World’s largest coral colony found in Australia by citizen scientists

Mother-daughter pair Jan Pope (left) and Sophie Kalkowski-Pope discovered the colony. Pic Courtesy/Great Reef Census

In a remarkable display of "people power," a mother-daughter team of citizen scientists - Jan Pope, a veteran diver with 35 years of experience, and her daughter Sophie Kalkowski-Pope, who serves as the marine operations coordinator for the conservation group Citizens of the Reef - has identified what researchers believe is the world's largest documented coral colony.

The massive structure, a single colony of Pavona clavus, commonly called "elephant skin" coral because of its wrinkled, plate-like texture, was found on the Great Barrier Reef near Cairns, Queensland. It stretches about 364 feet long, covering more than 4000 square meters.

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