Coasts

NIWA aims to provide the knowledge needed for the sound environmental management of our marine resources.

  • Marine heatwaves

    Research Project
    Temperatures around Aotearoa New Zealand are increasing, and not just on land. Amid a changing climate, significant marine heatwaves have impacted Aotearoa over the past decade and are expected to become more frequent and intense.
  • Marine biosecurity

    Service
    Introduced pests and diseases can harm the health of Aotearoa New Zealand's marine ecosystems, our seafood industry, and the social and cultural benefits that we derive from the sea.
  • Extreme coastal flood maps for Aotearoa New Zealand

    Service
    Decisions about how we adapt to sea-level rise need to be based on information about our exposure to coastal flooding.
  • Storm-tide red-alert days 2023

    Service
    Storm-tide red alerts are the highest high tide (also known as king tides) dates that Emergency Managers and Coastal Hazard Managers should write in their diaries and keep an eye on adverse weather (low barometric pressure, onshore winds), river levels and sea conditions (waves and swell). This page shows the 2023 dates of the highest high-tide "red alert" dates, and the lowest high-tide dates.
  • Seabed 2030

    Research Project
    NIWA is leading a New Zealand partnership to map the South and West Pacific Ocean's seabed as part of a worldwide initiative to map the entire globe’s seafloor.
  • Freshwater Ecological monitoring

    We offer a range of ecological monitoring tools.
  • Ngā Waihotanga Iho - The Estuary Monitoring Toolkit

    Software Tool/Resource
    The main purpose of Ngā Waihotanga Iho is to provide tools for the public to measure environmental changes that occur in estuaries over time. These changes may occur due to natural processes and/or human activities.
  • Restoration of aquatic ecosystems

    Research Project
    This project aims to increase our knowledge of aquatic ecosystems and their restoration, and apply this to degraded streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries.
  • Clam survey maraetai2

    "Now or never": fight against invasive clam gets critical boost

    Media release
    NIWA has been awarded $10.2m to eradicate an invasive clam that was only recently discovered in New Zealand waters.
  • BAFF_banner_image

    The Bio-Acoustic Fish Fence

    Research Project
    Investigating the effectiveness of an acoustic bubble-screen in minimising the movement of pest fish
  • Black coral on Tokomaru shelf reef

    Seafloor impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle revealed

    Media release
    Scientists have found evidence of sediment impacts on seafloor ecosystems following Cyclone Gabrielle.
  • New study to combat harm caused by anchoring

    Media release
    Ship anchors may cause extensive and long-lasting damage to the seafloor, according to new NIWA research.