World’s largest coral colony discovered off Australian coast by mother-daughter team

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🗞️ Driving the news: A mother-and-daughter citizen science team has identified the world’s largest documented coral colony on the Great Barrier Reef
• The Pavona clavus colony spans 111 meters, roughly the length of a soccer field
• It covers nearly 4,000 square meters and has been mapped using 3D modeling

🔭 The context: The discovery was made during the Great Reef Census, a citizen-led initiative collecting large-scale reef imagery
• Scientists verified its size using underwater measurements and high-resolution imagery
• The reef has recently endured repeated mass bleaching events driven by record marine heat

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Coral reefs are biodiversity hotspots and vital carbon-cycle regulators
• Over 80% of the world’s reefs have been affected by a global bleaching event since 2023
• The survival of such a massive colony offers rare evidence of resilience, and a potential genetic stronghold for reef recovery amid accelerating ocean warming

⏭️ What’s next: Researchers will monitor the coral using 3D comparisons over time to assess resilience and guide conservation targeting

💬 One quote: The colony “not only survive[s] but flourish[es],” surpassing expectations during a period of global reef decline. — Prof. Michael Sweet

📈 One stat: More than 80% of global coral reefs have been impacted by the current bleaching event

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