Coasts

If you're collecting sea shells at the beach this summer and wondering what they are, NIWA is here to help.

Useful information and resources on New Zealand's marine flora and invertebrate fauna.

New Zealand’s coast is sculpted by ocean waves. Some wave conditions bring joy to surfers and beachgoers, but, at other times, waves can cause major hazards at sea or along the shore.

This system combines daily sea-level data from NIWA, regional councils, port companies, Antarctica NZ, Bureau of Meteorology and territorial authorities.

A hot and steamy summer saw Kiwis heading down to rivers and lakes to cool off. But they weren’t the only ones enjoying the warmer weather – algae had a great time too.

Estuaries are at the bottom of the freshwater drainage network and, effectively, are a part of it. This means that every time we act to protect and enhance streams and rivers we are also benefiting the estuary at the downstream end.

Dog Island levels

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

The waters around New Zealand have some of the highest waves in the world, due to Southern Ocean swell and storms in the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean.