Science Centres: Oceans
New measures for shellfish health
Colour clues to ocean productivity
Tidal creeks - important sinks for fine sediment
Gathering fishers' stories
Colour clues to ocean productivity
Ocean colour measured by mean chlorophyll concentrations in phytoplankton, from the SeaWifs satellite ocean colour dataset 1997–2007.
The changing colour of the oceans has been captured by satellites over many years, and NIWA scientists are now analysing the images in a bid to understand ocean productivity.
Ocean colour varies through the seasons, according to the amount of phytoplankton (microscopic algae) at the ocean’s surface.
New measures for shellfish health
MSc student Aimee Gibson measuring stress enzymes on a microplate reader. (Photo: Michael Ahrens, NIWA)
NIWA’s ecodiagnostics team has some innovative techniques available to measure the health of shellfish communities.
Gathering fishers' stories
A crayfish catch outside a fish shop in Manaia, early 20thcentury.
Tidal creeks - important sinks for fine sediment
The silt-laden Mangemangeroa creek – taking sedimentation pressure off the Hauraki Gulf. (Photo: Andrew Swales, NIWA)
Tidal creeks that fringe many of our estuaries play an important role in trapping eroded catchment sediment. This is an unexpected finding of a three-year study in the Mangemangeroa Creek, one of many that connect catchments to the Hauraki Gulf.
