Coasts

Help us build a better niwa.co.nz for you by filling out our annual survey

Latest news

Watch out for jellyfish blooms

28 December 2020

Jellyfish blooms are likely to be a common sight this summer with rising ocean temperatures one of the main causes of substantial population growths.

Chance find leads to first look at coral larvae

Media Release

12 November 2020

Small orange flecks spotted floating around in a respiration chamber at a NIWA laboratory have led to a discovery about the spawning habits of a deep-sea stony coral in New Zealand waters.

Underwater robot getting close-up look at Kaikōura Canyon

Media Release

8 October 2020

A six-metre long orange underwater robot is flying through the Kaikōura Canyon for the next month collecting information on how the canyon has changed since the 2016 earthquake.

Scientists conducting snapper research off North Island’s west coast

Media Release

6 October 2020

People along the Kapiti and Wanganui coast may spot NIWA’s research vessel Kaharoa operating close to shore in the next few weeks as scientists carry out a survey of snapper, tarakihi, red gurnard and John Dory.

Our work

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.

Coastal adaptation to climate change

NIWA is developing guidelines and advice to help coastal communities adapt to climate change.

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.

Restoration of seagrass beds in Whangarei Harbour

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

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.

Water Depth and Temperature Sensor - Unidata 6542B

This analog output sensor provides accurate long-term measurements of water depth and temperature in bores, drains and rivers.

Starflow - Unidata 6526

This ultrasonic Doppler instrument is a compact, easy to use system for measuring water flow in rivers, channels and pipes.

Water Level Encoder - Unidata 6541

Uses a float and counterweight system to convert water level into an electronic output that can be read by a datalogger. Accurate to within a millimetre over a wide range.

Prologger - Unidata 7001B

This has 16 analog inputs with an accuracy of better than 0.1% of full scale. You can configure inputs as single ended or differential and select from four input signal ranges.

Neon applications software

The Neon Applications software is a suite of software and documentation which allows clients to set up their own Neon system on existing server hardware, or new server hardware located at the client’s premises.

Neon Remote Terminal (NRT Satellite) - Unidata

The NRT is a small self-contained unit which connects to sensors, records readings from them and transmits the data to a central server via satellite communications.

Neon Remote Terminal (NRT Terrestrial) - Unidata

The NRT is a small self-contained unit which connects to sensors, records readings from them and transmits the data to a central server via a cellular telephone network.

Other recent additions to our website

NIWA is developing a model to help predict the effects of land-use change on nutrient concentrations in estuaries. Follow the links to read the project pages on the CLUES estuarine toolkit.

Where will the young fish play?

Seagrass meadows provide vital habitat for juvenile fish, but are disappearing at an alarming rate in many places. NIWA scientists are finding out more about the role seagrass plays in the life of young fish.

New NIWA post-doc studies ocean acidification

A new post doctoral fellow at NIWA – Dr Claire Guy – is investigating the ecological impacts of ocean acidification on key Antarctic shellfish.

Preparing coastal communities for climate change

As the climate changes and sea levels rise, coastal communities become more vulnerable to hazards like coastal inundation and erosion. NIWA is working with coastal communities and councils on how to adapt to these impacts.

Nationwide rig shark survey completed

Scientists from NIWA and Massey University have surveyed rig shark (aka lemon fish) nurseries in 13 estuaries nationwide. They also recorded a number of environmental parameters, which will help scientists understand more about the preferred habitats of rig sharks.

Coasts Update 03, April 2011

Welcome to the latest edition of Coasts Update. Here we bring you news of some of NIWA's latest research on aspects of coastal ecology, and the possible impacts of climate change on one of our coastal communities.

Compact weather station - NIWA Tier2

A low-cost weather station for gathering accurate weather data. Wind speed and direction, air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure and rainfall data can be accessed from a server, via the internet.

Smart Rain Intensity Gauge - NIWA SRIG

This measures rain by the drop as well as by the tradional 'tip'. We can configure it either with an SDI12 serial data interface or an integral logger with cellular communications.

Salinity Buoy - NIWA SB1

A self-contained telemetered inshore buoy capable of being equipped with a wide range of marine sensors.

Estuarine water quality: the CLUES estuary tool

Many of New Zealand's rivers fail to meet national guidelines for nutrient levels. NIWA has developed the Catchment Land Use & Environmental Sustainability (CLUES) estuary tool to predict the effects of land use on estuarine nutrient concentrations.

Coastal adaptation to climate change

NIWA is developing guidelines and advice to help coastal communities adapt to climate change.

New Zealand Coastal Society Conference

17 November 2010 to 19 November 2010

New Zealand Coastal Society Annual Conference

Wave and storm-surge projections (WASP)

NIWA is working on a ministry-funded project to produce a model, validated by 40 years of historic data, to project future wave and storm surges off the coast for two climate change scenarios.

Mapping coastal environmental values

The New Zealand coast is a marine biodiversity hotspot, inhabited by an estimated 65 000 species, many of unique to New Zealand. Knowing what we have and where is crucial to protecting this wealth of biodiversity and the environmental services it delivers. A recent mapping project meets this need.

Bay of Islands Coastal Survey complete

The Bay of Islands coast is under increasing pressure from human activities, both land-based and marine. As part of the government’s Ocean Survey 20/20 programme, Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) commissioned NIWA to carry out a comprehensive survey of the region’s seafloor habitats and biodiversity.