Jamie Ataria

Jamie Ataria

Co-PI | Te Ao Mārama Inc. (TAMI), Aotearoa

James (Jamie) Ataria is a descendant of the Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Hinemanu tribes of the East Coast and Central areas of Te Ika-a-Maui (North Island of New Zealand).  He is married and the proud father of two daughters. 

With nearly 30 years’ experience working alongside Māori communities on contaminant issues and environmental quality, he has led numerous multidisciplinary research programmes grounded in kaupapa Māori. His work integrates mātauranga Māori with science to support freshwater and groundwater monitoring, as well as the protection of culturally significant species. 

James holds a PhD in aquatic ecotoxicology and is based at the Cawthron Institute, where he serves as both Māori Business Development Manager and an ecotoxicology researcher. He is also a Director on the Strategic Advisory Board for Bioprotection Aotearoa, a Centre of Research Excellence hosted by Lincoln University. 

Beyond his research career, James has held roles within government, including 11 years with Ngā Kaihautū Tikanga Taiao, where he advised the Environmental Protection Authority on the cultural impacts of chemicals. From 2018 to 2020, he was a Ministerial appointee to Kāhui Wai Māori, contributing to national freshwater policy reforms and helping to embed Te Mana o Te Wai as a guiding framework for protecting waterways. He has co-authored a national strategy on emerging contaminants and independently reviewed a Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment report on chemical regulation, advocating for the inclusion of Māori cultural monitoring. 

James has also undertaken significant governance roles in both a Māori land-based trust and a Māori-owned business. For 13 years, he served as a Trustee of the Tuaropaki Trust, which holds investments across renewable energy (including geothermal power and green hydrogen), engineering solutions, dairy and dry stock farming, horticulture, food technology, and environmental sustainability.