Oceans

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…

You can’t take a trip to the Marlborough Sounds and fail to notice the patchwork of buoys bobbing in the blue waters. Suspended under these buoys are kilometres of lines, each in turn with their own much smaller lines trailing beneath. These lines, less than a millimetre in diameter, are the anchoring byssal threads (or beards) of green-lipped mussels.

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

Two kororā chicks – also known as little blue penguins – have hatched in Wellington. They were born in a protective nest box in Evan’s Bay, set up by NIWA and Places for Penguins, in partnership with the Urban Wildlife Trust.

Kaikōura Canyon reveals its muddy secrets

The ear bone of a snapper holds a wealth of information. However, it is not until you look at thousands of them that the picture of a population reveals itself. So where do you get 10,000 snapper ear bones from?

A break in the clouds in a remote Fiordland valley and a chance encounter with a jellyfish under the Antarctic ice provide just some of the highlights from this year’s NIWA Staff Photography competition.

New NIWA-led research shows increasing flood risk is going to be what leads people to make changes to adapt to sea-level rise.

With cascading waterfalls and native bush tumbling down mountainous terrain, Fiordland is one of the most eye-catching parts of the country. But peer beneath the waves and you'll see that Fiordland's marine invertebrate and seaweed communities are every bit as remarkable and awe-inspiring.

A project is under way to determine whether Aotearoa New Zealand’s long defunct rock oyster industry can be revived.