Discovery in the Solomon Islands: the largest coral in the world
Researchers have discovered an exemplary coral so big it’s visible from space. The gobsmacked experts said it’s “like finding the world’s tallest tree.”
The seabed never ceases to amaze. From the unknown animals that live there, to the discovery of ships that met a tragic end, every so often we find something new under the sea. This time, it is something that has been there for hundreds of years (about 300) and is quite large: roughly 111 feet wide, 104 feet long and 18 feet high.
These dimensions make it the largest coral in the world, “about the size of two basketball courts or five tennis courts,” noted the press release. The mega coral was found in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific.
The discovery was made possible thanks to the Pristine Seas project, by National Geographic and led by the Spanish explorer Enric Sala. “Just when we think there is nothing left to discover on planet earth, we find a massive coral made of nearly one billion little polyps, pulsing with life and color,” says the expert.
“Big Momma looked like a huge scoop of ice cream plopped down on the reef,” said Molly Timmers, lead scientist on the research team, about the previously largest known coral that she came across 20 years ago. In comparison though, “this newly discovered coral is as if the ice cream started to melt, spreading forever along the seafloor,” she added.
The massive coral, which is mostly brown but also has bright yellow, blue and red hues, was discovered on the Three Sisters island group.
Its dimensions make it bigger than the largest animal on the planet, which is none other than the blue whale. This coral, of the Pavona clavus species, provides essential habitat and shelter as well as the conditions needed for breeding for animal species such as shrimp, crabs and some types of fish.
“This is a significant scientific discovery, like finding the world’s tallest tree. But there is cause for alarm. Despite its remote location, this coral is not safe from global warming and other human threats,” warns Sala.
Visible from space
The coral, visible from space due to its colours and size, was almost missed by the experts on the ground. At first glance, it looks like just another rock under the ocean surface. The crew even thought it was the remains of a shipwreck due to its sheer size, prompting them to go take a closer look.
Lying at about 40 feet below the surface, the height of this coral is the system experts use to determine its age. At 16 feet tall, it is estimated to be around 300 years old or even older. Eric Brown, one of the world’s leading coral scientists who had documented the largest coral to date (in American Samoa), welcomes the find. “Witnessing this large healthy coral oasis in slightly deeper waters is a beacon of hope.”
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