Oceans

The Ross Sea Region Research and Monitoring Programme (Ross-RAMP) is a five-year research programme funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and run by NIWA to evaluate the effectiveness of the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area.

The Ross Sea region is vital to the future of the Antarctic ecosystem.

NIWA has developed a new method for spatially-explicit, quantitative, sustainability risk assessment of pelagic shark population.

Sharks are vulnerable to overfishing because of their low reproductive rates and often low growth rates. Most pelagic sharks fall near the middle of the shark productivity scale, and there is concern that catching too many of them could lead to population depletion. In New Zealand waters, mako sharks are the second most commonly caught shark species (after blue sharks) on tuna longlines.

The aim of this voyage was to examine the movement and habitat utilization of pygmy blue whales in New Zealand waters.

NIWA hosted an IPBES workshop entitled “Visions for nature and nature’s contributions to people for the 21st century” held from 4-8 September 2017 in Auckland.

Does climate change affect the position of the Subtropical Front around New Zealand?

The sounds of whales and dolphins rarely seen in New Zealand waters have been recorded in a pioneering underwater sound project.

Māui dolphins, a subspecies of Hector’s dolphins, are listed as nationally critical in New Zealand with a population estimate between 57 and 75 dolphins over one year old.

Biological traits analysis is a valuable tool for measuring ecosystem function.

Where and when do white sharks occur in New Zealand waters, and how can fisheries bycatch be reduced?

NIWA collects wave data, develops and verifies wave forecasting systems, and is developing and producing wave projections.