Researchers on an expedition in the Solomon Islands have discovered the world’s largest coral colony.
The National Geographic Pristine Seas team was on expedition to the Solomon Islands when they found the enormous colony in the Three Sisters island group. It is so large that the expedition team thought, at first, that it was a shipwreck.
But when cinematographer Manu San Félix went down for a closer look, he realised it was an enormous Pavona clavus, also known as shoulder coral.
The team was due to leave the area the next morning – they had to pick up a piece of equipment at 9am – but they knew this discovery was too important to overlook. So, they planned a 6am dive to take the coral’s measurements before they had to move on.
“We altered our schedule and assembled a scientific team of about 12 individuals to go down and document this mega coral,” says Eric Brown, a leading global coral expert, on the Pristine Seas expedition team. “In the 30 plus years that I've been doing coral reef research, I've never seen anything quite this massive or impressive. It's really spectacular.”
How big is the coral?
Measuring 34 metres wide, 32 metres long and 5.5 metres high, with a circumference of 183 metres, this mega coral is the largest individual colony in the world. Based on its dimensions, the experts estimate it could be around 300 years old. Brown describes this behemoth as “substantially larger” than any other known colonies.
“Making a discovery of this significance is the ultimate dream of every scientist and explorer,” says Paul Rose who led the expedition.
What is a coral colony and how does it develop?
Coral polyps are tiny animals that are related to jellyfish. Coral larvae settles on the seabed, and grows into polyps, which multiply into genetically identical polyps. Together, thousands of these polyps can make a colony, which function like one organism.
Various colonies – often of different coral species – make up a coral reef, which becomes a home for many marine animals, provides food and livelihoods to local communities, and even protects coastlines from the impacts of strong storms by creating a buffer to quell the waves.
Why is coral so important?
This discovery shines a light on the importance of reefs around the world. “Coral reef ecosystems comprise only about 0.2% of the ocean's area, yet they contain over 25% of the marine species on the planet,” says Brown.
However, only 8.4% of the ocean is currently protected. Coral reefs face many threats including warming waters, overfishing, nutrient run off, and pollution. “They're very vulnerable ecosystems,” says Brown. “So, it's important for us to do whatever we can to protect these environments that are small, yet mighty.”
Even though they didn’t know about the existence of this mega coral, the local community has been taking steps to protect their marine habitats for 15 years. “All we have in mind is that we want to preserve our marine environment for the future of our children,” says Chief Dennis Marita, Director of Culture at the Solomon Islands Ministry of Culture & Tourism. “Now, it has paid off. It has paid off.”
Top image: San Felix/National Geographic Society's Pristine Seas
