A giant Porites spotted with a drone

Map the Giants corals marhe center bicocca

A giant Porites spotted with a drone

Drone videos are a great tool to identify giant coral colonies as they allow to cover a wide area in a relatively short time. This technique allows to explore shallow waters, and marine biologist Olivia Forster and her team at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Island have been able to identify this giant coral in the lagoon of the resort. This Porites sp. measures 6.5m in length and approximately 17.5m in perimeter. Although it presents some dead portions, the alive tissue has been estimated over 76%.

A giant Porites spotted with a drone

Map the Giants corals marhe center bicocca baa atoll manta ray

Giant Porites and a Manta Ray

There are many ways corals contribute to biodiversity and here is one. This giant Porites sp. measured and reported by @cococaresmv is not only special because of its size, but it is also dear to Manta Rays that use it as a cleaning station.
Corals are organisms capable of living incredibly long lives and are home to many other organisms thriving within, on, and in the middle of their structures.
This colony was found at 19.5m and measures 8.5 m in length. In the last few weeks, it showed signs of bleaching but we are hopeful that given its depth, it will make it, as it must have already done in the past…

A Porites sp. from the Red Sea

Map the Giants is expanding its reach 🌍.
Here is an interesting discovery from the Red Sea. A giant 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 sp. that seems to have broken off from its base and now rests at a depth of 9.5 meters. It was measured using an underwater tape, revealing it to be 5 meters high, 7 meters long, and 15 meters in circumference. Considering that part of it is dead as a result of the collapse, the colony is estimated to have 51-75% living tissue.

A Porites from Malaysia

All the way from Malaysia comes a report of a giant micro-atoll. These are circular coral colonies that are dead on top but continue to grow around the perimeter. This typically occurs when a coral colony begins growing in relatively shallow water. Upon reaching the surface, the upper part dies, and growth continues on the sides. This can also happen due to sediment accumulating on the top, progressively smothering it.

This particular 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 sp. from Malaysia was photographed and measured by the @indonesiabirufoundation , one of our supporters, in June 2024. The coral shows signs of bleaching and is situated at a depth of only 6 meters. The colony measures roughly 6 meters in diameter and 18 meters in circumference.

A Porites from Laamu Atoll

A coral from the South of the Maldives 🇲🇻. A 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 sp. between 5 and 10m in diameter, sitting at a depth of 7m and showed signs of bleaching when it was reported at the end of April by the @maldivesunderwaterinitiative team at @sixsenseslaamu . The colony was found during an expedition from the Northern part of Laamu Atoll, it would be interesting to have long-term monitoring on it!

Wilson Bombie, a giant from Australia

An incredible coral coming all the way from the Great Barrier Reef. This Porites sp. is known as Wilson Bombie and was photographed by @shot.by.sheree in April 2024 presenting worrying signs of a diffused bleaching over the colony. Thanks to Sheree, the coral was re-surveyed at the end of June 2024 and showed signs of recovery. A tangible proof of their incredible resilience 💪🪸🤩.The photos with a human reference give us an idea of the remarkable size of the colony, between 9 and 10m in diameter. How humbling is to be in front of such creatures!
A special thanks to Sheree for your submission and stunning photos. 📸✨

Map the Giants corals marhe center bicocca Male Atoll Coco Resorts

A Giant 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 sp. from North Male Atoll

This giant Porites sp. has been measured and reported by @cococaresmv Marine Biologists Lauren Kennedy.
The colony is a 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 sp., measuring ~5.2m in length and 2m in width and sitting at a depth of 6m. Although it presents a few dead portions, the colony is overall in good shape with over 75% alive tissue.
Many corals have been located in the past weeks, stay tuned for more!

A Giant 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 sp. and a Manta Ray

Map the Giants corals marhe center bicocca Laamu atoll

Giant 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 sp. from Laamu atoll

The South of the Maldives certainly still harbors a lot of secrets, and the Maldives Underwater Initiative Team is out there looking for Giant Corals. Here comes a report of a Giant 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 sp. from the reefs near Laamu Hithadhoo. The colony sits at a depth of approximately 22 meters and measures around 12 meters in diameter and 3 meters in height. Maahil Ahmed, a coral researcher from the MUI team, has also been able to provide a 3D reconstruction of the colony, which proves incredibly valuable to assess changes to the coral, especially considering the current bleaching event.

Thank you MUI team for your efforts!