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

Coasts

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

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    Mountains in the Sea: the Louisville Seamount Chain

    We are currently steaming out towards our survey area, the Louisville Seamount Chain, which is about 1500 km from Wellington.
  • Sea-level rise

    Education Resource
    One of the major consequences of climate change is rising global sea levels.
  • Mangroves: to clear or not to clear?

    Media release
    NIWA scientists have written a guide for managing mangroves, prompted by a desire for people to learn more about mangrove ecosystems, and what happens when they are removed.
  • Porirua at Mana Marina

    Porirua at Mana Marina sea levels
  • Queens Wharf - Wellington

    Queens Wharf - Wellington sea levels
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    When the sea gives back – a story of luck and decency

    Media release
    NIWA puts a lot of things in the ocean—instruments tied to moorings, floats that dive up and down measuring what’s going on in the water, and video cameras that monitor fish.
  • Paradise for eels? Getting to know the secrets of NZ's new icon

    Feature story
    As New Zealand's "Mr Eel", Niwa's Dr Don Jellyman has heard every tall tale. And some of them may be true.
  • Toolkit development

    A number of individuals, organisations and hapū have contributed to the development of Ngā Waihotanga Iho.
  • Getting started

    Traditionally, tangata whenua have collected information about estuaries to monitor resources, such as kaimoana, and to make decisions about conservation measures, such as rähui. Increasingly, tangata whenua are using scientific tools to help monitor their natural resources and Ngä Waihotanga Iho provides a science perspective for talking about environmental issues and concerns related to estuaries.
  • ARGO - measuring salinity and temperature across the oceans 5 April 2017

    Since the early 2000s, NIWA has been part of the international Argo programme. Argo floats take the pulse of the oceans, collecting and distributing temperature and salinity observations from a global network of more than 3700 underwater robots.
  • Acoustic recordings of rare whale species in Cook Strait

  • Managing mangrove expansion

    This manual aims to provide the guidance needed to manage mangrove expansion, while maintaining the ecological integrity of estuaries and harbours.