Coasts

Latest news

Tonga eruption discoveries defy expectations

23 May 2022

New findings from the record-breaking Tongan volcanic eruption are “surprising and unexpected”, say scientists from New Zealand’s National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).

Guide explores the benefits of combating marine biofouling

10 May 2022

NIWA is contributing to an international effort to help developing countries reduce the impact of biofouling on aquatic-based industries and environments.

NIWA-Nippon Foundation Tonga Eruption Seabed Mapping Project a “rare opportunity” to study effects of Tonga eruption

Media Release

1 April 2022

NIWA and The Nippon Foundation are undertaking a mission to discover the undersea impacts of the recent Tongan volcanic eruption.

Cutting-edge AI sea craft helping scientists count fish

Media Release

21 February 2022

A robot sea craft is the latest tool NIWA scientists are using to help them count fish.

Our work

Future Coasts Aotearoa

Aotearoa New Zealand’s coastal lowlands are our flat low-lying land (or plains) adjacent to coasts and estuaries. Our coastal lowlands are valued for many reasons, including unique ecological wetlands, cultural sites of significance, valued recreational areas, highly-productive agriculture and are popular places to live.

Marine food webs

We need information on the food web structures of our marine ecosystems in order to manage the effects on the ecosystem of fishing, aquaculture and mining, as well as understanding the potential impacts of climate variability and change on our oceans.

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.

Latest videos

Plankton in the Ross Sea

Plankton are the base of the oceans food web and are vital to our survival. But as our world changes will they be able to continue to play this essential role? Join us as we follow a group of NIWA scientists investigating various aspects of this question in the ocean around Antarctica.

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 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.

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.

Toothfish predators

We are investigating the potential effects of the Antarctic toothfish fishery on the species’ predators by trying to understand how significant a prey toothfish are for seals and whales in the Ross Sea.

Prey

We are investigating the effects of the Ross Sea toothfish fishery on prey by looking at what the species eat and trying to understand the biology and ecology of these fish.

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.