ScienceNZ: Coasts & Oceans

A deeper connection sonar gets smarter

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:39:32 GMT

Electronic Navigation Ltd (ENL) and Industrial Research Ltd (IRL) have signed a long-term co-funding agreement that promises to underpin next-generation innovation at New Zealand’s premier marine electronics company and strengthen the country’s advanced sonar systems capability.

Download the seabed!

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 23:02:23 GMT

Highly detailed maps of New Zealand’s seabed are now freely available on NIWA’s website. The high-resolution maps show the hidden seabed of the deep sea around the country in incredible digital detail, making them a treasure for all New Zealanders.

Volcano collapse underlines threat of tsunami

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 04:48:24 GMT

NIWA scientists have found that a volcanic cone on Rumble III, 200km northeast of Auckland, has crumbled. Marine geologist Richard Wysoczanski said there's no doubt some of these slips can cause tsunami.

Ocean dwellers miss the census

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 02:11:35 GMT

New Zealand seas are teeming with unidentified creatures which may have properties ranging from combating pollution to fighting cancer, say NIWA scientists involved in a project to catalogue marine life.

Rare seafloor chimney cut up for science

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:23:07 GMT

GNS Scientists have sliced up a rare 2.5m-tall seafloor chimney to find out its age and the concentrations of the metallic minerals it contains. It is thought to be one of the largest chimneys recovered from the seafloor.

King of the Crabs

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 03:58:41 GMT

A major study of the king crabs from the New Zealand, Australian, and Ross Sea regions has just been completed, finding a total of 23 species and almost doubling the number of previously known species from the area. Dr Ahyong has described five exclusively from New Zealand, five from Australia, and four common to both regions.

Creatures from the deep

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:36:00 GMT

New Zealand could have up to 50,000 marine species waiting to be discovered, say scientists who have spent 10 years exploring the marine life in our waters.

Carnivorous NZ sponge among top 10 new species

Thu, 27 May 2010 03:54:07 GMT

A New Zealand sponge has been selected for the prestigious international Top 10 species of the year. Each year, an international Top 10 New Species selection committee selects the 10 most notable new species described from around the world.

Even the paint is from New Zealand

Wed, 05 May 2010 23:04:59 GMT

When the NIWA research vessel Tangaroa goes to a Singaporean shipyard in July, it will carry all its own hull paint from New Zealand.

Scientists investigate ocean floor minerals

Wed, 05 May 2010 23:02:49 GMT

NIWA’s research vessel Tangaroa will set sail next week to explore the minerals potential of deep-sea volcanoes of the Kermadec Arc, 200 km north-east of Auckland.

Survey reveals diversity of plant and fish species

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 05:14:27 GMT

A survey of the Bay of Islands' marine life and supporting ecosystems is nearing completion, and reveals diversity Of plant And fish species In The Bay Of Islands.

Like waves in a bathtub the Chile tsunami

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:41:22 GMT

The results from 19 sea-level gauges around New Zealand reveal that six locations had peak wave heights of over one metre generated by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Chile on 27 February.

NZs deep-sea research boosted by new partnership

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:53:08 GMT

Two New Zealand research organisations will work closely with one of the world’s leading ocean research and engineering organisations to accelerate research and exploration in a wide range of oceanographic topics in the southwest Pacific region.

Science Of Sand

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:50:31 GMT

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? Dr Terry Hume of NIWA, is the man to ask.

Scientists set sail to study live whales

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:39:11 GMT

NIWA is providing its ship Tangaroa to take 18 scientists from New Zealand and Australia to the Southern Ocean next month to conduct research on the live whale population.

NIWA's 'show-off piece' may be new species

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:06:56 GMT

A small sea creature, found in the murky, mysterious depths of the Kermadec Ridge, is causing a stir among scientists.

Rare honour for Antarctic researcher

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:54:54 GMT

IRL senior scientist Dr Tim Haskell has joined an elite group of Antarctic explorers and scientists by having a geographic feature in the region named after him.

Deepest-dwelling fish in Southern Hemisphere photographed

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:47:58 GMT

NIWA scientists have photographed the deepest fish in the Southern Hemisphere - over 7km down.

Study models likely destruction from tsunami

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:33:18 GMT

A tsunami triggered by a massive South American earthquake would swamp Auckland motorways, coastal roads and low-lying bays, a new study has found. Click here to see map of possibly affected areas.

Spectacular oceanic bloom identified

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:40:20 GMT

NIWA scientists have identified the source of the giant plankton bloom featuring in spectacular NASA satellite images.