Sediments

Latest news

Specialised monitoring equipment has been installed in Bay of Plenty estuaries to understand whether our coastal wetlands can survive the threat of inevitable sea-level rise.
Greater Wellington Regional Council regularly assess sediment quality and seafloor community health in the subtidal areas of Te Awarua-o-Porirua (Porirua Harbour) and Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington Harbour).
Estuaries provide a crucial link between our rivers and our seas. Sam Fraser-Baxter heads out with a NIWA research team keeping a close eye on these vulnerable transition zones.
A large, orange Scandinavian robot gives NIWA’s marine geologists an in-depth look at changes to the seafloor off Kaikōura.

Latest videos

Microplastics: a deeper problem than we thought?

There is increasing global concern about the presence of plastic pollution in our oceans. New research from scientists at NIWA and the University of Auckland has identified microplastic particles in marine sediments within the Queen Charlotte Sounds / Tōtaranui, New Zealand. In this pilot study, microplastics were found throughout sediments, up to 50 cm below the seabed. Microplastics were identified in sites near coastal populations and within marine protected areas. Findings showed numerous sizes and shapes of microplastics, indicating they came from multiple sources. The next steps in this research project are to identify the type of plastics and try to establish where they came from.

Recording underwater biodiversity after earthquakes

NIWA’s marine ecologist Dr Dave Bowden talks about the catastrophic changes to the seafloor in the Kaikoura Canyon following the November 2016 earthquake.

Earthquake's unseen impact

NIWA scientists on board RV Ikatere have been surveying the coastal area around Kaikoura for the first time since November's magnitude 7.8 earthquake in 2016. Their work has revealed significant changes to the sea floor...

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. 

Welcome to Freshwater Update 54. This issue features some of the latest work from our Freshwater and Estuaries teams, Water Quality maps and information and  River flow maps for Autumn.

Latest news from the centre includes: Float your boat! Scientists use hi-tech miniature Q-boat to measure river flows 

Welcome to this special edition of Coasts Update, highlighting the Shallow Survey 2012.

The return of the upgraded RV Tangaroa represents a huge advancement for New Zealand science and exploration

NIWA today welcomed home RV Tangaroa, New Zealand’s only deepwater research vessel, after a $20 million dollar upgrade to enhance its ocean science and survey capabilities.

This month we bring you a full-length edition of FWU, with national river flow and water quality maps and information, and updates on three research projects.

In the past half century, mangroves have increased in extent in estuaries and tidal creeks throughout the upper half of the North Island.

For many of us, summer isn’t summer without getting some sand between our toes. But did you ever wonder what that sand is made of, and how it got there?

Estuarine restoration research is relatively new in New Zealand and has been largely instigated by community groups that have become increasingly concerned with the decline of plant and animal species.

NIWA has developed an Urban Stormwater Contaminant (USC) model to enable urban planners to predict sedimentation and heavy metal accumulation in estuaries and identify problem areas in order to target mitigation measures.

Pages

All staff working on this subject

placeholder image
Principal Scientist - Marine Geology
Hydro-ecological Modeller
placeholder image
Land and Water Scientist
Strategy Manager - Coasts & Estuaries
placeholder image
Marine Sedimentologist
Strategy Manager - Oceans
General Manager - Operations
Principal Scientist - Marine Geology
Principal Scientist - Marine Geology
Coastal and Estuarine Physical Processes Scientist
Principal Scientist - Natural Hazards and Hydrodynamics
Principal Scientist - Coastal and Estuarine Physical Processes
Principal Scientist - Aquatic Pollution
Hydrodynamics Scientist
Marine Electronics Technician
Subscribe to RSS - Sediments