The world's largest known coral colonies in Australia
June, 2026
..possibly even in the World.
The discovery was made at the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of northeastern Australia.
Experts say the colony is approximately 111 meters long – that is about the same length as a Premier League football pitch.
The conservation organization Citizens of the Reef says the coral is one of the most significant coral structures ever observed on the Great Barrier Reef, and the largest documented and mapped coral colony in the world.
The discovery was made by Sophie Kalkowski Pope and her mother Jan Pope, as part of The Great Reef Census, a project by Citizens of the Reef.
In the project, members of the public—including divers, boat owners, and volunteers from around the world help scientists monitor the health of the Australian Great Barrier Reef.
The duo stumbled upon the new find during a dive in the Great Barrier Reef.
From the moment we entered the water, I knew it was something special, said Sophie.
When I was in the water, I had never seen coral growing like this before, added Jan.
It looked like a coral meadow. It seemed to go on endlessly.
When they were back on land, they notified the conservation organization Citizens of the Reef, which went to the site to assess the situation.
Using special cameras, underwater measurements, and 3D computer models, scientists were able to determine the size of the colony.
The Great Reef Census helps us locate key resources for reef recovery, enabling scientists and managers to better target its protection, said Pete Mumby of the Marine Spatial Ecology Lab at the University of Queensland in a statement.
The initiative is part of efforts to harness the power of the population to strengthen conservation efforts, said Andy Ridley, CEO of Citizens of the Reef, in a statement.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which manages the reef, is now investigating the newly discovered location.
Experts also discovered that there are strong water currents at this spot and that the area is better sheltered from severe storms than other parts of the Great Barrier Reef.
Scientists are now studying these environmental conditions to better understand how they might contribute to coral being able to grow so large.
Reference.. www.bbc.co.uk
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