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.

  • Image of Cook Strait bathymetric map

    Charts and posters

    NIWA posters, as well as bathymetry, sediment, and circulation charts. 
  • Pacific Rim

    Cam-Era

    Service
    Cam-Era is a network of computer-controlled cameras that monitor the New Zealand environment for research and resource management. These are also useful for surfers and swimmers.
  • Higher and drier – the cost of raising homes

    Media release
    New research shows that in some cases, lifting houses may be a cost-effective way to reduce intermittent flooding risk.
  • Pacific atoll mangrove forests losing ground to sea-level rise

    Research Project
    Mangrove systems on oceanic atolls may lose the race to keep pace with sea-level rise.
  • (no image provided)

    Impacts of sediment on freshwater and estuarine and freshwater fish species

    These fact sheets bring together existing scientific information on these effects, along with expert scientific knowledge, in an easy-to-read format by community groups and land-water managers interested in protecting m­ahinga kai.
  • Mussel farms may benefit the environment

    Media release
    A new study is doing a deep dive into whether mussel farms could help reduce nitrogen in New Zealand waters.
  • Identification of significant ecological areas for the Otago coastal marine area

    News article
    Long-term protection of Otago’s coastal habitats took a step closer to reality after more than 100 marine Significant Ecological Areas were identified.
  • New maps reveal places at risk from sea-level rise

    Media release
    New maps from NIWA and the Deep South National Science Challenge show areas across Aotearoa New Zealand that could be inundated by extreme coastal flooding.
  • NIWA discovers over two dozen new marine species in Wellington inlet

    Media release
    Researchers have discovered 26 species of roundworms that are completely new to science.
  • Online atlas provides understanding of marine life and habitats

    Media release
    Researchers have developed New Zealand’s most comprehensive online atlas, providing an overview of nearly 600 marine species.
  • Mangrove on Athenree Estuary

    Preparing coastal communities for change

    News article
    Our coastline is changing as sea levels rise. Lawrence Gullery looks at a five-year research programme designed to help communities with tough decisions ahead.
  • New Zealand streamflow depletion model: A tool for sustainable water resource management

    As the concerns over water resources and the environment increase, the importance of combined water management, which acknowledges the integrated nature of groundwater and surface water, and manages them as a single resource, is critical to sustain both human society and aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.