A coral reef more than 500 meters high discovered outside of Australia. Positive news from the Great Barrier Reef for once

The research organization Schmidt Ocean Institute reported this week that a coral reef more than 500 meters high, taller than many of the tallest buildings in the world, was discovered on the Great Barrier Reef off Australia.

The newly discovered coral reef is one of seven newly discovered coral reefs in the waters around the Great Barrier Reef. Wendy Schmidt, one of the founders of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, said in a press release:

“This unexpected discovery affirms that we continue to find unknown structures and new species in our ocean. The state of our knowledge about what is in the ocean has long been so limited. Thanks to new technologies that work like our eyes, ears and hands in the deep ocean, we have the ability to explore like never before. New ocean landscapes are opening up to us, revealing the ecosystems and diverse life forms that share the planet with us. “

The base of the newly discovered coral reef is around 1500 meters in diameter, while its top has a diameter of around 40 meters, as illustrated in the image below. Above is a Reuters story about the huge coral reef, and below you can watch a replay of the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s four-hour live broadcast of when their robotic vehicle explored the coral reef.