Oceans

Dr Dave Bowden outlines concerns over the impacts of climate change on deepsea life in Antarctic waters.

The oceans are an important sink for atmospheric CO₂, but as they take up increasing amounts of CO₂ they are becoming more acidic.

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.

NIWA fisheries scientist Dr Stuart Hanchet describes the guiding principles that CCAMLR (the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Life) applies to the Antarctic toothfish fishery.

Iron dissolved in the ocean is an important trace nutrient for phytoplankton – the microscopic plants that support marine food webs.

NIWA biological oceanographer Dr Philip Boyd explains how the Southern Ocean plays a key role in controlling the world's climate, by drawing large amounts of CO₂ from Earth's atmosphere into the ocean depths.

It's a common myth that the oceans surrounding Antarctica hold the most diverse array of animals on earth, but they are home to a collection of species found nowhere else.

The New Zealand archipelago, particularly its subantarctic islands, is a global seabird hotspot. It's home to 25 per cent of the world's breeding seabird populations and a very diverse array of penguin, albatross, petrel and shearwater species.

The sea ice that forms around Antarctica in winter effectively doubles the size of the continent, and its extent has increased over recent years.

The Earth's oceans – particularly the Southern Ocean – play an important role in absorbing carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other trace gases from the atmosphere.