With a permit from the Department of Conservation, a group of scientists are removing small black corals off the sea floor for experiments. Something that’s never been done before.
“It’s pretty unique, nobody else has looked at marine heatwave impacts on temperate black corals. Our study will provide insights that will be useful to people who are interested in black corals globally because the results will tell us something about how black corals respond to those climate impacts,” Prof Bell said.
The work is funded by the George Mason Charitable Trust and supported by the Southern Fiordland Initiative, whose boat the researchers stay on during their voyage.
Fifteen samples have been taken back to the lab in Wellington, where PhD student Amber Kirk will carry out the experiments.
“It’s really exciting. I love problem-solving and kinda figuring out new things – but it’s also quite daunting. They are protected species and so long-lived,” she said.