On 1 July 2025, NIWA merged with GNS Science to become Earth Sciences New Zealand.

Estuaries

NIWA research and tools support the protection, restoration and management of coastal estuarine environments where seawater mixes with freshwater.

  • Link to source page

    Predicting long-term sedimentation and heavy metal accumulation in estuaries

    Research Project
    NIWA has developed an Urban Stormwater Contaminant (USC) model to enable urban planners to predict sedimentation and heavy metal accumulation in estuaries and identify problem areas in order to target mitigation measures.
    Coasts
    Estuaries
    Ocean modelling

  • Link to source page

    Estuary monitoring by communities

    These guidelines outline a recommended minimum set of methods for a community group interested in following habitat changes in an estuary.
    Estuaries
    Ecological monitoring

  • Link to source page

    NZ estuaries

    Over the past decade, NIWA has published many popular articles that deal with estuaries - this overview is intended to bring together and make whole sense of the information published to date in the various popular articles.
    Estuaries
    Ecological monitoring

  • Link to source page

    (no image provided)

    The life of an estuary

    An estuary is a semi-enclosed embayment, with a free connection to the sea at one end and a freshwater supply at the other.
    Estuaries