Oceanography

Latest news

Ambitious NIWA-led Antarctic Ocean project gets go-ahead

Media Release
18 June 2019
Understanding how the Antarctic oceans work is vital to predicting the world’s future climate and the implications of climate change for humankind and the planet.

Busy season for NIWA scientists in Antarctica

Media Release
24 September 2018
The new science season at Antarctica is just a few days away from opening and NIWA researchers are busy packing containers and shipping them to the ice where they will be reunited with them in the coming months.

NZ scientists launch their part in bold project to map seafloor

Media Release
20 June 2018
New Zealand’s contribution to an ambitious international project aiming to generate a definitive map of the entire ocean floor in less than 12 years, is being launched in Wellington tomorrow.

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.
 

Our work

Plankton biodiversity in the Southern Ocean

NIWA is conducting a five–year study to map changes in the distribution of plankton species in surface waters between New Zealand and the Ross Sea.

Effects of ocean acidification on plankton in New Zealand waters

Our oceans are expected to become more acidic as carbon dioxide concentrations rise. This will likely have impacts on the plankton, which play a major role in ocean ecosystems and processes.
 

Latest videos

Exploring the deepsea

Exploring the deepsea

Despite many centuries of maritime exploration, only a fraction of our planet's seafloor has been observed. NIWA Deepsea Scientist Di Tracey tells us what it feels like to probe deep beneath the waves to see what's living on the ocean floor.

Shifting Sands - Tsunami hazard off Kaikoura, NZ

Shifting Sands

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

Find out more about this research. 

 

Antarctica in photos

NIWA scientists have worked for many years in Antarctica. These photographs illustrate some of our work in this amazing and scientifically significant place. 

Ambitious NIWA-led Antarctic Ocean project gets go-ahead

Media Release
18 June 2019
Understanding how the Antarctic oceans work is vital to predicting the world’s future climate and the implications of climate change for humankind and the planet.

Voyage update: Cape Adare

17 January 2019. By Voyage Leader Dr Richard O'Driscoll.

Ross Sea Region Research and Monitoring Programme

The Ross Sea Region Research and Monitoring Programme (Ross-RAMP) is a five-year research programme funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and run by NIWA to evaluate the effectiveness of the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area.

Ross Sea Environment and Ecosystem Voyage 2019

From 8 Jan - 27 Feb 2019 RV Tangaroa is undertaking a six-week research voyage to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. On board scientists, supported by 19 crew members, will be studying ocean, atmosphere and ecosystem processes with the focus on establishing monitoring programmes for the newly created Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area (MPA).

Busy season for NIWA scientists in Antarctica

Media Release
24 September 2018
The new science season at Antarctica is just a few days away from opening and NIWA researchers are busy packing containers and shipping them to the ice where they will be reunited with them in the coming months.

NZ scientists launch their part in bold project to map seafloor

Media Release
20 June 2018
New Zealand’s contribution to an ambitious international project aiming to generate a definitive map of the entire ocean floor in less than 12 years, is being launched in Wellington tomorrow.

Tide envelopes 2017

The range for high and low tides throughout the 2017 year (in alphabetical order).

Exploring the deepsea

Exploring the deepsea

Despite many centuries of maritime exploration, only a fraction of our planet's seafloor has been observed. NIWA Deepsea Scientist Di Tracey tells us what it feels like to probe deep beneath the waves to see what's living on the ocean floor.

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.

Voyage reports and data

A list of current voyage reports in downloadable formats.

Voyage leader's final update

Blog
11 March 2015
Now back on dry land, Voyage Leader Richard O'Driscoll reflects on the final days of RV Tangaroa's 2015 Antarctica expedition.

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.

Shifting Sands - Tsunami hazard off Kaikoura, NZ

Shifting Sands

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

Find out more about this research. 

NIWA’s Tangaroa sets sail to study how Antarctica affects ocean currents

30 January 2013

A team of 22 Australian, New Zealand and French scientists will depart Wellington next week, onboard NIWA's RV Tangaroa, for a 42-day voyage to the Mertz Polynya region of Antarctica.

Ocean modelling

NIWA answers a wide range of scientific questions using ocean modelling. These models can be linked to well established weather forecasting models to predict ocean temperature, sea level and the dispersal of pollution.

CTD (Conductivity, Temperature and Depth)

Ocean water properties such as temperature are measured directly, while conductivity is used to tell us the salinity. It also captures water samples at different depths for a variety of chemical and biological measurements made either on the vessel or back in the laboratory.

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All staff working on this subject

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Dr Michael Allis

Coastal Engineer
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Dr Rob Bell

Principal Scientist - Coastal and Estuarine Physical Processes
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Dr Cyprien Bosserelle

Hydrodynamics Modeller
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Dr Denise Fernandez

Physical Oceanographer
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Dr Giacomo Giorli

Marine Mammal Acoustician
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Dr Richard Gorman

Coastal and Estuarine Physical Processes Scientist
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Dr Yoann Ladroit

Fisheries Acoustics Scientist
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Dr Helen Macdonald

Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) Numerical Modeller
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Dr Helen Neil

General Manager - Operations
Email Dr Helen Neil

Dr Richard O'Driscoll

Principal Scientist - Fisheries
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Dr Graham Rickard

Marine Physics Modeller
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Dr Natalie Robinson

Marine Physicist
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Dr Philip Sutton

Physical Oceanographer
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Dr Jonny Williams

Climate Scientist
Email Dr Jonny Williams

Karl Safi

Algal Ecologist
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Craig Stewart

Marine Physicist
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