Giant Coral Colony Discovered in Red Sea
Red Sea Global (RSG) has announced the significant discovery of a giant coral colony in the Red Sea (of the Pavona species) within the waters of AMAALA on the northwestern coast of Saudi Arabia.
Rivalling the size of the current world record holder—a 32-by-34-meter colony found in the Pacific—this remarkable new find is the largest coral colony of this type documented in the Red Sea to date.
According to a statement issued by the RSG on Sunday, this natural wonder could become a key highlight for tourists at AMAALA on diving excursions, offering a unique and unforgettable experience.
Access would be permitted in line with RSG's responsible tourism ethos, minimizing any potential impact while allowing visitors to witness the breathtaking beauty of the Red Sea's underwater world.
'The discovery of a coral of such extraordinary dimensions demonstrates the ecological significance as well as the pristine beauty of the Red Sea,' said RSG's Head of Environmental Protection and Regeneration Ahmed Alansari.
'At RSG, we believe it is critically important to protect our coral reefs. In particular, these giants represent a time capsule of information, providing the ideal tools for tracing past oceanographic transformations that can help us model responses to future environmental changes,' he stated.
'Understanding how this coral has survived for so long will be crucial for protecting other reefs in the Red Sea and potentially all over the world, for generations to come,' he added.
According to the statement, determining the age of these giant corals with minimal impact is challenging due to the invasive nature of accurate dating techniques and the absence of published growth rates for this particular species of coral in the Red Sea. However, estimations have been made based on the coral's size, growth rates of this species found in the Pacific, and results from photogrammetry efforts. Using these tools, the coral cluster is estimated to be between 400 and 800 years old.
Upcoming studies by researchers from RSG and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) will help pinpoint the coral's age more accurately and provide insights into the environmental conditions in which it has thrived.
Coral in the Red Sea is known for its particular resilience, adapting genetically to naturally warmer waters and higher salinity levels. This colony will be subject to ongoing monitoring and research to understand what makes these giants so resilient to multiple stressors over long time periods and to help inform conservation efforts for other reefs in the Red Sea and around the world.
The two RSG scientists who discovered the giant coral colony, Rhonda Suka and Sylvia Jagerroos, are now leading its mapping and documentation.
Suka said: 'Finding such an invaluable specimen was a truly mind-boggling experience. This colony's resilience gives us hope for the continued success of corals in the Red Sea, particularly in the face of increasing environmental and anthropogenic stress.'
'A coral this massive is incredibly rare. Mapping these giants is an important part of conserving them, something the 'Map the Giants' project is doing on a global scale by identifying and documenting these vital giant coral structures, which it classes as anything larger than five meters. This is the second colony RSG has submitted to the project in the last few months,' said Jagerroos.
The statement disclosed that AMAALA is set to welcome its first guests later this year with the ambitious goal of becoming the world's most comprehensive health and wellness destination. Launching with more than 1,400 hotel rooms across eight luxury resorts, it will welcome some of the most renowned wellness operators globally, offering a wide array of programs tailored to diverse lifestyles and well-being needs.
This follows RSG's other destination, The Red Sea, which began welcoming guests in 2023 and now has five hotels open.
