World's largest coral discovered in the Pacific
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Fish swimming over the coral. Photo: Manu San Félix/National Geographic Pristine Seas
The world's largest coral has been found in the southwest Pacific Ocean, and scientists say the massive organism is visible from space.
The big picture: The "mega coral" near the Solomon Islands, believed to be about 300 years old and measuring 105 feet long by 111 feet wide, was discovered by the National Geographic Pristine Seas team, per an emailed statement from the group.
- Enric Sala, National Geographic explorer in residence and founder of Pristine Seas, said in a statement it's "a significant scientific discovery, like finding the world's tallest tree," but added "this coral is not safe from global warming and other human threats" despite its remote location.
- The discovery was announced Wednesday as world leaders gather in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the United Nations climate summit, COP29.
Driving the news: The team that was studying the health of the Solomon Islands' ocean environments amid the threat of climate change in partnership with the island nation's government and others initially thought they'd spotted a shipwreck in the Three Sisters Island.
- Underwater cinematographer Manu San Félix dived closer and found it was an "exceptionally big" Pavona clavus, a species of colonial stony coral, which is mostly brown with splashes of bright yellows, blues and reds, according to the statement.
Fun fact: The gigantic organism that scientists say is bigger than a blue whale is a complex network of coral polyps, tiny creatures, rather than a reef — which is a network of many coral colonies.
- It "provides essential habitat, shelter and breeding grounds for an array of species from shrimp and crabs to fish," per the statement.
- "To the naked eye, it may look like an immense rock just beneath the surface of the ocean."
Zoom out: Scientists realized after examining satellite images that the coral is so large, it's "possible to see it from space," per CNN.
State of play: The world is experiencing a fourth global coral bleaching event that NOAA says is the largest on record.
- The global bleaching event began in January 2023, when global ocean temperatures first surged to record levels during a strong El Niño in the tropical Pacific.
- Long-term, human-caused climate change has also played a significant role in boosting those temperatures, Axios' Andrew Freedman notes.
Zoom in: The Solomon Islands hosts the second-highest coral diversity on Earth, with over 490 known species, which the statement notes are both hard and soft.
- Eric Brown, coral scientist for the Pristine Seas expedition to the Solomon Islands, said in a statement that while the nearby shallow reefs the researchers assessed "were degraded due to warmer seas, witnessing this large healthy coral oasis in slightly deeper waters is a beacon of hope."
What they're saying: David Baker, an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong who studies coral reefs, told NBC News the "fact that this coral has persisted through significant environmental change is a testament to its adaptability" as well as excellent conditions.
- "The existence of large and old corals is a sign of hope — that it's not too late to protect, conserve and restore the oceans while fighting against climate change," added Baker, who noted the coral's vulnerability to climate change.
Go deeper: Global coral bleaching event is a warning, "not certain death"
