Coasts

A NIWA-led programme to develop effective, and culturally-attuned strategies for managing the freshwater gold clam.

Temperatures around Aotearoa New Zealand are increasing, and not just on land. Amid a changing climate, significant marine heatwaves have impacted Aotearoa over the past decade and are expected to become more frequent and intense.

Introduced pests and diseases can harm the health of Aotearoa New Zealand's marine ecosystems, our seafood industry, and the social and cultural benefits that we derive from the sea.

Decisions about how we adapt to sea-level rise need to be based on information about our exposure to coastal flooding.

NIWA is leading a New Zealand partnership to map the South and West Pacific Ocean's seabed as part of a worldwide initiative to map the entire globe’s seafloor.

The main purpose of Ngā Waihotanga Iho is to provide tools for the public to measure environmental changes that occur in estuaries over time. These changes may occur due to natural processes and/or human activities.

This project aims to increase our knowledge of aquatic ecosystems and their restoration, and apply this to degraded streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries.

In this update we report on research activities over the last three months in the field, the lab and the development of a new resource. 

NIWA hosted a visiting scientist, Dr Cao, from the Wuhan Botanic Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences over January and February 2025.

Know your invasive gold clam from your native pea clam and kaakahi/kaaeo.

Assessing depth specific distribution and relative abundance of gold clam and kākahi at Lakes Maraetai and Karaapiro.

Filter traps are being used to study the invasive gold clam in the Waikato River.