Oceans

Recording old oceans centre tag.

Latest news

NIWA mapping seafloor around Whakaari/White Island

16 July 2020

NIWA scientists are heading to the waters around Whakaari/White Island in the Bay of Plenty next week to survey changes to the seafloor.

New ocean data from under the world’s biggest ice shelf

Media Release

30 June 2020

New measurements from the ocean under the centre of the Ross Ice Shelf have significantly improved our understanding of the complex processes that drive melting in Antarctica.

Tangaroa heads back to sea – with social distancing

Media Release

13 May 2020

NIWA’s flagship research vessel Tangaroa will sail out of Wellington Harbour on Sunday for the first scientific voyage since the lockdown.

Extremely rare albino shark discovered in Auckland

Media Release

22 April 2020

A deep dive into the collection of an Auckland War Memorial Museum has revealed an extremely rare albino shark.

Our work

New Zealand Ocean Acidification Observing Network (NZOA-ON)

Ocean acidification conditions around the New Zealand coast are being measured to establish baseline conditions and to quantify future change.

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.

White sharks

Where and when do white sharks occur in New Zealand waters, and how can fisheries bycatch be reduced?

Latest videos

Ocean acidification - What does it mean for Shellfish?

This video has been produced to highlight ocean acidification as a potential issue affecting the NZ shellfish aquaculture industry

Echo, Echo: Scanning the Seafloor on R.V. Tangaroa

NIWA ocean geologist Dr Joshu Mountjoy explains how the R.V. Tangaroa's multibeam system is used for bathymetric (seabed) mapping, and some of the benefits which come out of this mapping.

Seabed Frontier: A Brief History of Bathymetry

NIWA marine geologist John Mitchell gives a brief history of bathymetric (seabed) charting, and how it's been carried out over the last few hundred years. (01:18)

Big Fish, Calm Sea - White Shark Tagging off Stewart Island

Tagging White Sharks off Stewart Island, NZ Scientists from DOC, NIWA, and the University of Auckland are building a unique picture of New Zealand's great white shark population.

Vessels

Images of NIWA’s three main research vessels in action – RV Tangaroa, RV Kaharoa and RV Ikatere.

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.

Ocean to Atmosphere

This interactive graphic shows how NIWA's work extends from the top of the atmosphere to the bottom of the ocean.

NIWA mapping seafloor around Whakaari/White Island

Media Release

16 July 2020

NIWA scientists are heading to the waters around Whakaari/White Island in the Bay of Plenty next week to survey changes to the seafloor.

New ocean data from under the world’s biggest ice shelf

Media Release

30 June 2020

New measurements from the ocean under the centre of the Ross Ice Shelf have significantly improved our understanding of the complex processes that drive melting in Antarctica.

May 27, 2020 - Working in uncharted territory

Diana Macpherson, benthic data and specimens specialist, talks about what working onboard Tangaroa is really all about.

Making Waves - June 2020

NIWA is currently working closely with stakeholders to ensure that our research and advice are applied to maximum effect to assist with the recovery after COVID-19.

Tangaroa heads back to sea – with social distancing

Media Release

13 May 2020

NIWA’s flagship research vessel Tangaroa will sail out of Wellington Harbour on Sunday for the first scientific voyage since the lockdown.

Extremely rare albino shark discovered in Auckland

Media Release

22 April 2020

A deep dive into the collection of an Auckland War Memorial Museum has revealed an extremely rare albino shark.

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.

Small sea-level rises to drive more intense flooding, say scientists

Media Release

14 April 2020

A little can mean a lot – especially when it comes to the relationship between sea level rise and coastal flooding.

Giant squid and glow-in-the-dark sharks surprise scientists

Media Release

17 February 2020

A giant squid and several glow-in-the-dark sharks were surprise finds for NIWA scientists last month on the Chatham Rise during a voyage to survey hoki, New Zealand’s most valuable commercial fish species.

Climate change and the oceans

Helping you understand the science of climate change. The things we can do to combat climate change, individually, and alongside our whānau, school and community, can and will make a difference.

Scientist pieces together details of underwater landslides

Media Release

28 November 2019

New information about landslides that occur on the seafloor off New Zealand’s east coast will help scientists better understand why and where they happen, and the types of threats they pose.

Planning an ocean observation network

Media Release

3 October 2019

New Zealand’s changing ocean environment has prompted the call to develop a system that will keep closer tabs on information from scientific monitoring buoys so the data they produce can be shared as widely as possible.

Methane seep research bubbling along

Media Release

10 September 2019

A chance discovery off the Gisborne coast five years ago is prompting a NIWA scientist to find out more about the link between a field of methane seeps bubbling out of the sea floor and submarine landslides.

Stitching together a new view of the seafloor

Combining multibeam bathymetry, specialist GIS software and high-resolution camera footage, NIWA has produced startlingly vivid three-dimensional photo-mosaics of undersea habitats.

Tangaroa open day attracts hundreds of visitors

NIWA’s research vessel RV Tangaroa opened its gangway, decks and doors to an excited public in Dunedin last month.

Ambitious NIWA-led Antarctic Ocean project gets go-ahead

NIWA is to lead a new six-year project aimed at improving understanding of how the Antarctic oceans work.

Dive deep into NIWA ocean science

21 July 2019 to 9 February 2020

Dive deep into NIWA’s world of ocean science and discovery at Otago Museum’s Beautiful Science Gallery.

Our changing oceans

Feature story

13 June 2019

The on-going rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) that is fuelling climate change is also driving significant changes in the waters off our coasts.

Sea Surface Temperature Update - 13 February 2019

Following the Tasman Sea marine heatwave event of 2017-18, this report will help users understand the latest conditions in the ocean and their expected changes over the upcoming weeks.

Voyage Update 9: Protistan diversity

During the voyage, we collected planktonic protist cells for which DNA will be sequenced for taxonomic identification, but also to understand their physiology through the daily diurnal vertical migration (diel) cycle.

Seabed mapping in Marlborough uncovers 10 shipwrecks

31 August 2018

The most detailed seafloor mapping of a coastal region off New Zealand has been completed in Marlborough.

Scientists mark 10th anniversary of ocean acidification research

Media Release

9 October 2017

A decade of scientific research into how ocean acidification is affecting New Zealand waters has led to far greater understanding of the vulnerability of our marine ecosystems, according to a newly published review.