Oceans

A NIWA scientist is drilling the teeth of New Zealand sea lions to learn more about why the species is struggling to survive

In late 2013, a group of scientists from NIWA travelled to Antarctica to perform a series of experiments under the sea ice to look at how climate change and ocean acidification could affect this fragile ecosytem.

Acidification of the world’s oceans from rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels reduces the availability of carbonate required by some marine organisms to build shells and skeletons, and potentially affects their ability to maintain existing structures.

Sightings of the whales, the world's largest animal, are rare and they remain one of the planet's most elusive creatures. They were intensively hunted during the whaling era in the Southern Hemisphere, dramatically reducing their numbers.

People fishing in the Bay of Islands are being asked to keep a look out for a young hammerhead shark, nicknamed Orokawa.

Long-term datasets that track persistent change in the environment are a critical component of any modern ecosystem-based approach to natural resource management and sustainable growth.

A 42-day voyage to the Mertz Polynya region of Antarctica.

Our freshwater fauna are wonderfully diverse and, according to NIWA Freshwater Ecologist Dr Richard Storey, there's nothing among them that we need to be afraid of.