Gascoyne, Australia: Scientists have discovered the world’s largest plant at Shark Bay, a World Heritage site located off the Western Australia coast. The seagrass meadow has grown by repeatedly cloning itself for over 4,500 years and spans as much as 180 sq. km. (70 sq. miles).
The research was published on Wednesday in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Jane Edgeloe, a study co-author and marine biologist at the University of Western Australia, wrote, after comparing the DNA of seagrass shoots across the bed, genetic analysis has revealed that the underwater fields of waving green seagrass are a single organism.
The researchers wrote, “the process can create ‘hopeful monsters’” by enabling rapid growth. There are also some disadvantages to being clones of a single organism, like increased susceptibility to diseases.
Scientists say, although the meadow of Poseidon’s ribbon weed is immense, it’s also vulnerable. As cyclones and rising ocean temperatures linked to climate change have recently killed almost a tenth of the ancient seagrass bed.
Source: The Associated Press
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