“`html
In a remote region of the Pacific Ocean, a Spanish diver recently discovered the largest coral in the world. Located in a secluded corner of the southwestern sea, it is at least 800 years old.
The discovery took place during an exploration in the waters of the Solomon Islands. Unlike a reef, which is a grouping of corals of different species, this is a unique organism.
This is the largest coral in the world
Manu San Félix, a marine biologist and videographer, was on a documentation trip with the Pristine Seas project of National Geographic when he noticed something unusual during an initial dive.
He decided to dive about 13 meters deep and came across a megacoral. Unlike a reef, which is a grouping of corals of different species, this was a unique and enormous organism estimated by San Félix to be around “700, 800 or more years old,” as he mentioned to BBC Mundo.
Together with his son, who is also a colleague, they dove with tanks this time and were able to clearly see the enormity of the organism.
The largest coral in the world is in the Pacific. (Photo: BBC).
They then planned an expedition where about eight divers took precise measurements to certify that it was the largest known coral on the planet.
The scientists identified the species as Pavona clavus, which hosts shrimp, crabs, fish, and other marine creatures.
Using a special underwater measuring meter, they recorded the size of the coral as 34 meters wide, 32 long, and 5.5 high.
In the 52 expeditions he has carried out with Pristine Seas, the Spanish videographer had never seen anything like it. He called it “a cathedral.”
“This is a place where the waters have good visibility, and you walk as if above a city, and suddenly, you see a monument, because the dimensions are not too far off. As I descended, a smile came to my face,” expressed the biologist.
The team consists of other biologists who do purely scientific work, and he shared the information about the megacoral with them.
Is it healthy?
After the amazement of the discovery had passed, they began to investigate the health of the coral. Because, due to climate change, water warming, and other factors like pollution, corals suffer severe impacts.
To everyone’s pleasant surprise, they did not notice any issues. “The coral is in very good health and shows no signs of bleaching or any type of disease,” San Félix stated, referring to the diagnosis by Dr. Eric Brown, an authority on corals who traveled with the mission.
The importance of corals for biodiversity.
“While the reefs in the nearby shallow waters were degraded by warmer seas, witnessing this large and healthy coral oasis in slightly deeper waters offers a ray of hope,” Brown explained.
The species discovered by Manu San Félix is located in deeper waters than other corals and reefs, which may have protected it from the higher temperatures on the surface.
“`
