Scientists claim largest plant in the world | Science

The plant of the species Posidonia australis was found by researchers at the University of Western Australia and Flinders University in the shallows of Shark Bay, the scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

New shoots

The scientists were investigating how many different plants live in Shark Bay when they discovered a single plant estimated to be at least 4,500 years old. The plant grows bigger and bigger by creating new shoots. There is now 200 square kilometers of seagrass from a single plant.

In addition to the size, the age of the seagrass is also special. The specimen off Australia’s west coast may be “sterile,” meaning it cannot reproduce. These types of plants, the researchers say, have reduced genetic diversity, something they would normally need to cope with environmental changes.

seagrass beds

Shark Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is characterized, among other things, by huge seagrass beds. At 4,800 square kilometers, these are the “largest and richest in the world,” according to UNESCO. Several endangered species also live in the bay.