Feb 3, 2021 | Science & Technology
By Giovanni Coco As the sea level slowly rises, we may wonder: what will happen to our beaches? Will they change, maybe even disappear, or will they simply survive the inevitable rise in the sea level? These questions directly affect cultural sites and communities and...
Dec 14, 2020 | Science & Technology
By Jodie L. Rummer, Bridie JM Allan, Charitha Pattiaratchi, Ian A. Bouyoucos, Irfan Yulianto & Mirjam van der Mheen It might be the world’s biggest ocean, but the mighty Pacific is in peril. The Pacific Ocean is the deepest, largest ocean on Earth, covering about...
Oct 12, 2020 | Science & Technology
By Joanne Ellis Climate change is causing increased large-scale coral bleaching. That’s because when water is too warm, corals expel the algae living in their tissues, causing the coral to turn completely white. If high temperatures persist, then the absence of these...
Oct 5, 2020 | Science & Technology
The search for minerals is leading some corporations to begin mining the ocean floor but scientists warn that this could devastate fragile ecosystems that will have repercussions that we still don’t understand. What is going on in the deep sea? What precautions should...
Sep 16, 2020 | Business & Economics
By Christina Stringer In recent months, international media have reported dark ships fishing in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (commonly referred to as North Korea) waters. “Dark ships” are vessels with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) – a...
Jul 30, 2020 | Science & Technology
By Brendon Dunphy Currently, 90% of our seabirds are threatened with extinction. It is a colossal loss and a colossally sad number. Aotearoa/New Zealand is the seabird capital of the world. From inspiring ocean wanderers such as the royal albatross (who may not touch...
Jul 16, 2020 | Science & Technology
By Komathi Kolandai-Matchett Effective communication, capable of garnering public support for marine conservation, appears more urgent now than ever before. Marine ecosystems are besieged by multiple human-caused threats – temperature and acidity increases, toxins,...
Nov 28, 2019 | Science & Technology
Interview with Professor Simon Thrush (head of the Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland) Your research focuses on ecosystem tipping points. What are they? A tipping point is a sudden, abrupt, often dramatic change in the way that a natural...
Nov 7, 2019 | Science & Technology
A group of researchers has found that there are definite and viable sources of freshwater under our oceans. Adrian Werner of Flinders University has been leading a team studying groundwater and offshore aquifers and their findings suggest there is freshwater. Mitchell...
Oct 22, 2019 | Referee, Science & Technology
By Taga Dagat* Kiwi surfers often lay claim to being the southernmost surfing community in the world. Located on the tip of the Polynesian Triangle, Aotearoa New Zealand’s swell-exposed coasts are savage to say the least; bent and beaten by Antarctic weather patterns....