‘Beacon of hope’: World’s largest coral discovered in Solomon Islands
By Bianca Hall
When scientists first saw the dark shape in waters off the Three Sisters island group in Makira-Ulawa Province of the Solomon Islands, they thought they’d found a shipwreck.
Instead, they’d stumbled upon a colossus unmatched anywhere in the world. When underwater cinematographer Manu San Felix dove into the clear water for a closer look, he discovered the shadow the team could see from their boat was a world-beating mega-coral, Pavona clavus.
Divers from National Geographic’s Pristine Seas team measure the world’s largest coral colony in the Solomon Islands.Credit: Manu San Félix/National Geographic
Measuring 34 metres long by 32 metres wide and standing 5.5 metres high, the coral is the largest in the world. It is so colossal, researchers say, it is visible from space and would take up the space of five tennis courts.
The National Geographic Pristine Seas team, which discovered the mammoth organism, believes it to be between 300 and 500 years old.
In contrast to coral reefs, which are networks of coral colonies, the Solomon Islands coral is a single structure, comprised of millions of coral polyps acting in accord.
“Just when we think there is nothing left to discover on planet Earth, we find a massive coral made of nearly one billion little polyps, pulsing with life and colour,” said National Geographic explorer-in-residence Enric Sala, the founder of Pristine Seas.
The gigantic organism is a complex network of coral polyps — tiny individual creatures — that have grown over a span of three centuries.Credit: Inigo San Félix/National Geographic
“This is a significant scientific discovery, like finding the world’s tallest tree. But there is cause for alarm. Despite its remote location, this coral is not safe from global warming and other human threats.”
The coral, which is mostly brown but scattered with splashes of bright yellows, blues and reds, is a haven for juvenile reef fish, crabs and other reef invertebrates.
Despite its size, the local community told researchers they did not know it was there.
“It is a natural monument that has seen the arrival of the first Europeans to these waters,” said San Felix, who first saw the record-breaking coral.
A diver from National Geographic’s Pristine Seas team measures the world’s largest coral colony in the Solomon Islands.Credit: Manu San Félix/National Geographic
“Illustrious figures of humanity have co-existed with this colony: Newton, Darwin, Curie, Gandhi, Einstein ... and it has survived them. It now stores information on how to survive throughout the centuries.”
Longer than a blue whale, the coral has a circumference of 183 metres. The previous coral record was thought to be held by a Porites coral in American Samoa, which had a circumference of 69 metres.
“The ocean provides for our livelihoods and has contributed so much to our national economy and communities,” said Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele.
“Our survival depends on healthy coral reefs, so this exciting discovery underlines the importance of protecting and sustaining them for future generations.”
Coral scientist Eric Brown, who identified and measured the coral found in American Samoa, said: “While the nearby shallow reefs were degraded due to warmer seas, witnessing this large healthy coral oasis in slightly deeper waters is a beacon of hope.”
Last month, 18 scientists and filmmakers from the National Geographic Pristine Seas program embarked on a research expedition to better understand the ocean health of the Solomon Islands, in partnership with the Solomon Islands’ government.
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