Petra Pearce is a Climate Scientist at NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research). She produces climate change guidance and advice for regional councils, iwi, and businesses. This guidance is used for underpinning policy, strategic planning and understanding future impacts and risks from climate change. She also undertakes historic climate research which seeks to learn more about the past climate of New Zealand and the Southern Ocean. This helps to put the present and future changes in context of past climate variability.