Research centre takes plunge into the depths <BR>

A government science company is launching a new national centre for studying the coasts and oceans.

The centre, operated by the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa), coincides with preparations for a claim at the United Nations to add 2 million sq km of seabed to New Zealand's exclusive economic zone - already the fourth-largest in the world - and the expected release next year of the Government's Oceans Policy.

The Government was about to release proposals for a wide-ranging Oceans Policy last year, when the foreshore and seabed row blew up, and the policy was held back so it would not be caught in the crossfire.

The draft Oceans Policy is expected to provide for constraints on land-based activities - such as man-made erosion and pollution - which could affect coastal waters.

The new Niwa centre is expected to provide scientific research to help answer questions such as the extent to which land-based resource use is destroying coastal water-quality and sea life.

"Science has much to offer in helping guide exploration, management, and protection of coastal and marine resources," said Niwa's chief executive, Dr Rick Pridmore.

Niwa's six other national centres were successfully increasing the impact and use of science in aquatic biodiversity and biosecurity, climate, the interface between climate and energy, fisheries and aquaculture, natural hazards, and water resources.

"We have created the National Centre for Coasts and Oceans so people have an easy first port of call on those issues too," said Dr Pridmore.

Dr Ian Wright, who will head the centre, said its activities would be diverse, and would draw on the talents of more than 80 Niwa staff, and technology such as ocean-satellite receiving systems, an upgraded supercomputer, and coastal monitoring networks.

They were expect to provide:

* Seafloor mapping to support the Government's ocean policy, to determine where to lay submarine electricity cables or pipelines, or to ensure safe shipping in Antarctic waters.

* Hydrodynamic modelling of coastal waters to test the likely effects of run-off from proposed housing development, to identify sites of sustainable sand mining, or to analyse the water flow around proposed marine farms.

* Ecological studies and habitat mapping to distinguish the natural cycles of animal abundance in estuaries from changes caused by pollution, to minimise the impact of coastal engineering, or to help iwi with coastal management plans.

- NZPA