World’s largest coral found in the Pacific near Solomon Islands - BBC

The largest coral ever recorded has been found by scientists in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The mega coral - which is a collection of many connected, tiny creatures that together form one ...

CouponFollow Extension

FAQs about World’s largest coral found in the Pacific near Solomon Islands - BBC Coupon?

What is the world's largest coral in the Solomon Islands?

A group of scientists working aboard a research vessel in the southwest Pacific Ocean has discovered the world’s largest coral in the Solomon Islands, thirty four meters wide and thirty two meters long, the gigantic organism is a complex network of coral polyps– tiny individual creatures that have grown over a span of three centuries. ...

Why do scientists want to study corals?

The age of the specimen also means it acts like a window into the history into oceanic conditions in the past. Scientists hope to study it to learn more about how it has grown. A report this week found that 44% of corals living in warm waters are threatened with extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. ...

Why are scientists worried about coral skeleton?

They blame fossil fuels and humanity’s continued reliance on the emissions-producing energy. The scientists, however, are concerned about the fate of this mega coral due to oceans getting more acidic under climate change. Corals use calcium carbonate in the ocean water to create their skeleton. ...

Did scientists find a massive coral in the Solomon Islands?

Scientists and filmmakers spotted the massive coral in the Solomon Islands in October and announced the news this week. They had been filming near the island of Malaulalo for National Geographic’s Pristine Seas project, which aims to promote the creation of new marine protected areas. ...

How old is a Big Momma coral?

Manu San Félix / National Geographic Pristine Seas The as-yet-unnamed coral takes the crown from the previous record-holder, an organism in American Samoa affectionately known as “ Big Momma ” that’s around 21 feet tall. Based on its gargantuan size, researchers say the newly discovered coral is likely between 300 and 500 years old. ...

How old is a blob of coral?

Based on its gargantuan size, researchers say the newly discovered coral is likely between 300 and 500 years old. “When Napoleon was alive, this thing was here,” San Félix tells Vox ’s Benji Jones. At first, the team thought the brown blob they spotted underwater might be a shipwreck. ...