The world's biggest coral — an organism made up of about a billion polyps — is about three times bigger than the previous record-holder and was discovered by chance during an expedition off the Solomon Islands.

Scientists have discovered the largest single coral ever recorded – so big that they had originally thought it was a long-forgotten shipwreck. The “mega coral” – which is a network of small creatures that together form one huge organism rather than a reef – was found near the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific.

Scientists say they have found the world's largest coral near the Pacific's Solomon Islands, announcing Thursday a major discovery "pulsing with life and color".