Enormous coral reef discovered - 9th November 2020

A 500-metre-high coral reef has been found at the northern tip of Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Taller than the Empire State Building in New York and the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the reef was stumbled upon by scientists on a 12 month mission to 3D map the ocean floor in the area. The researchers’ remote-controlled submarine livestreamed the discovery as it happened. Described as "blade-like", the reef stretches 1.5 kilometres across.

"To find a new half-a-kilometre tall reef in the offshore Cape York area of the well-recognised Great Barrier Reef shows how mysterious the world is just beyond our coastline", said mission director Dr Jyotika Virmani.

The Great Barrier Reef, the largest reef system in the world, is a combination of nearly 3,000 reefs and 900 islands. It serves as a habitat for over 1,500 species of fish, 400 species of hard corals and other species. In 1981, the reef was selected as a World Heritage site for its "enormous scientific and intrinsic importance".

However, over the past few decades it has been severely damaged by climate change. Warmer seas have led to the death of coral and sped up the growth of harmful algae. According to a study published earlier this month, the reef has seen more than half of its corals die in the past 25 years.

The newly discovered reef is the first of its kind to be found in the region since the late 1800s. However, it is located close to other tall reefs. It has an incredible abundance of sponges and soft corals, indicating the region is rich in nutrients.