Marine organisms hidden in caves, such as sponges, play an extremely important role in the nutrient cycle of coral reefs. Indeed they probably play the most important role of all, says Dutch ...

Dr. Vicente added: “Sponges are widely underappreciated, even though they play an essential role in cycling nutrients that help maintain coral reef biodiversity in remote island archipelagos ...

To date, their role is severely undervalued, while coral reefs, important socio-economic areas for tropical coastal areas, are threatened worldwide. Sponges help us to understand how coral reefs ...

The footage revealed surprisingly diverse habitats like sponge gardens, coral reefs, and kelp reefs. Videos from seals, dolphins, and sea lions can help scientists map uncharted parts of the ocean.

As the ocean changes and coral reefs face unprecedented threats, it is critical to understand coral reef ecosystem dynamics. Sponges play a central role in regulating and sustaining these systems.

The phenomenon is called the “ sponge loop ” and explains how biodiverse coral reefs can thrive in nutrient-poor marine deserts. In the study, researchers showed that sponges can “sneeze” out large ...

Researchers in Hawaii used structures that mimic coral reefs to study aquatic life — and they found four new species. The new species are all types of sponges, “grubby little” creatures that ...

“Some organic matter exists in the water surrounding the coral reef, but most of it is not concentrated enough for other animals to eat. Sponges transform this material into eatable mucus ...

A Coral Reef Cure? How a Sea Sponge Compound Fights Malaria. by Colleen Fleiss on Jan 14 2025 3:00 PM. Listen to this article. 0:00 / 0:00.

Reef herons (Egretta sacra), unlike true seabirds, live onshore year-round. While seabirds hunt far out beyond the reef, reef herons fish along the cay and reef flat.