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Arab News
28-04-2025
- Arab News
Huge ‘800-year-old' coral colony identified in Red Sea
JEDDAH: A massive Pavona coral colony has been discovered in the Red Sea, off the northwestern coast of Saudi Arabia. The largest of its kind ever identified in the waters, it is expected to become a tourist attraction at the nearby Red Sea Global resort of Amaala. This standalone colony — in contrast to a much larger reef, which is made up of many individual colonies — was described as one of the most significant environmental discoveries in the region and, although an exact size was not immediately given, it was said to rival the world's largest-known individual coral colony, which is in the Pacific Ocean, covers an area of 32 meters by 34 meters and is 5.5 meters high. Red Sea Global told Arab News it will offer visitors to the Amaala resort the chance to view the colony in a secure and environmentally responsible way that ensures it is properly protected and minimizes effects on the local ecosystem. Ahmad Al-Ansary, the organization's head of environmental protection and regeneration, told Arab News that 'a discovery of this magnitude underscores both the Red Sea's environmental importance and its natural beauty.' The discovery, off the northwestern coast of Saudi Arabia, is said to be one of the largest of its kind in the world. Estimating the age of the colony poses a technical challenge because of the limited growth-rate data for this species of coral in the Red Sea. Based on its size, comparative growth rates from Pacific specimens, and photogrammetry techniques that create 3D models from two-dimensional images, conservative estimates put its age at between 400 and 800 years old. Red Sea Global and KAUST said they were carrying out additional research and will refine the estimate. 'These giant coral formations act as 'time capsules,' preserving critical data on past climate conditions and helping us anticipate future environmental challenges,' he added. He went on to say that studying this colony will be essential for safeguarding coral reefs in the Red Sea and around the globe. Red Sea coral ecosystems are among the hardiest in the world, genetically adapted to relatively high temperatures and salinity, and researchers said they will continuously monitor the colony to understand the nature of its resilience. Ronda Sokka, a marine scientist at Red Sea Global and a co-discoverer of the colony, described it as 'a natural treasure whose incredible hardiness in harsh conditions is truly rare.' Her colleague Sylvia Yagerous said that mapping and documenting such large colonies is a core objective of the 'Map the Giants' project, which aims to record all coral formations worldwide exceeding five meters in size. The latest find is the second giant colony documented by Red Sea Global in recent months.
Asharq Al-Awsat
28-04-2025
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Giant Coral Colony Discovered in Red Sea
Red Sea Global (RSG) has announced the significant discovery of a giant coral colony in the Red Sea (of the Pavona species) within the waters of AMAALA on the northwestern coast of Saudi Arabia. Rivalling the size of the current world record holder—a 32-by-34-meter colony found in the Pacific—this remarkable new find is the largest coral colony of this type documented in the Red Sea to date. According to a statement issued by the RSG on Sunday, this natural wonder could become a key highlight for tourists at AMAALA on diving excursions, offering a unique and unforgettable experience. Access would be permitted in line with RSG's responsible tourism ethos, minimizing any potential impact while allowing visitors to witness the breathtaking beauty of the Red Sea's underwater world. 'The discovery of a coral of such extraordinary dimensions demonstrates the ecological significance as well as the pristine beauty of the Red Sea,' said RSG's Head of Environmental Protection and Regeneration Ahmed Alansari. 'At RSG, we believe it is critically important to protect our coral reefs. In particular, these giants represent a time capsule of information, providing the ideal tools for tracing past oceanographic transformations that can help us model responses to future environmental changes,' he stated. 'Understanding how this coral has survived for so long will be crucial for protecting other reefs in the Red Sea and potentially all over the world, for generations to come,' he added. According to the statement, determining the age of these giant corals with minimal impact is challenging due to the invasive nature of accurate dating techniques and the absence of published growth rates for this particular species of coral in the Red Sea. However, estimations have been made based on the coral's size, growth rates of this species found in the Pacific, and results from photogrammetry efforts. Using these tools, the coral cluster is estimated to be between 400 and 800 years old. Upcoming studies by researchers from RSG and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) will help pinpoint the coral's age more accurately and provide insights into the environmental conditions in which it has thrived. Coral in the Red Sea is known for its particular resilience, adapting genetically to naturally warmer waters and higher salinity levels. This colony will be subject to ongoing monitoring and research to understand what makes these giants so resilient to multiple stressors over long time periods and to help inform conservation efforts for other reefs in the Red Sea and around the world. The two RSG scientists who discovered the giant coral colony, Rhonda Suka and Sylvia Jagerroos, are now leading its mapping and documentation. Suka said: 'Finding such an invaluable specimen was a truly mind-boggling experience. This colony's resilience gives us hope for the continued success of corals in the Red Sea, particularly in the face of increasing environmental and anthropogenic stress.' 'A coral this massive is incredibly rare. Mapping these giants is an important part of conserving them, something the 'Map the Giants' project is doing on a global scale by identifying and documenting these vital giant coral structures, which it classes as anything larger than five meters. This is the second colony RSG has submitted to the project in the last few months,' said Jagerroos. The statement disclosed that AMAALA is set to welcome its first guests later this year with the ambitious goal of becoming the world's most comprehensive health and wellness destination. Launching with more than 1,400 hotel rooms across eight luxury resorts, it will welcome some of the most renowned wellness operators globally, offering a wide array of programs tailored to diverse lifestyles and well-being needs. This follows RSG's other destination, The Red Sea, which began welcoming guests in 2023 and now has five hotels open.
