Super Spectacular Sea Sponges!

What living organism has no head, eyes, brain, arms, legs, ears, muscles, or organs? It’s the super spectacular sea sponge!

Sea sponges are very basic and primordial animals. They can be soft or hard, harmless or poisonous. They've lived on earth for around 500 million years and are frequently found hanging out in coral reefs. There are over 5,000 species of sponges living in the marine environment, and they are even found in freshwater lakes and rivers!

For centuries, scientists debated as to whether or not sponges were plants or animals. At one time they were considered as coral, then as “half-plant and half-animal” organisms. Everything about their life cycle is far more akin to that of a plant. They grow like plants, and since they have no organs or brain or nervous system, they are not self-aware, cannot think, and feel no pain of any kind. However, sponges do have a reproductive system, an immune system, and they can sneeze! They are able to move, and they have genes. They also capture and ingest their food source.

Sponges are relatively simple, multi-celled animals. They do not have tissues or organs like some animals do, but they have specialized cells to perform necessary functions. These cells are in charge of digestion and reproduction, and they filter in water. The skeleton of a sponge is formed from spicules, which are made of silica (a glass-like material) or calcareous (calcium or calcium carbonate) materials.

There are two types of sponges. Encrusting sponges, which typically cover the surface of a rock, and free-standing sponges, which possess more inner volume compared with their outside surface area. Free-standing sponges can reach gigantic proportions. For example, the barrel sponge, a large tropical sponge, can grow large enough to fit a whole person inside! Sponges come in a wide variety of shapes and a rainbow of colors.

Natural sea sponges possess remarkable powers of regeneration and have the ability to re-grow lost parts and pieces broken off by water currents- the epitome of sustainability! In fact, studies have shown that areas harvested actually increase in their population density.  Once cut, a sponge will re-grow within a few years, often to become bigger and healthier than it was originally.

So, what is the benefit to an organism that seems to have so little going on? Sea sponges have many uses. In the marine environment, they provide food for hawksbill sea turtles and several species of fish, including angelfishes, wrasses, and pufferfish. For some species, sponges provide over 70% of total diet. They also offer small fish a place to hide from predators. Sponges are harvested for human use in the cosmetics, home décor, and home care industries, and are utilized in many natural and organic products. They are earth-friendly, thanks to sustainable harvesting. Unlike their synthetic counterparts, natural sea sponges contain innate enzymes and minerals that help prevent the development of odors, molds, and bacteria. They are also a hypoallergenic product since they are always naturally processed and contain no artificial ingredients, harsh chemicals, or toxins of any kind.

So, the next time you’re headed to the paint store or to a relaxing bubble bath, consider the natural sea sponge as a companion!