Some red seaweeds resemble corals because of the hard lime deposits in their cell walls. These coralline seaweeds, as they are known, also form pink crusts on tidal rocks. In recent years scientists have discovered that coralline seaweeds produce chemicals which encourage the larvae of some shellfish, crabs and crayfish to settle on them. Crust-forming coralline seaweeds are known collectively as pink paint. This species of pink paint was photographed on the coast north of Kaikōura in the South Island.
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NIWA – National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
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