AFP, SYDNEY
Scientists yesterday said they have found the world’s largest coral near the Pacific’s Solomon Islands, announcing a major discovery “pulsing with life and color.”
The coral is so immense that researchers sailing the crystal waters of the Solomon archipelago initially thought they had stumbled across a hulking shipwreck.
“Just when we think there is nothing left to discover on planet Earth, we find a massive coral made of nearly 1 billion little polyps, pulsing with life and color,” marine ecologist Enric Sala said.
A photograph released yesterday shows divers swimming over the world’s largest coral near the Solomon Islands on Oct. 24.
Photo: AFP / Manu San Felix / National Geographic Pristine Seas
The standalone structure had been growing for about 300 years, the researchers said, formed from a “complex network” of tiny coral polyps.
It was distinct from a coral reef, which is made from many distinct coral colonies, they said.
Measuring 34m wide and 32m long, the team said the “mega coral” was three times bigger than the previous record holder — a coral dubbed “Big Momma” in American Samoa.
“While Big Momma looked like a huge scoop of ice cream plopped down on the reef, this newly discovered coral is as if the ice cream started to melt, spreading forever along the seafloor,” lead scientist Molly Timmers said.
It was longer than a blue whale and was thought to be “so colossal” that it could “be seen from space.”
The coral was discovered at the southeastern tip of the Solomon Islands in an area known as the Three Sisters. It was spotted by a National Geographic team embarking on a scientific expedition in the region.
“While the nearby shallow reefs were degraded due to warmer seas, witnessing this large healthy coral oasis in slightly deeper waters is a beacon of hope,” coral scientist Eric Brown said.
The lush rainforests and pristine waters of Solomon Islands have long been celebrated for their ecological diversity.
“There is so much to learn about the richness of marine life and the ocean ecosystem, but this finding opens doors of knowledge,” Solomon Islands official Collin Beck said. “More scientific research is needed to better understand our rich biodiversity and our planet.”
