Durvillaea willana is a large species of southern bull kelp endemic to New Zealand.

[3][4] The holdfast becomes large and spreads like a plate on rocky substrates.

[6] This species is superficially similar in appearance to Durvillaea antarctica.

[4] However, historic uplift (800 – 1400 years before present) in the Akatore fault zone does not seem to have caused any long term disruption in the genetic diversity of D. willana, in that region.

[8] This result suggests that the subtidal D. willana may not die-off completely due to earthquake uplift events.