Physical Oceanography Group @ Otago

Kia ora, I'm Rob. I lead the Physical Oceanography Group based in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Otago. My research group currently focuses on the physics of upper-ocean temperature variability, oceanic fronts and shelf-ocean exchange around the New Zealand coastline and the wider Pacific Ocean. Since these oceanographic processes influence and change the biogeochemistry of coastal and shelf seas, our research is relevant to a range of economic, social and environmental issues facing New Zealand’s waters. I also teach into several papers across the undergraduate B.Sc. (Marine Science) and postgraduate M.Sc. (Marine Science) programmes at the University of Otago.

Graduate Research Supervision (Ph.D. / M.Sc.)

Funded Ph.D. Opportunity available - Applications close Sep 30th 2026
I currently have an opening for a Ph.D. candidate to work on the project "Impact of extreme weather events on shelf-sea physics in Aotearoa New Zealand (Physical Oceanography)". The Ph.D. candidate will contribute to the MBIE Endeavour Programme Te Moana Mahana (Ocean change forecasting for climate resilience in Aotearoa) and will be supported by a tax-free stipend / scholarship of NZ$35,000 per year and full university tuition fees waiver for 3.0 years (2027-2029). Details of the Ph.D. opportunity, including the application processes, are available here

Research

Below are some current and past projects our group are involved in:

Quantifying the cooling potential of internal waves

We have just started a new three-year MBIE Smart Idea programme lead by NIWA to quantify the cooling potential of internal waves around New Zealand and how it will change under climate change. More to follow soon!

Carbon sequestration in New Zealand's southern fjords

Our groups is contributing to a five-year MBIE-Endeavour programme investigating the natural ability of Fiordland's marine sediments to collect and store carbon that is fixed from the atmosphere by the surrounding rainforest and marine ecosystem. Learn more about our fjord research here

Marine heatwaves around New Zealand: Identification and causes

Our group was involved in the MBIE Endevour funded Moana Project between 2019-2024, leading research into the variability and drivers of coastal marine heatwaves around New Zealand. Learn more about our research in a recent manuscript from PhD candidate Felix Cook available open-access here

Teaching

I will be teaching into the following undergraduate and postgraduate papers during 2025 at the University of Otago:

Recent Publications

Below are some recent publications from our group:

    1. Suanda, H.S. and Smith, R.O. Spring stratification and internal temperature oscillations near a coastal inlet. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. Accepted (03 Dec 2024)
    2. Salinger, M.J., Trenberth, K.E., Diamond, H.J., Behrens, E., Fitzharris, B.B., Herold, N., Smith, R.O., Sutton, P.J. and Trought, M.C.T. (2024), Climate Extremes in the New Zealand Region: Mechanisms, Impacts and Attribution. Int. J. Climatol. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8667
    3. Bell, J. J., Micaroni, V., Strano, F., Ryan, K. G., Mitchell, K., Mitchell, P., Wilkinson, S., Thomas, T., Batchiar, R., & Smith, R. O. (2024). Marine heatwave-driven mass mortality and microbial community reorganisation in an ecologically important temperate sponge. Global Change Biology, 30, e17417. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17417
    4. Jakoboski, J., Roughan, M., Radford, J., de Souza, J.M.A.C., Felsing, M., Smith, R.O., Puketapu-Waite, N., Orozco, M.M., Maxwell, K.H. and Van Vranken, C., 2024. Partnering with the Commercial Fishing Sector and Aotearoa New Zealand’s Ocean Community to Develop a Nationwide Subsurface Temperature Monitoring Program. Progress in Oceanography, 225, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2024.103278
    5. Johnson, E. J., Collins, C., Suanda, S.H., Wing, S.R., Currie, K.I., Vance, J. and Smith, R.O. 2024. Drivers of neritic water intrusions at the subtropical front along a narrow shelf, Continental Shelf Research, 105248, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2024.105248
    6. Daubt, N.W., Schofield, M.R., Bugoni, L., Woehler, E.J., Smith, R.O. and Rayment, W. J. 2024. Seabird assemblages are linked to the major western boundary current off eastern Australia. Progress in Oceanography, 223, 103215, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2024.103215
    7. Johnson, E. E., Suanda, S. H., Wing, S. R., Currie, K. I., & Smith, R. O. 2023. Episodic Summer Chlorophyll-a Blooms Driven by Along-Front Winds at Aotearoa’s Southeast Shelf Break Front. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 128, e2022JC019609. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JC019609
    8. Montie, S., Thoral, F., Smith, R.O., Cook, F., Tait, L.W.., Pinkerton, M.H., Schiel, D.R. and Thomsen M.S. 2023 Seasonal trends in marine heatwaves highlight vulnerable coastal ecoregions and historic change points in New Zealand, New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, https://doi.org/10.1080/00288330.2023.2218102
    9. Salinger, M., Diamond, H., Bell, J., Behrens, E., Blair, B., Fitzharris, N. H., McLuskie, M., Parker, A. K., Ratz, H., Renwick, J., Schofield, C., Shears, N., Smith, R. O., Sutton, P. J. and Trought, M. C. T. 2023. Coupled ocean-atmosphere summer heatwaves in the New Zealand region: An update. Weather and Climate, 42, 18-41, https://doi.org/10.2307/27226713
    10. James J. Bell, Robert O. Smith, Valerio Micaroni, Francesca Strano, Celia A. Balemi, Paul E. Caiger, Kelsey I. Miller, Arie J.P. Spyksma, Nick T. Shears. 2023. Marine heat waves drive bleaching and necrosis of temperate sponges. Current Biology, 9, 158-163, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.013
    11. Souza, J., Suanda, A., Couto, P., Smith, R.O., Kerry, C. and Roughan, M. 2023. The Moana Backbone Model: a 25-year hindcast simulation for New Zealand waters using the ROMSv3.7 model. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-211-2023
    12. Cook, F., Smith, R. O., Roughan, M., Cullen, N., Shear, N., Bowen, M. 2022. Marine heatwaves in shallow coastal ecosystems are coupled with the atmosphere: Insights from half a century of daily in situ temperature records. Frontiers in Climate, 4, https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2022.1012022
    13. Stevens, C., Spillman, C., Behrens, E., Broekhuizen, N., Holland, P., Matthews, Y., May, K., O'Callaghan, J., Rampal, N., Smith, R., Soltanzadeh, I., Tait, L., Taylor, D., Thoral, F., Williams, M. 2022. Horizon scan on the benefits of ocean seasonal forecasting for Aotearoa New Zealand in a warming climate. Frontiers in Climate, 4, https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2022.907919

Contact Me

You can reach me by email at robert.smith@otago.ac.nz and on X/Twitter @robowainsmith