Oceans

Recording old oceans centre tag.

Latest news

Researchers on hunt for fish nurseries

7 August 2020

NIWA researchers are heading out from Tasman early next week to survey an area thought to be home to important juvenile fish nurseries.

Squat lobster memoir hot off the press

Media Release

6 August 2020

After a decade-long effort, NIWA’s latest Biodiversity Memoir has just rolled off the presses. Written by marine biologist Kareen Schnabel, the 350-page treatise presents everything we currently know about the different kinds of squat lobster living in New Zealand’s waters.

Nameless nodes get new look from NIWA

Media Release

29 July 2020

At the bottom of the Southern Ocean, near Cape Adare in East Antarctica, lies an undersea ridge which until this month was only known by its co-ordinates: -71.2132 latitude, 172.1649 longitude.

Concepts in sustainable aquaculture - IMTA

Media Release

23 July 2020

New ways to address environmental sustainability challenges.

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.

Our Far South

A number of people aboard the Our Far South voyage have been sending us beautiful photos of their experience. In this gallery, we showcase some of our favourites. Oldest photos are shown first. Unless otherwise stated, all photos are credited to Our Far South.

NIWA Charts

NIWA produces a wide range of charts, including bathymetry, sediment, and circulation charts.

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.

AWATEA - Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy conference

18 April 2013 to 19 April 2013

NIWA is sponsoring AWATEA's 2013 conference 'Blue energy in the pacific: Powering Innovation'.

For more information see the AWATEA website

New map reveals New Zealand’s seafloor in stunning detail

23 November 2012

NIWA's new Undersea New Zealand map provides a unique insight into the shape of the seafloor in one of the world's most extensive marine jurisdictions.

Scientists discover freshwater flows affect polar oceanic microbes

31 October 2012

An international team of scientists has been studying bacteria that live in Arctic and Antarctica waters.

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.

Coastal and oceanic dispersal modelling

Understanding how material released into the ocean spreads is very important in the case of oil spills, sediment transport and the release of invasive species.

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)

Looking to the past for a complete record of earthquakes in Poverty Bay

6 June 2012

Scientists have been working on ways to find out about earthquakes that occurred before oral and written records
began in New Zealand.

Geosciences 2012

25 November 2012 to 28 November 2012

NIWA is sponsoring the Geosciences Society annual conference being held in Hamilton on the 25th to 28th November.

The conference will showcase the broad range of geological and geophysical research that is being undertaken in New Zealand and abroad.

Marine extremes and everything in between

1 July 2012 to 5 July 2012

Marine extremes and everything inbetween is a joint conference between the Australian Marine Sciences Association and the New Zealand Marine Sciences Society (AMSA-NZMSS).

NIWA is sponsorsing prizes for the best student oral and poster presentations at the conference .

For more information about go to the AMSA-NZMSS website

Background

How does NIWA map the seafloor?

Multibeam echo sounders emit a fan of sound beams to the seafloor to scan a wide swath of the seabed in great detail. Compared with conventional echo sounders – which direct a single beam of sound to the seabed directly below a ship – multibeams show more detail and greatly reduce ship survey time and cost.

How it works

The hull-mounted multibeam transceiver sends out a beam of sound waves (see diagram below) which are reflected off the seafloor, back to a receiver on the ship.

Vital areas of New Zealand’s seafloor to be revealed in detail for the first time

6 May 2012

New Zealand's largest research vessel Tangaroa sets off today to map, in high resolution detail, the southern Hikurangi Margin - a vital area of seabed off the east coast of New Zealand.

The voyage is part of the Ocean Survey 20/20 project, a 15-year Government project, established in 2004, to survey and explore New Zealand's oceans, to better manage and sustainably develop their resources.

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.

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.

NIWA sets sail to study vulnerable deep-sea communities

Media Release

15 April 2012

NIWA's research vessel Tangaroa will set sail this week to explore the biodiversity of deep-sea habitats in the outer Bay of Plenty and southern Kermadec Ridge, starting 80 kilometres off Tauranga.

Spying on our great white sharks

10 April 2012

Scientists have just completed a successful trip to Stewart Island, tagging 23 great white sharks. The sharks were tagged with acoustic and popup tags, and filmed underwater for photo-identification purposes. The tags and photos will allow scientists to investigate the sharks' habitat and behaviour, and to determine the periods during which they inhabit locations such as Stewart Island.

In brief: Tracking pilgrim’s progress

NIWA researchers head to Foveaux Strait this month to look up an old friend. 'Grim', a young male white shark, made headlines in 2010 when satellites followed his epic swim from Stewart Island to Fiji.

Sea-level Rise: Meeting the Challenge

10 May 2012 to 11 May 2012

The New Zealand Climate Change Centre (NZCCC) invite you to attend Sea level rise: meeting the challenge.

This conference includes keynote speakers and presentations from leading international and New Zealand based experts on coastal and sea-level rise issues.

Oceans

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How does NIWA map the seafloor?

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