Eight new deep-sea species of marine sponges discovered

Although marine sponges are widespread in the oceans, their biodiversity and distribution is still poorly known. Even though the Mediterranean Sea is the most explored sea on Earth, a study by Julio A. Díaz and colleagues, ...

Sea sponges need oxygen, as fish and people do

The inconspicuous sea sponges are Earth's oldest multicellular animals and have filtered the oceans for nearly 900 million years, long before the first plants appeared on land. New research appearing in the journal Fishery ...

Deep-sea sponge a mechanical marvel of nature

The Venus's flower basket sponge could inspire the buildings, bridges and even aircraft of tomorrow, thanks to its performance under pressure and ability to go with the flow—literally.

Inside the Irish lough that offers a window into the deep sea

Deeper than most scuba divers can safely work and above where most underwater robots are designed to descend lie some of the most poorly studied ecosystems in the world. Between 30 and 150 meters down is the ocean's mesophotic ...

Climate change affects deep-sea corals and sponges differently

Corals and sponges are important foundations in ocean ecosystems providing structure and habitats that shelter a high number of species like fish, crabs and other creatures, particularly in the seamounts and canyons of the ...

Sea sponges may seem like simple creatures, but…

One sea sponge turned out to be 2,000 years old. And older giant barrel sponges appear to have a faster rate of cell division, unlike us. They produce antibiotics and much, much more. Lina Bayona Maldonado studied how the ...

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