Scientists Discover World’s Largest Coral in the Solomon Islands
Photo credit: National Geographic Pristine Seas
Scientists discovered the largest known coral in the world on a National Geographic Pristine Seas expedition to study ocean health in the Solomon Islands.
The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation awarded National Geographic Pristine Seas the Conservation Innovation Award at Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2024, which recognizes “a company or foundation for their significant contributions to marine and Great Lakes conservation and the protection of natural and cultural resources through the support of sound science, exploration, policymaking, advocacy, and/or innovation partnerships.”
This record-breaking coral colony is approximately 111 feet wide, 104 feet long, and 18 feet tall. This makes it wide enough to fit two standard basketball courts placed next to each other, and longer than the largest animal in the world, the blue whale. This discovery is so massive that it is visible from space!
“Big Momma” in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. Photo credit: Nerelle Que Moffitt
While corals may look like larger individuals, they are composed of thousands of smaller polyps. Polyps come together to form coral colonies – when you’re looking at a single coral colony you are actually looking at thousands of animals!
The coral is three times bigger than the previous world record-holder, known as “Big Momma,” located in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. “Big Momma” is a massive Porites coral colony approximately 21 feet tall with a circumference of 135 feet.
Molly Timmers, Pristine Seas Lead Scientist on the Solomon Islands Expedition, 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. Today I had the incredible pleasure to see an even larger coral in the Solomon Islands. 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.”
Coral reef ecosystems are important to the livelihoods of people in the Pacific Islands and provide substantial economic value through coastal fisheries and tourism. They provide immense cultural value, including to Native Hawaiians and other Indigenous groups in the Pacific, as well as coastal protection and recreational uses.
However, reefs around the world are declining due to stressors including climate change and ocean acidification impacts such as coral bleaching, land-based sources of pollution, overfishing, marine debris, invasive species, and intensive human uses in some areas.
Both this newly discovered coral and “Big Momma” remain relatively healthy, despite recent global coral bleaching events. Having lived through centuries of changing conditions, these corals’ genetic code may hold the key to survival of other coral species.
This remarkable discovery reminds us of the resilience of corals when they are protected and the importance of conservation efforts to keep these important ecosystems alive. Check out the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s coral conservation and restoration work to learn more about how you can help!
Photo credit: National Geographic Pristine Seas