Atmospheric analysis

Here is an insight into what Auckland University’s whale research team is up to in The Kermadecs.

Over the last few days the “dive team” have been recording corals, fishes, urchins and other invertebrates from the shallow waters (0-30m) surrounding Raoul Island to complement the biodiversity records from the deeper ocean collected by the other scientists onboard.

A weekly update describing soil moisture across the country to help assess whether severely to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent.

The giant sea slater Bathynomus giganteus A. Milne Edwards, 1879 is an abundant isopod species of massive size from the family Cirolanidae.

A tape measure and a drill will be pretty much all the tools a NIWA scientist needs when he heads to Antarctica next week.

We’re into our fifth day of sampling up here at Raoul Island and all is going well.

Using a very wide net to complete a 960m deep mesopelagic trawl near the Kermadec Islands has brought up a large number and diverse range of deep water species.

Filmed from our underwater cameras, watch as Koha the turtle is released back into the ocean near Raoul Island.

In Lauder, Central Otago - NIWA atmospheric technician Wills Dobson releases a weather balloon with a couple of gopro cameras attached. 46 minutes later we're in the stratosphere - at 27 kms - capturing some incredible footage above New Zealand's South Island.

During September and October Raoul Island is like Grand Central Station for humpback whales.

During the middle of last night we arrived at Raoul Island.