Rare fishlife, a juvenile great white shark and what could be a new species of seahorse have been found in a newly surveyed underwater area off Northland's east coast.
![Frogfish](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/AWCCM5S447KB6EPE54QRZIMJ6M.jpg?auth=54d02b3ffbfb933fe6581ace94e8b142c0018b55c8609fcc2716b30cf8d2b283&width=16&height=12&quality=70&smart=true)
Scientists from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) also came upon frogfish, a rich diversity of macroalgal meadows, shellfish beds and sponges while surveying shallow water coastal habitats.
The survey, which aimed to explore different types of habitats and their marine life, was conducted using a small beam trawl research net with GoPro cameras attached, as well as dropped stationary cameras fitted with bait to attract fish.
The cameras revealed some surprises, with a juvenile great white shark bumping into the camera bait pot as it swam past, and a group of dolphins talking to each other as they checked out the sampling net down on the seafloor under tow.