An RNZAF Orion has been taken off the search for a New Zealander lost overboard in the Pacific Ocean as hopes of his survival fade.

NZ fishermen are pressing ahead in the hunt for 'the world's deadliest catch' - giant crabs below some of the world's roughest ocean.

New Zealand is braving an international backlash by going after fish species environmentalists say are unsustainably caught. Geoff Cumming reports.

London insurers have radical plans to reduce seaborne hijackings.

Reviewers are, I suppose, expected to be dispassionate but I admit to being an enthusiastic fan of Simon Winchester. I have never read a book of his that was not thoroughly rewarding and this latest, from a prolific production line, is one of the best.

The Atlantic ocean might not be the world's largest. But it is, writer Simon Winchester tells Stephen Jewell, the centre of the world and deserving of its own "biography".

A huge undersea volcano has dramatically reduced in size after partly collapsing more than 100 metres toward the ocean floor.

The good news from the first Census of Marine Life is: New Zealand's waters are indeed teeming with wondrous creatures and plants.

The US government allowed BP to keep the cap shut on its oil well for another day despite news the well is leaking.

The brown spots run like a trail of blood down the deserted coastline near this fishing village. Just underneath a handful of sand lies spilled oil.

BP's new face for the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster admitted faults during a unique Q&A forum broadcast live online, AFP reported today.

Polar scientists are united on the likelihood of level rises - but how much and when?