The widest-ever recorded coral on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has been found.
The enormous coral was found off the coast of Goolboodi and measures an incredible 10.4m/31.5 ft wide, making it 2.4 m/8ft wider than the second-widest coral ever recorded.
The coral, which has been named “Muga Dhambi” (Big coral) by the Manbarra people, the ancestral custodians and guardians of the Palm Islands, is equally impressive in height. The coral is 5.3m/17.3ft tall, making it the sixth-tallest coral ever measured on the Great Barrier Reef.
Scientific reports that described the finding highlight the fact that the coral seems to be in good health, with 70% of it being made up of live coral. The report also highlights the fact that the coral is estimated to be between 421 and 438 years old, meaning it predates the arrival of Europeans in Australia.
(Featured image credit: Nature.com)
