Scientists who are members of a “National Geographic” expedition announced this Thursday, November 14, that they had discovered the largest coral in the world, near the Solomon Islands in the Pacific, three times the size of the previous record holder.
No more mystery to solve on our planet? Are the great explorations of past centuries over? Nope. Scientists who are members of an expedition National Geographic announced this Thursday, November 14, that they had discovered the largest coral in the world, near the Solomon Islands in the Pacific, three times the size of the previous record holder. “Just when we thought there was nothing more to discover on planet Earth, we found a massive coral made up of nearly a billion tiny polyps, bursting with life and color.”said Enric Sala, marine ecologist and founder of Pristine Seas, the National Geographic dedicated to ocean explorations.
“Discovering this giant coral is like discovering the tallest tree in the world”he still imagines. The coral was discovered in an area known as the “Three Sisters” in the southeast of the Solomon Islands by a team from National Geographic who was participating in a scientific expedition in the region. According to the researchers, this autonomous structure developed over approximately 300 years, from a “complex network” tiny coral polyps. It is distinct from a coral reef, made up of many distinct colonies, they explained.
'So colossal' it could be seen from space
Measuring 34 meters wide by 32 meters long, a size larger than a blue whale, the new Solomons coral is three times larger than the previous record holder located in American Samoa and nicknamed “Big Momma”. “While Big Momma looked like a huge ball of ice sitting on the reef, this newly discovered coral is like the ice has started to melt, spreading out indefinitely across the sea floor”confided Molly Timmers, lead scientist of the expedition. Its size is larger than that of a blue whale and it is «yes colossal» that it could even be visible from space, she estimated.
“It’s amazing that they discovered this and no one really noticed it before.”reacts to the National Geographic Helen Findlay, a biological oceanographer at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the United Kingdom, who did not participate in the expedition. Especially since ocean acidity and warming are negatively affecting the region's ecosystems, including Australia's famous Great Barrier Reef. “It's like in humans: if you don't have enough calcium or carbonates, you end up suffering from osteoporosis, which leads to bone breakdown and weakening.explique Helen Findlay. The same goes for corals if they do not benefit from adequate conditions.”
“While nearby shallow reefs have been degraded by warming seas, this large, healthy coral oasis in slightly deeper waters is a beacon of hope.”said coral specialist Eric Brown. For Molly Timmers, The coral's location, in deeper, cooler waters, and protected by a slope and shelf, could be key to its good health. “It really is in a great location.”estimates the lead scientist of the expedition. “This pillar of life is still there, she said again. Seeing the size of this megacoral and seeing its survival in an area that was not as healthy… It gives a sense of wonder and hope.”
