November 2024: the world's biggest coral, invasive species monitoring in Fiji, and Europe's largest Marine Protected Area.

Here’s our round-up of some of this month’s exciting ocean science news!

World's biggest coral found in the Pacific

Discovered in the Solomon Islands by a videographer working on a National Geographic scientific expedition, the coral is so huge that it can be seen from space.

Made up of nearly a billion genetically identical coral polyps that work together as if they are one organism, this coral is 34-meter wide, 32-meter long, 5.5-meter high, and is estimated to be 300-year-old.

It is in excellent health, but scientists from the National Geographic expedition worry about the many threats it could face, such as climate change and overfishing, and hope that this discovery will inspire more protections for marine habitats in the Solomon Islands.

Fiji becomes the first island nation to be "Marine Invasive Species Monitoring-Ready"

Fiji has been recognised by UNESCO Ocean as the first island nation to be "Marine Invasive Species Monitoring-Ready"—meaning that the country is now equipped with state-of-the-art tools, robust protocols, and expert training to enable rapid detection and effective management of marine invasive species.

This significant achievement stems from the implementation of the Pacific Islands Marine BioInvasions Alert Network initiative, led by UNESCO/IOC Project Office for IODE as part of the Ocean Decade, which strengthened Fiji's ability to address the growing challenge of marine invasive species.

Azores creates Europe's largest Marine Protected Area

The newly created Marine Protected Area off the Azores now protects 30% of the ocean surrounding the archipelago. Spanning nearly 300,000 square kilometers, it is the biggest protected area in the North Atlantic and marks a milestone towards the internationally-agreed goal of protecting 30% of the world’s lands and ocean by 2030.

Half of this area will receive full protection from any and all extractive practices, marking it as a safe haven for biodiversity and natural resources. The other half of the network will be a ‘highly-protected area’, meaning it will allow ‘light’ extractive activity only.

Cover photo: Divers from National Geographic Pristine Seas measure the world’s largest coral colony in the Solomon Islands. ? Manu San Félix/National Geographic Pristine Seas