Seabed mapping

NIWA scientists and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) have used satellite technology to chart the Cook Islands’ seafloor in never-before-seen detail. The work was done as part of Seabed 2030 - a collaborative project to produce a definitive map of the world ocean floor by 2030.

The Seabed 2030 South and West Pacific Ocean Data Center is one of four global Regional Centres, each being responsible for data gathering and mapping in their territory.

Did you know NIWA is leading a NZ partnership in a worldwide initiative to map the entire globe’s seafloor? Found out more about the Seabed 2030 initiative.

A large, orange Scandinavian robot gives NIWA’s marine geologists an in-depth look at changes to the seafloor off Kaikōura.

NIWA researchers are heading out from Tasman early next week to survey an area thought to be home to important juvenile fish nurseries.

NIWA researchers are heading out from Tasman early next week to survey an area thought to be home to important juvenile fish nurseries.

NIWA scientists are heading to the waters around Whakaari/White Island in the Bay of Plenty next week to survey changes to the seafloor.

A team of scientists and crew headed to the Campbell Plateau south of New Zealand onboard R.V. Tangaroa to conduct a deep-sea camera survey of the seabed to better understand the biodiversity of seabed habitats in commercial fishing areas.

New information about landslides that occur on the seafloor off New Zealand’s east coast will help scientists better understand why and where they happen, and the types of threats they pose.

A combination of field surveys and on-site observations are being used along with laboratory-based experiments to determine the effects of seabed disturbance on benthic life.

A NIWA scientist who spent years poring over handwritten scientific notes stored in about 50 large wooden drawers, has seen the fruits of her labour now being used in ways she never imagined.

Technical information about our datasets and methodology along with related resources.