Coasts

With cascading waterfalls and native bush tumbling down mountainous terrain, Fiordland is one of the most eye-catching parts of the country. But peer beneath the waves and you'll see that Fiordland's marine invertebrate and seaweed communities are every bit as remarkable and awe-inspiring.

A project is under way to determine whether Aotearoa New Zealand’s long defunct rock oyster industry can be revived.

From the rocky shores of Wellington’s South Coast to the icy waters of Antarctica, NIWA scientists are combining drone technology with advanced computer skills to map, measure and analyse the natural environment as never before. Campbell Gardiner explains.

A combination of artificial intelligence and scientific ingenuity looks set to be the next step forward in protecting Aotearoa New Zealand’s lakes and rivers from invasive aquatic weeds.

A pilot study carried out by NIWA and the University of Auckland has found microplastics in samples collected from the seafloor in the Marlborough Sounds.

Marsden-funded research investigating how erupting volcanoes can cause deadly and damaging tsunamis.

Innovative experiments are giving natural hazard researchers and PhD students a close look at how erupting volcanoes can cause deadly and damaging tsunamis.

What does science tell us about New Zealand lamprey?

Environmental monitoring technician Patrick Butler has spent hours travelling between the upper and lower reaches of Canterbury’s Waimakariri and Hurunui Rivers. His mission – river water quality sampling.

We combine capabilities in weather, wave, storm surge and tide forecasting with tide gauge observations.

Researchers have recovered a scientific buoy from the Kāpiti Marine Reserve that went missing in late March.

A joint NIWA and Department of Conservation (DOC) project is extending New Zealand’s ocean acidification monitoring network to include marine reserves.