Sea Sponges

The Sea Sponge are members in the phylum Porifera. Most people think when they see a sea sponge that it’s a plant. Sea sponge is in fact a multicellular organism that has pores all around them to allow water to circulate through their bodies. This species has been around for a while and has over 8,000 species. This species is just like coral and is an immobile invertebrate. Unlike coral, the sea sponge is a simpler creature. Having no tissues, the sponge can not only be found in saltwater, but can also be found in estuaries and freshwater. What’s cool about this species is their unique feeding system. They don’t have mouths, so they use the tiny pores (ostia) they have in their outer walls, which is where water is drawn in. This brings me to why they are so important to the coral reef and just the overall water quality. The sea sponge is the natural filtration the ocean has. The sea sponges’ job is to collect bacteria in the water, process the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and make the water livable and healthy for all that live on it and around it. One special technique they have is developing their “sponge poop”. This poop is then fed on by other organisms. This poop will give nutrients that those animals need to thrive.

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