Three times larger than the previous record-breaker and so massive that it can be seen from space, a mega-coral believed to be about 300 years old has been discovered in the Solomon Islands.
A group of National Geographic Pristine Seas scientists on an expedition on the research vessel Argo spotted – or couldn’t miss – the enormous Pavona clavus organism, which measures 34 x 32m and rises to a height of 5.5m from the seabed. Its total circumference is 183m.
The coral had been putting on weight unobserved in the Three Sisters group of islands in the south-west Pacific for centuries.
The team described it as coloured mostly brown with splashes of bright yellows, blues and reds, and providing a spacious habitat for an array of species of juvenile reef fish, crabs, shrimps and other reef invertebrates.
“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 Enric Sala, National Geographic explorer in residence and founder of Pristine Seas.
“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 starts at a depth of 13m and goes down to a maximum depth of 39m. When the team first spotted the structure they had thought it might be a shipwreck until underwater cinematographer Manu San Félix dived to make a closer inspection.
“The genetic code of these simple polyps is an enormous encyclopedia that has written how to survive multiple climatic conditions, and until now it does so in the face of ocean warming,” said San Félix.
“Large adult coral colonies like this contribute significantly to the recovery of coral reef ecosystems due to their high reproductive potential,” remarked Eric Brown, coral scientist for the Pristine Seas expedition to the Solomon Islands. It had been Brown who identified and measured the previous world-record coral in American Samoa.
“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,” he said.
“Twenty years ago, while working for NOAA, I unexpectedly saw while towboarding on the west side of T’au in American Samoa what is now known as Big Momma, one of the largest recorded corals to date,” recalled Molly Timmers, Pristine Seas’ lead scientist on the expedition.
Big Momma is reckoned to be more than 500 years old and stands more than 6m high, though its circumference is a fraction of that of the Solomon Islands coral at 41m.
“Today I had the incredible opportunity to see an even larger coral in the Solomon Islands,” went on Timmers. “While Big Momma looked like a huge scoop of ice cream plopped down on the reef, this newly discovered coral is as if the ice cream started to melt, spreading forever along the seafloor.”
The Solomon Islands hosts the second highest coral diversity on the planet, boasting more than 490 known hard and soft species.
The months-long Solomon Islands expedition began in mid-October, with the 18 scientists and film-makers studying ocean health. Tools at their disposal include deep-sea photo and video cameras, scuba surveys, seabird counts, underwater visual surveys, environmental DNA sampling, and a new 1,300m-rated submersible, the Argonauta.
“Making a new discovery of this significance is the ultimate dream of every scientist and explorer, and we are delighted that this mega-coral, which will help inspire ocean conservation decision-making, was found here in the beautiful Solomon Islands,” said Paul Rose, Pristine Seas’ expedition head.
The venture represents a partnership between National Geographic Pristine Seas and the Solomon Islands government. “The ocean provides for our livelihoods and has contributed so much to our national economy and communities,” said Solomons premier Jeremiah Manele.
“Our survival depends on healthy coral reefs, so this exciting discovery underlines the importance of protecting and sustaining them for future generations.”
Also on Divernet: PRISTINE SEAS KICKS OFF 5-YEAR PACIFIC VENTURE, PRISTINE SEAS DIVES BIKINI + 3 OTHER ATOLLS, TAHITI’S GIANT ROSE REEF AMAZES DIVERS
