On 1 July 2025, NIWA merged with GNS Science to become Earth Sciences New Zealand.

Coasts

NIWA aims to provide the knowledge needed for the sound environmental management of our marine resources.

  • Gold_clam_bannerMiddle.png

    Stopping the gold clam: it's now or never

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

    Research Project
    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.
  • Marine biosecurity

    Service
    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.
  • Extreme coastal flood maps for Aotearoa New Zealand

    Service
    Decisions about how we adapt to sea-level rise need to be based on information about our exposure to coastal flooding.
  • Seabed 2030

    Research Project
    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.
  • Ngā Waihotanga Iho - The Estuary Monitoring Toolkit

    Software Tool/Resource
    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.
  • Restoration of aquatic ecosystems

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

    It’s breeding season for invasive clam

    Media release
    Earth Science NZ researchers are seeing signs that the breeding season for the invasive freshwater gold clam (Corbicula fluminea) has begun.
  • Storm/waves banner

    Storm-tide red-alert days 2026

    Service
    Storm-tide red alerts mark the highest king tides, crucial for emergency and coastal hazard managers to monitor.
  • Baygold constructed wetlands, Tauranga.

    Wetlands win proves power of partnership to improve water quality

    Media release
    Constructed wetlands project receives NZ award for environmental sustainability.
  • Hurunui River, North Canterbury.

    Land-to-sea spatial management

    Research Project
    Assessing sediment effects on seafloor primary production via satellite .
  • New study reveals colossal scale of riverbank erosion during Cyclone Gabrielle

    Media release
    Over 220,000 m3 of sediment was eroded from just 9.1km of Ūawa/Hikuwai riverbanks in Gisborne (Tairāwhiti).