Estuaries

Latest news

New weapon in fight against invasive aquatic weeds

20 July 2021

A combination of artificial intelligence and scientific ingenuity looks set to be the next step forward in protecting Aotearoa New Zealand’s lakes and rivers from invasive aquatic weeds.

NIWA in the field: Sampling the Waimakariri

Feature story

19 May 2021

Environmental monitoring technician Patrick Butler has spent hours travelling between the upper and lower reaches of Canterbury’s Waimakariri and Hurunui Rivers. His mission – river water quality sampling.

The future shape of water

Feature story

11 February 2021

How much is too much? Susan Pepperell looks at some of the tough decisions looming around access to freshwater and how science is helping with solutions.

Freshwater species show vulnerability to climate change

Media Release

15 September 2020

A new study has identified seven freshwater species native to Aotearoa-New Zealand that will likely be highly or very highly vulnerable to climate change.

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.

Maniapoto Cultural Assessment Framework

Maniapoto Māori Trust Board and NIWA worked collaboratively during 2018-19 to support Ngāti Maniapoto whānau to reconnect with and participate in the assessment of their freshwater according to their values.

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.

The New Zealand Estuary Trophic Index

Excessive nutrient input (eutrophication) threatens many New Zealand estuaries causing ecological problems, such as algal blooms and poor physical and chemical conditions for estuarine life.

Latest videos

The world's most mysterious fish

A video about The world's most mysterious fish. NIWA researchers are working with iwi to try to unlock the secrets of New Zealand tuna—freshwater eels. Every year tiny, glass eels wash in on the tide at river mouths along our coast. But where do they come from and how do they get there?

Ngā Waihotanga Iho - The Estuary Monitoring Toolkit

The main purpose of Ngā Waihotanga Iho is to provide tools for the public to measure environmental changes that occur in estuaries over time.

Restoration of aquatic ecosystems

This project aims to increase our knowledge of aquatic ecosystems and their restoration, and apply this to degraded streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries.

New weapon in fight against invasive aquatic weeds

Media Release

20 July 2021

A combination of artificial intelligence and scientific ingenuity looks set to be the next step forward in protecting Aotearoa New Zealand’s lakes and rivers from invasive aquatic weeds.

NIWA in the field: Sampling the Waimakariri

Feature story

19 May 2021

Environmental monitoring technician Patrick Butler has spent hours travelling between the upper and lower reaches of Canterbury’s Waimakariri and Hurunui Rivers. His mission – river water quality sampling.

Estuaries and lowland brackish habitats

NIWA scientists Dr Andrew Swales, Dr Rob Bell and Dr Drew Lohrer wrote a chapter on estuaries for the NZ Coastal Society sea-level rise special publication in late 2020 called Estuaries and lowland brackish habitats.

The Eutrophication Explorer Tool

Eutrophication refers to increasing levels of plant nutrients in a water body, and increasing risks that algae and aquatic plants will growth to nuisance levels and degrade water quality.

A helping hand for lamprey at instream obstacles

At night, in the NIWA lab in Hamilton, lamprey have been climbing structures to help scientists understand how they can navigate waterways.

The future shape of water

Feature story

11 February 2021

How much is too much? Susan Pepperell looks at some of the tough decisions looming around access to freshwater and how science is helping with solutions.

Eutrophication Explorer

A web application tool to explore monitoring data and model predictions related to stream and estuary eutrophication

New freshwater species programme

A new programme at NIWA will focus on finding ways to protect our freshwater species now and in the future.

Staff profile: Dr Simon Woodward

In this edition we welcome Dr Simon Woodward to the team and find out how he came to work at NIWA.

Freshwater species show vulnerability to climate change

Media Release

15 September 2020

A new study has identified seven freshwater species native to Aotearoa-New Zealand that will likely be highly or very highly vulnerable to climate change.

Maniapoto Cultural Assessment Framework

Maniapoto Māori Trust Board and NIWA worked collaboratively during 2018-19 to support Ngāti Maniapoto whānau to reconnect with and participate in the assessment of their freshwater according to their values.

Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (CCVA)

To prepare for changes in climate, our freshwater and oceans decision-makers need information on species vulnerability to climate change.

From land to sea – tracing our trash

NIWA and the Sustainable Coastlines charitable organisation are collaborating to develop ‘source-to-sea’ methods to trace the movement of litter from stormwater systems, through rivers, to coastlines.

The world's most mysterious fish

A video about The world's most mysterious fish. NIWA researchers are working with iwi to try to unlock the secrets of New Zealand tuna—freshwater eels. Every year tiny, glass eels wash in on the tide at river mouths along our coast. But where do they come from and how do they get there?

Our seas are warming

The seawater in the New Zealand region is significantly warmer than it was 30 years ago. All indications are that the warming trend will continue.

Slowing the mud invasion

New Zealand's estuaries were once sandy, forest-lined gems.

Freshwater Update 76, March 2018

Freshwater Update 76 brings you the latest information from our Freshwater & Estuaries Centre, with articles ranging from spring and river water condition to urban waters, didymo and aquatic plant scientists.

The New Zealand Estuary Trophic Index

Excessive nutrient input (eutrophication) threatens many New Zealand estuaries causing ecological problems, such as algal blooms and poor physical and chemical conditions for estuarine life.

Protecting and restoring seagrass – what have we achieved and where to next?

The extent of NZ’s seagrass meadows has declined substantially in the last 50 years. This has been most evident in estuaries strongly affected by human activities. But seagrass meadows can be restored and NZ has a local example to prove it.

Using new laser technology to measure bank erosion

Fine sediment is NZ’s most widespread contaminant, degrading ecosystems and impairing recreational, cultural and aesthetic values in our rivers, estuaries, and coastal seas.

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.

Mangroves: to clear or not to clear?

Media Release

19 May 2017

NIWA scientists have written a guide for managing mangroves, prompted by a desire for people to learn more about mangrove ecosystems, and what happens when they are removed.