More than 50 scientists from across the globe are meeting in Wellington this week to discuss how newly developed technology can best help countries manage their marine fisheries.
Scientists are starting to get a better picture of how recreational fisheries change over time, thanks to a few web cameras and a bit of help from the public.
The mako shark is fast and fascinating. The shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus, has been recorded swimming at speeds of about 100km/h. It's the fastest of the world's shark species. Mako sharks are found in waters right around New Zealand. Only occasionally are they found close inshore.
NIWA scientists trawled deep – deeper than ever before – down to 2,730 metres, and found new-to-science fish close to the deep ocean seafloor during their latest research voyage.
Overfishing and sedimentation have reduced the number of natural beds of green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus), in soft sediment habitats, from many regions around New Zealand.
NIWA's research vessel Tangaroa will set sail for the Chatham Rise tonight to improve our understanding of how marine ecosystems affect commercially exploited fish, and how commercial fisheries affect the marine food-web. The Chatham Rise, a large plateau between the South Island and Chatham Islands, is our most productive fishing ground.
If you would like to contribute to a Victoria University study about marine reserves in New Zealand please complete these surveys for Taputeranga marine reserve and Kapiti marine reserve.
This research is being performed by a PHD student at Victoria University and is not related to NIWA. However, we support the aims of the research and are happy to provide a link from our site to promote a good response to the survey.
NIWA marine scientists will use baited-underwater-video (BUV) to assess blue cod stocks in Fiordland this week. It's the first time this unique way of monitoring fish stocks has been used in the fiords.
During late March and April, NIWA fisheries scientists will be tagging hundreds of juvenile tarakihi in Tasman and Golden Bays, in an effort to learn more about their nursery habits and habitat.
NIWA studies reveal that different movement and behaviours exist within snapper stock – some snapper stay at home, while some range for hundreds of kilometres. Our studies also show that marine reserves may well be affecting the behaviour of fish that inhabit them.
A shy, slimy, ancient fish, that looks like an eel but isn't. It has a circular sucker for a mouth, and feeds by rasping a hole in its victim's fishy-flesh.
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.
NIWA looked deep – to almost 1840 metres – and found new-to-science fish, close to the seafloor. The ocean revealed specimens of some rarely seen, and some previously unknown, fishes from New Zealand waters.
A feeding frenzy of cusk-eels where nothing was previously thought to live, an entirely new species of deep-sea fish, and large crustacean scavengers, are among the highlights of a recent research expedition that is shedding new light on the ecology of deepest places on Earth.
