科学家们在所罗门群岛东南端附近发现了世界上最大的珊瑚，并表示该结构如此巨大，以至于起初误以为是沉船。

海洋生态学家恩里克·萨拉（Enric Sala）提到，就在我们觉得地球上没有什么可发现的时候，我们发现了一些了不起的东西。

研究人员表示，珊瑚由大约10亿个小珊瑚虫组成，据估计已经生长了三个多世纪。

这个独立的结构有111英尺宽，104英尺长，是之前的纪录保持者——美属萨摩亚的一种叫做“大妈妈”的珊瑚的三倍大。

首席科学家莫莉·蒂默斯（Molly Timmers）说，“大妈妈”看起来就像一个冰淇淋勺扑通一声落在礁石上，而新发现的珊瑚看起来就像冰淇淋融化了，在海床上散布得又远又广。她还说，它比蓝鲸还长，可以从太空中看到。

这种珊瑚是由国家地理研究小组在所罗门群岛附近的三姐妹地区进行科学考察时发现的。

研究小组表示，海洋变暖和海洋污染已经杀死了热带水域的许多珊瑚礁，这一过程被称为白化。然而，在更深的水域中发现了一个巨大的健康珊瑚，这一令人着迷的发现给我们带来了新的希望。

这一消息是在来自世界各地的代表齐聚阿塞拜疆巴库参加联合国气候变化峰会时宣布的。

所罗门群岛国家气候部长Trevor Manemahaga表示，他们的国家为拥有巨大的珊瑚而感到自豪。

他补充说，所罗门群岛依赖海洋资源，其中最重要的是珊瑚，必须加以保护，因为像所罗门群岛这样的国家最容易受到气候变化和全球变暖导致的海平面上升的影响。

所罗门群岛的原始水域和热带雨林一直以其生物多样性而闻名，其中大部分仍被隐藏，等待被发现。20世纪初，该地区的野生动物研究被用来证明查尔斯·达尔文进化论的一部分。

▲Image for representation purposes only.

英文原文

Scientists have found the largest coral in the world near the southeastern end of the Solomon Islands, stating the structure was so massive they mistook it for a shipwreck at first.



Marine Ecologist Enric Sala mentioned that just when we feel there is not much left to discover on our planet, we find remarkable things.



The coral consists of approximately a billion tiny polyps and is estimated to have been growing for over three centuries, per researchers.



The standalone structure is 111 ft broad and 104 ft long and is thrice the size of the earlier record holder, a coral called Big Momma located in American Samoa.



The Big Momma looks like an ice cream scoop plopped on a reef while the newly found coral looks as if the ice cream is melted, spreading far and wide on the seabed, said Molly Timmers, the lead scientist.  She also said that it is longer than a blue whale and could be seen from space.



The coral was discovered by a National Geographic Researchers team on a scientific expedition in the area called the Three Sisters, close to the Solomon Islands.



The research team said that the warming of oceans and marine pollution has killed many coral reefs in tropical waters, a process known as bleaching.  However, this fascinating discovery of a massive healthy coral in deeper waters offers a new beacon of hope.



This news was announced when representatives from across the world met in Baku, Azerbaijan for the COP29 U.N Summit on Climate Change.



National Climate Minister of the Solomon Islands, Trevor Manemahaga said that their country was proud to be home to the huge coral.



He added that the Solomon Islands relies on marine resources, one of the most important of which are corals which must be protected since nations like the Solomons are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and rising sea levels due to global warming.



The pristine waters and rainforests of the Solomon Islands have always been known for their biodiversity, much of which is still hidden, and waiting to be discovered.  Wildlife research in the region in the 1900s was used to prove a part of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

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