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LiveScience
LiveScience
Jacklin Kwan

World's biggest coral — so big it can be seen from space — discovered by chance off Solomon Islands

A huge coral mound photographed underwater with diver beside.

In the depths of the southwest Pacific Ocean, researchers have discovered the largest coral ever documented. Spanning an impressive 111 feet (34 meters) in width, 105 feet (32 m) in length, and standing 18 feet (5.5 m) tall, this colossal organism — so large it's even visible even from space — resides near the Three Sisters Island group in the Solomon Islands.

The coral, identified as Pavona clavus, is a single, standalone structure, unlike the sprawling networks that typically form coral reefs. Scientists estimate it's around 300 years old, making it not just a biological marvel that spans the size of two basketball courts, but also a record of centuries of oceanic conditions.

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