08/21/2021 3:26 PM
Clarín.com
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Spain
Updated 08/21/2021 3:26 PM
A group of divers discovered a huge coral about 10.4 meters wide, between 421 and 438 years old, in a remote area of Australia's Great Barrier Reef,
the largest coral system in the world
, scientific sources reported. .
The gigantic semicircular porito coral,
baptized as Muga dhambi
, is 5.3 meters high and is considered one of the oldest in the Great Barrier Reef.
It was discovered last March by a group of amateur scientists diving
near Orpheus Island
, in the far northeast of Australia.
"Its discovery is significant locally and globally. It is a giant coral that is a very important part of the coral reef ecosystem in Goolboodi and home to corals, sponges and various species of fish in the Great Barrier Reef," he explained Friday. to EFE Adam Smith, from James Cook University, lead author of the study published in the journal Scientific Reports
The mega coral found is about 10.4 meters wide.
Photo: EFE
However, its dimensions are below
a gigantic coral in the American territory of Samoa
, which at 17 meters wide by twelve meters high is the largest in the world, according to the scientific report.
This dome-shaped coral is in relatively good condition, but
climate change and deteriorating water quality
, as well as other threats, are impacted on the Great Barrier Reef.
Scientists indicate that Mugha dhambi, which has 70% of its structure alive, is resilient because it
has survived 80 large cyclones
, various coral bleaching phenomena and exposure to invasive species, among other aggressions that include human activity. .
A section of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, one of the hardest hit by warming.
Photo: AFP
Muga dhambi "is a
great example of a beautiful
and tough
coral
that has survived and thrived for four centuries," Smith said.
What is the Great Barrier Reef?
The Great Barrier Reef was almost declared
world heritage in danger
, but the Unesco committee decided not to include it, despite the fact that the International Union for Conservation of Nature last December described its status as
"significant concern"
to "critical". worst conservation rating.
Description and location of the Great Barrier Reef and the species that inhabit it - AFP / AFP coral coral barriers
The Great Barrier Reef, which was added to World Heritage in 1981 and stretches
2,300 kilometers off Australia's northeast coast
, is home to 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 varieties of mollusks.
The largest coral reef in the world began to deteriorate in the 1990s due to the double impact of the
warming of the sea water
and the increase in its acidity due to the greater presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.