World's Largest Coral Found In Solomon Islands

JAKARTA - The unique discovery exists in the waters of the Solomon Islands recently, scientists discovered the largest coral in the world. In fact, this giant coral can be seen from space by traveling up to 183 meters and is thought to have grown for 300 to 500 years.

Quoted by VOI from the Guardian website on Monday, November 18, 2024, this discovery occurred in an area known as the 'Triangle Karang Reefs' in the West Pacific, this finding was the result of an expedition by the National Geographic Pristine Seas team.

This Karang consists of 1 billion small polyps that have developed for centuries. It creates a colorful giant colony that is home to a variety of marine species, including fish, crabs, and shrimp.

Karang, known as the scientific name Pavona clavus, is mostly brown with a touch of bright colors such as yellow, blue, and red. Although these coral reefs are located in remote areas, these discoveries have become a major spotlight in the scientific world.

Enrique Sala, a marine ecologist, National Geographic Explorer in Residence, and founder of Pristine Seas, expressed his admiration for this discovery.

"When we thought there was nothing else that could be found on this planet, we found a giant coral consisting of nearly a billion small polyps, pulsating with life and color," he said.

"This is a significant scientific discovery, such as finding the tallest tree in the world. However, there is reason to worry. Despite being in a remote location, this coral is not safe from the threat of global warming and other environmental problems."

Interestingly, this coral reef is not part of a larger coral reef ecosystem, but a single coral that grows without disruption.

The polyp-polyps that make up these corals come from larvae that land on the seabed and breed into millions of other polyps that are genetically identical, forming these great corals for centuries.

When the team first discovered these organisms, they thought it was a shipwreck that sank. An underwater cinematographer who took part in the expedition dived more than 12 meters into the air to check more closely and found that it was the Pavona clavus, a very rare type of coral found in this size.

Although this coral is very large, it seems that there was no prior documentation of its existence, and local fishermen may have predicted the large rock for years.

For the people of the Solomon Islands, the discovery of this mega coral is very monumental. This strengthens the importance of our sea, which supports our community, traditions and future, "saidrock Posala, a fisheries officer from the Solomon Islands Fisheries Ministry.

This kind of discovery reminds us of our duty to protect this natural miracle, not only for its ecological value, but also for the livelihoods and cultural identity it provides. further.

Eric Brown, a coral scientist who participated in the Pristine Seas expedition, previously also identified and measured the largest coral listed in Samoa America.

While the sparkling coral reefs around this area are degraded due to warmer waters, witnessing this large healthy coral in slightly deeper waters is a signal of hope," Brown said.

This discovery provides new hope for coral reef extinction amid the challenges of global warming. Although shallower waters have been heavily damaged by climate change, healthy corals and thrive at deeper depths show there are still opportunities to protect and preserve extraordinary marine biodiversity.

With the discovery of the largest coral in the world, the world is again reminded of the importance of protecting our marine environment from an increasing threat. This Karang is not only an extraordinary natural miracle, but also a symbol of conservation efforts for marine life that are increasingly threatened.