battling a disease that should have been stamped out decades ago?
Monster kauri log to shed light on mysterious ancient event
Monster kauri log unearthed near Kaikohe could prove immensely important to science.
Northern seabird populations at risk of extinction
Up to 90 per cent of northern NZ seabird populations at risk of extinction, review finds.
Hunting season shaping up to be quacker
Going shooting this weekend? Here's everything you need to know ahead of opening morning.
Report card on NZ's vanishing nature: Must try harder
More work urgently needed to arrest decline of NZ's vanishing nature, report finds.
Coming months to be warmer - with potential downpours
Niwa is picking a warm few months ahead - but with the chance of big downpours.
Students march over climate change: 'We need adults to listen - this is our future'
Student says although she can't participate in elections, being at protest "was her vote".
'Peak' heatwave today, with temps up to 37C
Will this heatwave officially be a heatwave? Jamie Morton explains.
Scorcher! 2018 was NZ's 'hottest year' on record
NZ just saw its warmest year in one and a half centuries of records, scientist says.
Typical or tropical? NZ's forecast for summer is in
There's a 50/50 chance of a typical NZ summer – or one even balmier than normal.
EVs travelling further than fuel vehicles - report
EVs averaging 14,100km each year, survey shows.
Three of four NZ freshwater fish 'staring extinction in the face'
A new study looking at plight of native fish and land use change paints a grim picture.
Niwa forecast: NZ likely to get another El Niño
It's now likely New Zealand will see another El Niño climate system soon.
EV owners: Cash carrots needed to wean drivers off petrol
More cash incentives are needed to wean NZ motorists off petrol, EV owners' poll finds.
More weather-related EQC claims closer to the coast
Study finds clear trends among $300m of weather-related claims paid out by EQC since 2000.
NZ experts rid remote South Georgia Island of pests
NZ pest control expertise has rid South Georgia Island of predators.
NZ's climate faces wilder, wetter, warmer, future
A top panel has laid out starting points for NZ to prepare for a warmer, wilder future.
Greenest Budget ever, says Greens leader Shaw
What's touted as the "the greenest Budget ever" puts over $600m toward environment areas.
What to expect this winter: The balmy weather continues
New Zealand is in for a warmer winter, as one of the hottest years on record rolls on.
Fly-overs find 450 potential kauri dieback sites
Fly-overs reveal hundreds of new sites possibly infected with kauri dieback disease.
Major report: What we've done to NZ's landscape
NZ now losing nearly 200m tonnes of soil each year, with consequences for our environment.
Our storm explained: A wild beast with a sting in the tail
Yesterday's storm was a strange stew packing a dying marine heatwave and side-swipe low.
What you need to know about NZ's tornadoes
On the rare occasion they hit New Zealand towns, tornadoes are dramatic events.
Record heat: 2018 our warmest start to a year, ever
It's been the hottest first three months of a calendar year on record, Niwa says.
Next three months: warmth lingers on
After our La Nina-fired summer, there's a chance spring could bring a meddling El Nino.
Our hottest summer: what caused it?
A "trifecta" of big drivers combined to make this summer what will be NZ's hottest ever.
Gita 'revved up' by record summer's warm oceans
What could be a record summer has come with warmer water that "revved up" Cyclone Gita.
Q&A: The science of... mugginess
Sick of the stickiness? Here's where it comes from and why it makes us uncomfortable.
Record marine heatwave to 'energise' coming storm
Record "marine heatwave" could fuel a low-pressure system forecast to hit NZ next week.
NZ's 'bad' lakes: Where you should avoid
Scientists have begun a sprawling health check of hundreds of New Zealand lakes.
Come take a dip, dairy industry tells Sir Tim Smit
Dairy NZ invites the UK's Sir Tim Smit over for a dip in response to dirty river remarks.
Fed Farmers drop Northland GMO appeal
Federated Farmers signals the end of lengthy legal saga over GMO regulation in Northland.
Uncovered: Our north's fiery, 260m-year history
The fiery, dramatic history of New Zealand's north has been retold by a veteran geologist.
A bone-chiller: Year's coldest morning
A spectacular clear night has led to sub-zero temperatures across New Zealand.
Officials work to contain fungal threat
Biosecurity teams in Kerikeri are trying to contain the fungal plant disease myrtle rust.
Myrtle rust threatens NZ native species
Many native plant species are under threat after myrtle rust disease is detected in NZ.
Cook vs Debbie: The science of the storms
How does Cyclone Cook compare with last week's big storm? Experts explain.
Are councils prepared enough for oil spills?
Fewer than half of councils have enough staff trained to respond to marine oil spills.
Fed Farmers lose GMO fight
As campaigners hail a High Court ruling allowing regional councils to decide whether GMOs can be banned in their areas, an organisation representing bio-scientists calls for a legislation overhaul.
Possum mystery a curly tale
How did thousands of possum tails end up littering State Highway 1?