The largest and three hundred-year-old coral have been discovered in the southwest Pacific Ocean.
According to BBC, the scientists have found mega coral, which is made up of millions of tiny creatures connected together to form one organism other than a reef in the remote Solomon Islands.
As per the research team, the largest coral of the world is 34 m wide, 32 m long, and 5.5 m high, bigger than a blue whale.
The National Geographic Pristine Seas team who discovered the mega coral asserted that it is almost three times larger than the previous record holder largest coral and is so big that it is visible from space.
National Geographic explorer Enric Sala, founder of the Pristine Seas project, said, “Just when we think there is nothing left to discover on planet Earth, we find a massive coral made of nearly a billion little polyps, pulsing with life and colour. This is a significant scientific discovery, like finding the world’s tallest tree.”
The coral was uncovered during a research expedition to the Solomon Islands that began in October 2024, while the discovery was announced at UN climate talks COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Furthermore, the megastructure of the “architect” of the seas that has survived environmental changes for three centuries is now under the threat of climate change.
Mr. Trevor Manemahaga, climate minister for the Solomon Islands at the COP29, told the BBC, “We want the world to know that this is a special place and it needs to be protected.”
“We rely mostly on marine resources for economic survival, so coral is very, very important... And it's very crucial and critical for our economy to make sure our coral is not exploited,” he added.
To note, as per the World Economic Forum, coral reefs provide livelihood to around one billion people in the world through tourism, fishing, and more.
