A citizen scientist diving the Great Barrier Reef discovered a single coral colony spanning 3,973 square metres, one of the largest ever recorded.
What happened
Diver Jan Pope, participating in a Citizens of the Reef project, found a Pavona clavus coral colony spanning 3,973 square metres.
Pope has been diving the Great Barrier Reef for 35 years and described it as unlike anything she had previously seen.
The colony is one of the largest individual coral formations ever recorded on the Great Barrier Reef.
Citizen science programmes that recruit recreational divers are one of the most cost-effective ways to monitor large ecosystems.
Why it is good news
Finding a coral colony of this scale is a reminder that the Great Barrier Reef still contains extraordinary life. Citizen science made this discovery possible.
Source: Rest Less