A large black coral believed to be centuries old is one of the largest ever found in the waters of New Zealand, researchers say. "It's by far the largest black coral I've seen in my 25 years as a marine biologist. Despite its name, the black coral was white in colour and only its skeleton was black. Senior biodiversity ranger Richard Kinsey said seeing the large coral looming out of the darkness was "pretty special". Victoria University researchers were working alongside DOC and the Fiordland Marine Guardians to study and map the distribution of protected coral species in the fiords.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 13, 2026 11:21 UTC