The world’s largest coral discovered in the Pacific near the Solomon Islands | Weather News

Scientists have discovered the world’s largest coral near the Solomon Islands in the remote Pacific Ocean, the largest animal that can be seen from space.

The “mega coral” is 32 meters (105 feet) long and 34 meters wide and is believed to be about 300 years old, the National Geographic Society said on Thursday. It’s mostly brown but includes splashes of bright yellow, blue and red, and is covered in rolling waves, reflecting off the ocean.

The reef, which has a circumference of 183 meters (600 feet), is made up of a network of coral polyps, small individual creatures. It was discovered by members of National Geographic’s Pristine Seas team – a group of scientists working on a research vessel in the southwest Pacific Ocean in October.

Unlike a coral reef, which is an array of many coral colonies, the newly discovered structure is an isolated coral that has grown undisturbed for centuries.

Ocean warming caused by climate change has decimated coral reefs, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The researchers said, “Seeing this large area of ​​healthy coral in shallow water is a ray of hope.”

A species of coral, Pavona clavus, provides habitat, shelter and breeding grounds for a variety of species from shrimp and crabs to fish.

Despite its colors and size, to the naked eye, coral looks like a large rock under the sea. When the researchers first saw it, they thought it might be the remains of a ship because of its size until one of the team dove in to take a closer look.

“Just when we think there is nothing left to find in the world, we find giant corals made of nearly a billion tiny polyps, vibrant with life and color,” said Enric Sala, National Geographic explorer-in-residence and founder of Pristine Seas.

“This is an important scientific discovery, like finding the tallest tree in the world,” said Sala.

It is three times larger than the previous record-breaker, known as Big Momma, in American Samoa, and is about the size of two basketball courts or five tennis courts.

But there is cause for alarm, Sala said, noting that coral is not safe from global warming despite its remote location.

“The genetic code of these simple polyps is a huge encyclopaedia that has written how to survive in many climates, and so far it does so in the face of ocean warming,” said Manu San Felix, underwater cinematographer of Pristine Seas – first look at coral.

This was found when delegates of 200 countries met in Baku, Azerbaijan, at the United Nations climate conference (COP29). The event took place in another year of record-breaking temperatures, adding pressure to negotiations aimed at curbing climate change.

The last global scientific agreement on climate change was issued in 2021 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, however, scientists say the evidence shows global warming and its effects are happening faster than expected.

The world may already have reached a limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7F) of warming above pre-industrial average temperatures, beyond which it is at risk of irreversible and severe climate change, scientists say.

In terms of underwater life, scientists fear that the world’s reefs have passed the point of no return, as the world is in the throes of the fourth coral bleaching event – the largest in recorded history. On Wednesday, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said that 44 percent of the coral species that make up the world’s coral reefs are at risk of extinction.

The Solomon Islands, where the corals were found, are at the forefront of the dangers of global warming and are ranked as the second most vulnerable country to natural disasters.

“The sea provides us with life and has contributed greatly to the national economy and our communities,” said Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele. “Our survival depends on healthy coral reefs, so this exciting discovery underscores the importance of protecting and preserving them for the benefit of future generations.”