Coral reef taller than Empire State Building is first discovered in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef for 120 years

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A vast, detached coral reef has been discovered in the Great Barrier Reef, the first in more than 120 years. The reef was discovered last week by Australian research scientists on board the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor while mapping the seafloor of the northern Great Barrier Reef. In August, the team discovered five undescribed species of black coral and sponges, along with Australia’s first observation of rare scorpionfish​ in the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef Marine Parks. New oceanscapes are opening to us, revealing the ecosystems and diverse life forms that share the planet with us.” A study earlier this month, from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, found that more than 50 per cent of corals that once made up the Great Barrier Reef have died over the last 25 years due to the impacts of the climate crisis.