Cocos (Keeling) IslandsOne rose coral spans 1.56 km, 100 buses end to end.

It is among the largest coral colonies ever recorded, covering 56,940 square metres.

Lead researcher JP Hobbs needed 12 dives to map it along the outer reef slope, 14 to 65 metres deep.

Researchers do not yet know whether it is one organism or several colonies fused over time.

Teams from Queensland Museum and James Cook University are running genetic tests to settle it.

How each outlet framed it
Phys.org leans favorable
reports the 1.56 km rose coral colony as possibly one connected organism, with a 30-year-old dive-operator sighting and 12 dives of mapping behind it

Sources: Phys.org