Coasts and Estuaries

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

Coasts and Estuaries

The Coasts & Estuaries Centre aims to provide the knowledge needed for the sound environmental management of our marine resources.

This will ensure that the economic, social and environmental benefits are realised now, and into the future. 

Ki uta ki tai: NIWA’s role in mountains-to-sea estuarine management

Estuaries are coastal waterbodies where freshwater mixes with seawater. Many estuaries in Aotearoa New Zealand have been impacted by pollutants and contaminants entering via freshwater.

13 Beach types

Learn about different kinds of beachs and how they form, with diagrams and examples of each type.

Estuary types

Estuary types are a way of classifying New Zealand's coastal waters based on the Estuary Environment Classification (EEC) system.

Coast Care

Coast Care provides an opportunity for local communities to get involved in the management and protection of their local coastal area and address environmental issues with their beaches.

Coastal types

The coastal type classification describes the coast in terms of exposure, the type of foreshore sediment, inland and coastal geography.