Oceans

There is increasing global concern about the presence of plastic pollution in our oceans.

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.

A six-metre-long autonomous vessel is equipped with artificial intelligence and a range of data gathering equipment, including a battery powered echosounder that can estimate the size of fish populations.

A robot sea craft is the latest tool NIWA scientists are using to help them count fish.

The NIWA research ship Tangaroa was chartered by the Ministry of Primary Industries to survey the hoki fishery on the Chatham Rise during January 2022.

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.

Deep below the ocean surface, life thrives in a world once thought to be inhospitable.

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 marine heatwave is happening all around New Zealand. Warmer waters are more pleasant for swimming in and can create wilder weather. But what do they mean for fishing? Let’s dive into the science behind getting a good catch.

NIWA scientists are doing what no others have done before. In a mysterious world just below the Antarctic ice, a delicate web of ice crystals forms a habitat that’s unique and largely unknown. Until now…

Local marine farmers, scientists and iwi have joined forces to turn the fate of wild mussels around.

Coastal sea temperatures around Aotearoa New Zealand have risen well above average, NIWA forecasters say.