The largest living creature ever seen, found underwater

Massive coral discovery: 300-year-old underwater cathedral in South Pacific Ocean

Warm waters of South Pacific nestle a coral colony, unmatched in size, off the grimly far away island of Malaulalo. The coral, a Pavona clavus, measures 34 meters across, 32 meters long, and 5.5 meters tall, making it 12 meters larger than America’s previous record holder from American Samoa.

An underwater cathedral, this giant carcass of coral was captured in vivid shots during a National Geographic Pristine Seas expedition. Leading a team of videographer Manu San Félix, the group accidentally came across the coral while probing an area that was classified as a shipwreck.

“It is impressive to see something so big and so old-around 300 years old-bouncing back through such significant changes in the environment,” according to San Félix. Unlike coral reefs, which comprise numerous genotypically different colonies, this organism is a single organism made by millions of tiny working polyps.

Its magnificent size and long life illustrate its ability to endure threats that devastated coral. Here’s what happened. They were not visiting places, but they were above a shipwreck site, and that’s when they found the coral.

“It’s awe-inspiring to witness something so massive and ancient,” San Félix says as he emphasizes the fact that the coral has survived 300 years and through significant environmental shifts. Underwater cathedral is such a mega coral discovered in a Pristine Seas expedition by National Geography.

San Félix as a videographer led the expedition team only to discover the coral while looking around an area pegged as the site of hypothecated shipwrecks. Unlike coral reefs, which comprise numerous genotypically different colonies, this specimen is a single organism made by millions of tiny working polyps. These remarkable dimensions and long life make it an excellent candidate for surviving the same threats that have decimated coral around the globe.

Mega coral finds hope amidst global reef crisis

It is an interesting discovery but the outlook for coral reefs around the world looks very bleak. High temperatures of ocean waters due to climate change have caused widespread bleaching and death of coral due to the expulsion of symbiotic algae which provide the corals with food.

Such is the case with the Solomon Islands where shallow reefs suffer degradation under warming waters and pollution. This mega coral is made accessible to scientists for research in terms of its surviving heat stress needing deeper, cooler areas, such that it may have affected that heat. Lessons from this ancient colony can be of tremendous assistance in devising mechanisms to protect the endangered reefs as extinction is expected to affect 44% of all hard coral species.

Coral knowledge sparks conservation efforts in the Solomon Islands

This discovery has now catalyzed conservation efforts in the Solomon Islands where local tribes have now petitioned the government to protect Malaulalo’s waters formally. The climate minister Trevor Manemahaga spoke of the vital role coral reefs play in the economy and ecology of the nation during COP29 while urging sustainable alternatives to logging practices, which destroy coral habitats.

Internationally, this find can signify how coral reefs are of relevance in supporting biodiversity, helping to protect coastlines, and sustaining millions. Urgent funding is required for conservation and adaptation to the impacts of climate change.

The mega coral of the Solomon Islands is a hope bearer for the entire conservation of coral reefs. Its resilience gives essential insights into the protection of marine ecosystems and reminds us of the wonderful things that nature offers and the imperative need to preserve them under changing climatic conditions.