Scientists Discover World’s Largest Coral in Solomon Islands, Visible from Space

Scientists have found the world’s largest coral in the Southwest Pacific Ocean. Visible from the space, the giant coral is a little over 100 feet long and more than 300 years old. It is 34 meters wide, 32 meters long and 5.5 meters high.

Unlike typical coral reef which are made up of many smaller corals, this gigantic coral is a single colony composed of several connected coral polyps.

What are coral polyps?

Coral polyps are soft bodied animals which are closely related to anemones and jellyfish. They can exist individually or in colonies that constitute a coral reef. The coral is a species called Pavona clavus and provides a home to shrimp, crabs, fish and other marine creatures.

The team of scientists called it bigger than a blue whale. Spotted by a videographer named Manu San Felix who was working on a National Geographic ship travelling to remote parts of the Pacific to observe the impact of climate change in that region.

Felix further dived down to see the coral and shared that it was like seeing a "cathedral underwater".

Read More: Melting Glaciers, Rising Ocean Temperatures: Why COP Matters

Beacon of Hope

In a time when coral are under threat from climate change, this discovery offers hope.

“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," Eric Brown, a coral scientist on the National Geographic research trip commented.

Coral is experiencing grave pressure as ocean waters are growing warmer. The elevated oceanic temperatures lead to a phenomenon called coral bleaching. When the ocean temperatures rise, coral expels the symbiotic algae that live within their tissues due to stress.

These algae lend the colour to the Coral by living with them. In its absence, the Coral not only lose its colour but also becomes prone to disease, malnutrition, and eventually, death.

This thermal stress can also affect coral reproduction, leading to an eventual depletion of coral population over time. Besides, this oceanic heating can cause ocean acidification that hampers the corals’ ability to build their calcium carbonate skeletons.

This specimen was found in deeper waters than some coral reefs, which may have protected it from higher temperatures at the sea surface.

The discovery was announced at the same time as the UN climate talks COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan that are trying to make progress in tackling climate change.

According to the International Union for the Conservation of  Nature  (IUCN) Red List, 44 per cent of warm-water reef-building corals (at least 340 species) are at risk of extinction. The list indicates that 56 species are Vulnerable (15 per cent), 251 are Endangered (67 per cent), and 33 are Critically Endangered (9 per cent).

Defying this risk, existence of this coral in Southwest Pacific Ocean comes as positive sign as coral reefs also support the livelihoods of one billion people by supporting tourism or fishing, according to the World Economic Forum.