Citizen Scientists Find World's Largest Coral Colony on Great Barrier Reef
Citizen scientists mapped a 111-meter-long Pavona clavus colony covering nearly 4,000 m², verified with 3D modeling and high-resolution imagery.
- On Tuesday, Sophie Kalkowski-Pope, marine operations coordinator at Citizens of the Reef, and her mother Jan Pope identified a coral colony spanning about 111 meters and covering around 3,973 square meters on the Great Barrier Reef.
- As part of the Great Reef Census, Citizens of the Reef mobilized more than 100 vessels and thousands of citizen scientists to gather large-scale reef imagery.
- Filming a swim across the colony, Kalkowski-Pope and Pope produced a three-minute video, then returned with measuring equipment and high-resolution imagery to verify size and create a 3D model.
- Researchers say the discovery by Citizens of the Reef highlights the coral colony's significance and that spatial mapping and modelling will enable direct comparisons over time.
- Amid an ongoing global bleaching event that began in 2023, which has affected more than 80% of the ocean's reefs, the site location was withheld to reduce risk.
31 Articles
31 Articles
The discovery of the world’s largest coral colony identified to date has once again focused on the importance of the conversation and protection of the marine environment. The discovery took place at the end of 2025 by Sophie Kalkowski-Pope, marine operations coordinator of the conservationist organization Citizens of the Reef, and her mother, Jan Pope, experienced diver and underwater photographer. Both were performing reef monitoring tasks whe…
A couple of citizens, mother and daughter, identified the largest coral colony already registered on the planet in the Grand Barreira de Corais, Australia. Historic discovery was published on Wednesday (24) by environmental organization Cities of the Reef and called for the attention of researchers for the unusual dimension of the structure. Scientists discover 'Chewbacca', a new species of coral called 'piledo' by the name of 'Star Wars' Resear…
The largest documented coral colony in the world found on the Great Barrier Reef
The world's largest coral colony was uncovered on the Great Barrier Reef by citizen scientists taking part in the Great Reef Census. WEBSTER THE WHITE SHARK PINGS OFF 400 MILES OFF FLORIDA'S SPACE COASTThe discovery was made by a mother, Jan Pope, and daughter, Sophie Kalowski-Pope, who are part of the Citizens of the Reef, a charitable organization in Australia. They were surveying reefs from their family vessel when they made the discovery. "I…
The largest coral crown in the world was discovered by a scientific team, made up of mother and daughter, in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.
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