Coasts

Latest news

When the sea gives back – a story of luck and decency

15 May 2017

NIWA puts a lot of things in the ocean—instruments tied to moorings, floats that dive up and down measuring what’s going on in the water, and video cameras that monitor fish.

Massive mudslides in Kaikōura Canyon destroy seabed life

Media Release

27 February 2017

Huge mudslides from November’s earthquakes have wiped out all organisms living in the seabed of the Kaikōura Canyon.

Mitchell’s odyssey from stream to ocean

Media Release

14 September 2016

New Zealand continues to punch above its weight in global environmental issues, with three Kiwis seeking a positive change to our oceans in Washington this month.

From high seas to estuaries

Feature story

15 July 2016

While Tangaroa might be considered its flagship, NIWA’s extensive range of maritime work could not be completed without the support vessels Kaharoa and Ikatere.

Our work

Plastic pollution processes in rivers

Most of the plastic in the ocean originates on land, being carried to the estuaries and coasts by rivers. Managing this plastic on land before it reaches the river could be the key to stemming the tide of marine-bound plastics. The aim of this project is to understand the sources and fate of plastic pollution carried by urban rivers using the Kaiwharawhara Stream as a case study.

Historical changes in juvenile fish habitats

NIWA is looking for people who have had a long association with the Hauraki Gulf or Marlborough Sounds to help them with a research project on juvenile fish habitats.

Restoration of seagrass beds in Whangarei Harbour

Seagrass beds form an important undersea habitat for small fish, seahorses and shellfish in New Zealand.

Predicting long-term sedimentation and heavy metal accumulation in estuaries

NIWA has developed an Urban Stormwater Contaminant (USC) model to enable urban planners to predict sedimentation and heavy metal accumulation in estuaries and identify problem areas in order to target mitigation measures.

Latest videos

Shifting Sands

Dr Joshu Mountjoy discusses NIWA's work in assessing the tsunami hazard just south of Kaikoura.

Find out more about this research.

Antarctic Coastal Marine Life in a Changing Climate

NIWA marine ecologist Dr Vonda Cummings discusses the likely effects of climate change on marine invertebrates living on the seafloor of the Ross Sea coast.

Next Stop Antarctica

Our Far South is an expedition that aims to raise New Zealanders' awareness of the area south of Stewart Island. Gareth Morgan, Te Radar, scientists and 50 everyday Kiwis are onboard to learn and then share their experience. This is the first video produced by them, showing some of the highlights of the trip so far.

Plastic pollution processes in rivers

Storm-tide red-alert days 2019

NIWA's 2019 storm-tide red alerts are the highest high tide (also known as king tides) dates that Emergency Managers and Coastal Hazard Managers should write in their diaries and keep an eye on adverse weather (low barometric pressure, onshore winds), river levels and sea conditions (waves and swell).

Coastal and Marine Data Portal

NIWA's Coastal and Marine Data Portal provides project specific marine data.

Compound Specific Stable Isotope tracing of sediment sources - tools to manage a sticky problem in New Zealand’s freshwaters and estuaries

Fine sediment is New Zealand’s most widespread water contaminant, degrading ecosystems, infilling dams and reservoirs and impairing recreational, cultural and aesthetic values in our rivers, estuaries and coastal seas.

When the sea gives back – a story of luck and decency

Media Release

15 May 2017

NIWA puts a lot of things in the ocean—instruments tied to moorings, floats that dive up and down measuring what’s going on in the water, and video cameras that monitor fish.

Massive mudslides in Kaikōura Canyon destroy seabed life

Media Release

27 February 2017

Huge mudslides from November’s earthquakes have wiped out all organisms living in the seabed of the Kaikōura Canyon.

Historical changes in juvenile fish habitats

NIWA is looking for people who have had a long association with the Hauraki Gulf or Marlborough Sounds to help them with a research project on juvenile fish habitats.

Mitchell’s odyssey from stream to ocean

Media Release

14 September 2016

New Zealand continues to punch above its weight in global environmental issues, with three Kiwis seeking a positive change to our oceans in Washington this month.

Te Mahere Kāinga Koiora - Habitat Mapping Module

This Habitat Mapping module will show you how to collect useful information to describe and monitor habitats in estuaries.

From high seas to estuaries

Feature story

15 July 2016

While Tangaroa might be considered its flagship, NIWA’s extensive range of maritime work could not be completed without the support vessels Kaharoa and Ikatere.

NIWA studies spectacular seabed gas flares

1 May 2015

A team of scientists aboard NIWA’s deepwater research vessel Tangaroa returned to Wellington with new knowledge about methane ‘leaking’ into the atmosphere.

Voyage reports and data

A list of current voyage reports in downloadable formats.

Coasts & Oceans

View images from our work in and around coasts and oceans, including images from some of the world's most beautiful and inaccessible locations.

New Zealand Coastal Society conference

18 November 2014 to 21 November 2014

NIWA is proud to be sponsoring the 22nd annual New Zealand Coastal society conference.

New Zealand Marine Sciences Society conference 2014

11 August 2014 to 14 August 2014

The theme of this year’s conference is 'Shaping our marine future'.

Tide envelopes 2010

The range for high and low tides throughout the year.

Tide envelopes 2011

The range for high and low tides throughout the year.

Default Coasts Gallery

Tide envelopes 2012

The range for high and low tides throughout the year.

Our Far South

A number of people aboard the Our Far South voyage have been sending us beautiful photos of their experience. In this gallery, we showcase some of our favourites. Oldest photos are shown first. Unless otherwise stated, all photos are credited to Our Far South.

RV Polaris - Ocean Acidification

For the last 14 years, in collaboration with the University of Otago's Chemistry Department, Dr Kim Currie has run a time series tracking ocean acidification.