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The corals in the Solomon Islands are huge (Photo source: Adobe Stock)
located in the southwest pacificsolomon islandsis a country composed of six large islands and nearly a thousand small islands. The area it is located in is called “coral“Grand Triangle” is named after its diverse corals. Between 2023 and 2024, nearly 80% of the world’s coral reef areas will be affected by enough to cause bleaching, raising concerns about the condition of all corals. According to a research team By accident, they found an unexpected coral colony in this sea area, which was the largest discovery in history.
Located 300 nautical miles away from the Doufu Islands, the research team “Pristine Oceans” belonging to the National Geographic Society said that they discovered the world’s largest coral colony during their exploration in the Solomon Islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean in October this year. The giant coral discovered by the research team measures 34.1 meters by 32 meters, which is larger than the blue whale, the largest animal known on earth. From the surface, these corals look like a sunken ship sleeping in the sea. However, when I dived into the sea for further inspection, what appeared was a vast and huge coral. Its scale can even be seen in space. It is huge but difficult to see. aware.
The discovery this time was a coincidence. Jasmine Timmers, the team’s chief scientist, said that the time when the coral was discovered was the night before they were going to move to the next investigation area, and it was almost the same as this amazing discovery. Passed by. The research team said that this is the largest coral colony ever recorded, containing nearly a billion coral polyps in the sea sand surrounding them. This discovery is like finding the tallest tree on earth. Enric Sala, the founder of the project, said that this has rekindled their awe and admiration for the ocean.
The corals discovered this time are called “scapular corals” because their columnar structure is similar to shoulders and they are a type of hard coral. Most of the corals are brown, and some can be seen in blue, red, yellow and pink. The overall look is like a huge rock in the deep sea. Because they are located at a depth of 12.8 meters underwater, this is an area that cannot be reached by snorkel equipment or scuba. This may be the reason why these corals have been unknown for a long time, because many people believe that humans have seen everything along the coast. In the waters, no one seriously entered the water to look for the existence of this piece of coral. Maybe even the locals thought it was a huge rock.
The research team estimated the age of the corals based on their height. They believe that this 4.9-meter-tall coral colony is at least 300 years old, and they do not rule out the possibility that they are even older. The research team is very excited to find such a huge, ancient coral colony in such cool, deep waters, but also worried about the various threats they face. The current condition of these corals is very healthy, and people hope that this major discovery will Enables greater protection of marine habitats in the Solomon Islands.
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