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Voyages

NIWA leads many ocean research voyages from the tropical waters of the Pacific to Antarctica. This page highlights some of these voyages.

Most of our major voyages utilise our flagship Research Vessel Tangaroa

View the latest voyage reports and data from research work carried out on NIWA vessels.

Featured voyage - Kermadec Expedition 2016

The voyage to the Kermadec region is a collaborative expedition between NIWA, Auckland Museum, Kelly Tarlton’s, Department of Conservation, Auckland and Massey Universities, The PEW Charitable Trusts and Te Papa.

Upgrade to NOAA tsunami warning station - September 2017

A tsunami reporting station situated in the Pacific Ocean that is currently off line is to be upgraded in a joint operation involving New Zealand and United States government agencies.

Kaikōura coastal zone - September 2017

NIWA vessel RV Tangaroa visted Kaikōura in September 2017 to investigate the impacts of the earthquake in the coastal zone, which includes effects on rocky reef habitats and communities, pāua fishery and Hector’s dolphins.

Kermadec expedition 2016

The voyage to the Kermadec region is a collaborative expedition between NIWA, Auckland Museum, Kelly Tarlton’s, Department of Conservation, Auckland and Massey Universities, The PEW Charitable Trusts and Te Papa.

Bathymetric mapping of Lake Tekapo

NIWA researchers spent several weeks on board the RV Rangitahi III - keeping a close eye on the bottom of Lake Tekapo to find out what it looks like and what is going on below the lake bed.

Scientists delve deep into oceans’ climate secrets

NIWA’s research vessel Kaharoa has been on a three-week voyage to deploy the first Deep Argo floats to collect data on ocean heat gain at depths of about 5700m. Deployed across the abyssal plains of the South West Pacific the floats are one tool for unlocking key global climate change information in our oceans.

Kapiti multibeam survey

On board the RV Ikatere, NIWA scientists have used the latest multibeam echo-sounding technology to generate new charts of the seafloor around Kapiti Island.

New Zealand-Australia Antarctic Ecosystems Voyage

The six-week New Zealand-Antarctic Ecosystem Voyage saw RV Tangaroa travel through the Southern Ocean to the Ross Sea to conduct a range of scientific fieldwork.  The voyage was a collaboration between Antarctica New Zealand, NIWA and the Australian Antarctic Division.

Finding the right whale in old places

Funded by NIWA and the Department of Conservation (DOC) this month-long voyage investigated whether southern right whales continue to spend their winters at Campbell Island, how many there were, where they came from and what they ate.

3D seabed survey reveals massive gas hydrate and methane system

This east coast voyage aboard the RV Tangaroa found direct evidence of widespread gas in the sediment and ocean, and indications of large areas of methane hydrate (an ice-like frozen methane) below the seafloor.

Voyage to the Louisville Seamount Chain

The RV Tangaroa has been on a five-week voyage to the Louisville Seamount Chain in the South Pacific. It will give scientists a better understanding about marine ecosystems vulnerable to commercial fishing in the region.

NIWA survey work helps assess Kaikoura tsunami risks

During a week-long voyage aboard the RV Ikatere, NIWA scientists provide new insights into the significant tsunami risk from an undersea landslide in the Kaikoura Submarine Canyon just off the South Island's east coast.

Exploring the Kermadec Trench for new and strange deep-sea fish

Scientists onboard NIWA's RV Kaharoa explored life in deep-sea habitats in the Kermadec Trench, capturing and filming fish and giant amphipod species that are new to science.

Our Far South voyage

With a focus on climate change, territorial aspirations of Antarctica, protecting biodiversity, over-fishing, tourism, and mineral exploration, the Our Far South voyage to Antarctica created a unique opportunity to raise public awareness about research happening in the southern ocean and the Antarctic area.

Explosive behaviour of Kermadec submarine volcanoes unveiled

A 23–day voyage onboard NIWA’s deepwater RV Tangaroa investigated volcanoes on the two largest Kermadec Islands – Raoul and Macauley – and their submerged flanks.

Antarctic whale research expedition

The six week expedition aboard RV Tangaroa used state of the art non-lethal techniques such as satellite tracking and acoustics surveys to study whales in the Southern Ocean.

Extraordinary life around deep-sea gas seeps

Utilising the RV Tangaroa's benthic grab capabilities, an international team from the United States and New Zealand have observed, for the first time, the bizarre deep-sea communities living around methane seeps off New Zealand’s east coast.

A voyage to study New Zealand's hot tap

A voyage on NIWA’s deepwater research vessel, Tangaroa, which revealed how and why the east of the North Island is warmer than the west thanks to New Zealand's hot tap - the Tasman Front.

New Zealand Antarctic voyage to pursue causes of climate change

Onboard the RV Tangaroa, NIWA scientists revitalised the growth of microscopic plants to show how phytoplankton may be a key element in absorbing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and to better understand the role of the Southern Ocean in climate change.