NIWA

Oceans

Recording old oceans centre tag.

Latest news

Coastal flooding likely to be main driver for adaptation

12 October 2021

New NIWA-led research shows increasing flood risk is going to be what leads people to make changes to adapt to sea-level rise.

Fabulous Fiordland showcased in new e-Guide

Media Release

5 October 2021

With cascading waterfalls and native bush tumbling down mountainous terrain, Fiordland is one of the most eye-catching parts of the country. But peer beneath the waves and you'll see that Fiordland's marine invertebrate and seaweed communities are every bit as remarkable and awe-inspiring.

Scientists, iwi investigate bringing back rock oyster industry

Media Release

28 September 2021

A project is under way to determine whether Aotearoa New Zealand’s long defunct rock oyster industry can be revived.

Study discovers microplastics in New Zealand’s seabed

Media Release

16 July 2021

A pilot study carried out by NIWA and the University of Auckland has found microplastics in samples collected from the seafloor in the Marlborough Sounds.

Our work

Sea2Cloud – how marine aerosols influence the atmosphere and climate

Clouds over the ocean, and how they trap or emit radiation from the sun, are partly influenced by the biology, biogeochemistry and physics of the surface ocean below.

Marine food webs

We need information on the food web structures of our marine ecosystems in order to manage the effects on the ecosystem of fishing, aquaculture and mining, as well as understanding the potential impacts of climate variability and change on our oceans.

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.

Latest videos

Plankton in the Ross Sea

Plankton are the base of the oceans food web and are vital to our survival. But as our world changes will they be able to continue to play this essential role? Join us as we follow a group of NIWA scientists investigating various aspects of this question in the ocean around Antarctica.

Antarctic science onboard NIWA’s RV Tangaroa

Examining biodiversity and ocean dynamics in the world’s largest marine protected area

Researchers are working their way through a wealth of new Antarctic marine data after RV Tangaroa successfully completed its five week scientific voyage to the Ross Sea.

NIWA's Sarah Searson and Jennie Mowatt

If you want to get accurate scientific readings from the icy depths of the Ross Sea, who do you turn to?

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

Calibration

We calibrate environmental sensors, at our Christchurch laboratory, using reference instruments that are themselves calibrated to traceable standards by an independent organization.

Support

We service and support individual instruments, systems and nationwide networks.

Installation

We install monitoring and control systems of all sizes, throughout New Zealand, in the Pacific Islands and even the Antarctic.

Supply

We supply a complete range of environmental monitoring equipment, from small components to large systems. We also supply accessories and miscellaneous items.

Manufacturing

We manufacture items such as cables and circuit boards through to subassemblies for both standard and specialized systems.

Development

We develop custom environmental monitoring and irrigation flow-control solutions.

Design

We design instruments and systems of instruments. We have full mechanical and electronic CAD capability.

Did sea-level gauges in New Zealand detect the 2010 Chile Tsunami?

Rob Bell's analysis of the tsunami signature.

Contacts

Contacts for NIWA Invertebrate Collection staff.

Services

Instrument Systems offers a number of services, including: design, development, manufacture, supply, installation, service and support, calibration, evaluation, hire, training and service contracts.

Water Level Recorder - NIWA Hydrologger

A cost-effective water level recorder. Comprises a water surface float-driven shaft encoder and internal data logger with rainfall input. Connects directly to compatible communications devices.

Wave Gauge - NIWA DOBIE

When deployed underwater, this self-contained instrument records and analyses water waves. It can trigger other instruments and send alarms via a communications link.

Monitoring the Antarctic environment

For over two decades NIWA has installed automatic monitoring systems in hostile environments, and probably none is more hostile than the Antarctic. In 2009 we were involved in a project with a difference - installing a climate station as part of a project to protect Scott's Hut, Cape Evans.

Valiant crew of NIWA’s Kaharoa set to spend Christmas in wild waters

23 December 2009

NIWA’s 28-metre research vessel Kaharoa will spend Christmas at sea. Kaharoa will be in the midst of the Indian Ocean, on an epic journey deploying over 100 ocean-profiling ‘Argo’ floats.

Icebergs South of New Zealand

18 November 2009

Australian Antarctic Division seal biologists were the first to photograph several large icebergs off the coasts of Macquarie Island. Since the beginning of November these icebergs have been pushed north by winds and ocean currents to be within 250 km of New Zealand.