New Species of Glass Sponge Discovered in Western Mediterranean

Posted on January 31, 2015

A new species of glass sponge has been discovered in the western Mediterranean. The sponge was was found at depths of 350 and 500 meters (1,100 to 1,600 feet). It is 8 to 14 centimeters (three to five inches) in length. The sponge has been named Sympagella delauzei.

The sponge was discovered by an international team of scientists and Oceana researchers. It was collected by an ROV while exploring deep-sea canyons of the Mediterranean. The scientists say the Mediterranean was previously not thought to be a favorable environment for glass sponges because they tend to prefer colder waters. Temperatures in the Mediterranean rarely fall below 13 degrees Celsius even in its deepest areas, so the discovery of a new glass sponge species came as a surprise.

Ricardo Aguilar, Director of Research at Oceana and co-author of the study, says in a statement, "These findings, along with the review of the species of glass sponge in the Mediterranean, show us what must be taken into account when it comes to protecting the sponge aggregations. Previous studies have shown that glass sponges are an important source of silicon, one of the basic nutrients for the oceans."

A paper on the new sponge species can be found here in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.

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