Saudi Gazette
27-04-2025
- Saudi Gazette
400-800 year old giant coral colony discovered within AMAALA waters in the Red Sea
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Red Sea Global (RSG) announced on Sunday the significant discovery of a giant coral colony of the Pavona species within the waters of AMAALA in the Red Sea on the northwestern coast of Saudi Arabia. The coral cluster is estimated to be between 400 and 800 years old. Rivalling the size of the current world record holder — a 32-by-34-meter colony found in the Pacific — this remarkable new find is the largest coral colony of this type documented in the Red Sea to date. According to a press release issued by the RSG, this natural wonder could become a key highlight for tourists at AMAALA on diving excursions, offering a unique and unforgettable experience. Access would be permitted in line with RSG's responsible tourism ethos, minimizing any potential impact while allowing visitors to witness the breathtaking beauty of the Red Sea's underwater world. Ahmed Alansari, head of RSG's Environmental Protection and Regeneration, said that the discovery of a coral of such extraordinary dimensions demonstrates the ecological significance as well as the pristine beauty of the Red Sea. 'At RSG, we believe it is critically important to protect our coral reefs. In particular, these giants represent a time capsule of information, providing the ideal tools for tracing past oceanographic transformations that can help us model responses to future environmental changes. Understanding how this coral has survived for so long will be crucial for protecting other reefs in the Red Sea and potentially all over the world, for generations to come,' he said. According to the statement, determining the age of these giant corals with minimal impact is challenging due to the invasive nature of accurate dating techniques and the absence of published growth rates for this particular species of coral in the Red Sea. However, estimations have been made based on the coral's size, growth rates of this species found in the Pacific, and results from photogrammetry efforts. Using these tools, the coral cluster is estimated to be between 400 and 800 years old. Upcoming studies by researchers from RSG and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) will help pinpoint the coral's age more accurately and provide insights into the environmental conditions in which it has thrived. Coral in the Red Sea is known for its particular resilience, adapting genetically to naturally warmer waters and higher salinity levels. This colony will be subject to ongoing monitoring and research to understand what makes these giants so resilient to multiple stressors over long time periods and to help inform conservation efforts for other reefs in the Red Sea and around the world. The two RSG scientists who discovered the giant coral colony, Rhonda Suka and Sylvia Jagerroos, are now leading its mapping and documentation. Suka said: 'Finding such an invaluable specimen was a truly mind-boggling experience. This colony's resilience gives us hope for the continued success of corals in the Red Sea, particularly in the face of increasing environmental and anthropogenic stress.' Jagerroos said: 'A coral of this massive size is incredibly rare. Mapping these giants is an important part of conserving them, something the 'Map the Giants' project is doing on a global scale by identifying and documenting these vital giant coral structures, which it classes as anything larger than five meters. This is the second colony RSG has submitted to the project in the last few months.' It is noteworthy that AMAALA is set to welcome its first guests later this year with the ambitious goal of becoming the world's most comprehensive health and wellness destination. Launching with more than 1,400 hotel rooms across eight luxury resorts, it will welcome some of the most renowned wellness operators globally, offering a wide array of programs tailored to diverse lifestyles and well-being needs. This follows RSG's other destination, The Red Sea, which began welcoming guests in 2023, and now has five hotels open.
