Bounty and Antipodes Islands surveyed
Bounty and Antipodes Islands surveyed
NIWA has recently submitted results of hydrographic surveys of the Bounty and Antipodes Islands to Land Information New Zealand (LINZ).
These rugged, uninhabited islands lie in subantarctic waters 650 to 850 km southeast of New Zealand, forming the southeastern sector of our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The seafloor around the islands was mapped from RV Tangaroa last year using high-resolution multibeam echosounding equipment. In addition, the precise positions of the outermost points of the islands were measured.
The voyage surveyed an area of about 590 square kilometres around the Bounty Islands and 750 square kilometres around the Antipodes, collecting a total of about 2650 square kilometres of multibeam data.
LINZ will use the data to update maritime charts and redefine New Zealand’s EEZ boundary. Precise delineation of the EEZ is important for maintaining New Zealand’s maritime sovereignty, and managing and conserving resources within our territorial waters.