Off the coast of Australia, the world’s largest plant, a seagrass three times the size of Manhattan, has been discovered.
Scientists used genetic testing to discover that a huge underwater meadow in Western Australia is actually only one plant.
It is thought to have spread over at least 4,500 years from a single seed.
According to experts from the University of Western Australia, the seagrass covers roughly 200 square kilometres (77 square miles).
The finding was made by chance near Shark Bay, roughly 800 kilometres north of Perth.
They had set out to understand the genetic diversity of the species – also known as ribbon weed – which is commonly found along with parts of Australia’s coast.
Researchers collected shoots from across the bay and examined 18,000 genetic markers to create a “fingerprint” from each sample.
They had aimed to discover how many plants made up the meadow.
“The answer blew us away – there was just one!” said Jane Edgeloe, the study’s lead author.
“That’s it, just one plant has expanded over 180km in Shark Bay, making it the largest known plant on Earth.”
The plant is also notable for its hardiness, having thrived in a variety of environments across the bay.
“It looks to be quite tough, surviving a wide range of temperatures and salinities, as well as severe high light circumstances, all of which would be extremely stressful for most plants,” stated one of the researchers, Dr. Elizabeth Sinclair.
The species grows at a rate of up to 35cm per year, similar to a lawn. Researchers calculated that it took 4,500 years for the city to grow to its current size.
The findings were published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B journal.