Underwater coral skyscraper taller than the Empire State Building found in Great Barrier Reef - Telegraph.co.uk

An underwater coral skyscraper taller than the Empire State Building has been discovered in the Great Barrier Reef.

Scientists from Australia's James Cook University said they were "surprised and elated" to find the 1,640ft structure, the first detached coral reef to be discovered in 120 years.

The team aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's Falkor ship made the discovery last week as part of efforts to map the reef sea floor.

On Monday the Institute, a non-profit founded by former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy, sent its underwater robot SuBastian to explore the reef, which is just under a mile wide at its base.

Wendy Schmidt, co-founder of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, said: "This unexpected discovery affirms that we continue to find unknown structures and new species in our ocean.

 Dr Jyotika Virmani, executive director of Schmidt Ocean Institute, said: "To find a new half-a-kilometre tall reef in the offshore Cape York area of the well-recognised Great Barrier Reef shows how mysterious the world is just beyond our coastline.