Georgina Ranard
Function, journalist
Reporting from Baku
This giant coral, a collection of many related small creatures that together form a single organism, could be more than 300 years old, scientists say.
The team claims it is even bigger than the blue whale.
It was discovered by a videographer employed on a National Geographic ship visiting remote parts of the Pacific to see how those areas are affected by climate change.
- The largest coral reef in the world is in serious danger
- Will calm seas help Red Sea supercoral recovery?
- A coral reef taller than the Empire State Building has been found
"I was diving in the place where the map showed a shipwreck and then I saw something," said Manu San Felix.
He called his diving partner, who is also his son, and together they dived deeper.
He described the coral, which is located in the Solomon Islands, as a "cathedral under water".
"Everything was very emotional, I felt a huge respect for something that has survived for hundreds of years," he said.
"I thought, 'Wow, this was here when Napoleon was alive,'" he added.
Scientists on the expedition measured the coral using an underwater meter.
Its width is 34 meters, length 32, and height 5,5 meters.
Due to the warming of the ocean due to climate change, corals are threatened.
They are often described as the architects of the sea, and they can join together to form huge reefs where fish and other species live.
Coral reefs are also the basis for a source of income for billions of people, in tourism or fishing, according to data from the World Economic Forum.
This specimen was found at greater depths than some reefs, which may have protected it from the higher temperatures at the sea surface.
The discovery was made public at the same time it was held United Nations Climate Change Conference COP29 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, where progress is being made in the fight against climate change.
Trevor Manemahaga, Solomon Islands' climate change minister at the summit, told BBC News his nation was proud of the newly discovered coral.
"We want the world to know that this is a special place and that it must be protected.
"Economically, we rely heavily on marine resources, so this coral is essential to our economy," he said.
Small island nations, such as the Solomon Islands, are extremely sensitive to climate change.
Manemahaga said he has seen firsthand the effects of global warming, as it causes stronger cyclones and coastal erosion, leading to the destruction of homes.
Many developing countries are seeking more financial aid from richer countries to help pay for strategies to combat climate change.
He added that with more money, his country could develop more diverse businesses, which would mean fewer people working in industries that damage coral reefs.
Currently, logging makes up a large part of Solomon Islands' economy, between 50-70 percent of annual export revenue, but it pollutes the water and this harms the area.
Erik Braun, a coral expert on the National Geographic research trail, says coral health is "pretty good."
"While nearby reefs are threatened by rising sea temperatures, witnessing this large healthy coral reef at greater depths is a beacon of hope," he said.
Coral, whose Latin name is Peacock nail, provides a home to shrimp, crabs, fish and other sea creatures.
The age of this coral sample is a window into the history of life in the ocean.
Scientists hope to study it to learn more about how it grew.
A report published this week found that 44 percent of corals living in warm waters are threatened with extinction, according to data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Which is one third more than the last research from 2008.
- Disaster in Australia - The Great Barrier Reef lost half of its corals
- Oil pollution seriously threatens Egypt's super coral
- Another impact of climate change on the largest coral reef in the world
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube i Viber. If you have a topic suggestion for us, please contact bbcnasrpskom@bbc.co.uk
Bonus video:
