US EditionCitizen Scientists Find World's Largest Coral Colony on Great Barrier Reef
Citizen scientists documented a J-shaped Pavona clavus coral colony spanning 111 meters and covering nearly 4,000 square meters, aiding reef recovery efforts amid ongoing bleaching threats.
- 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.
18 Articles
18 Articles
By Jack Guy, CNN A team of citizen scientists made up of mother and daughter identified the largest coral colony in the world known, located in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. It measures about 111 meters, approximately the length of a football field, and covers about 3,973 square meters, according to a statement by the conservationist organization Citizens of the Reef published on Tuesday. This means that it is “among the mos…
The coral field is the size of a football field. Never before has an area of this size been mapped in the Great Barrier Reef.
While diving, a mother and daughter discover a giant coral. The spectacular find in the Great Barrier Reef excites researchers.
A mother-daughter team of citizen scientists has identified the world's largest known coral colony, found on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. It stretches for about 111 meters - roughly the same length as a football field - and covers about 3,973 square meters, according to a statement from the conservation organization Citizens of the Reef Tuesday. That means it is "among the most significant coral structures ever recorded on …
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