Researchers formally mapped and examined a 1.56km rose coral colony in waters off the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, ABC reported on November 11, 2026. Local divers had seen portions of the formation over decades, but its full extent was not previously established. Adelaide University marine biologist JP Hobbs said the team began with tape measures before switching to GPS tracking as the scale became clear, and it took 12 dives to map the colony.

Hobbs credited Cocos-based dive operator Dieter Gerhard, who first spotted the coral expanse more than 30 years ago, with alerting him to it. The dive sites were around 600 metres apart, and the coral extended beyond them. Researchers from Queensland Museum and James Cook University are now conducting genetic testing on about 50 samples to determine whether the colony is one organism or many genetically distinct individuals.

Hobbs said understanding why the rose coral thrives in deeper water could show whether such areas act as a refuge for shallow-water corals affected by bleaching or cyclones. Gerhard said interest has grown since the Cocos and Christmas Island waters were declared marine parks in 2022.