This past weekend, the class was asked to research ten organisms and then blog about one they researched. The one that I found most interesting was the sponge. The sponge has so many unique attributes that distinguish them from other marine organisms. These invertebrates have no circulatory, nervous, or digestive systems and are made of a jelly-like substance known as mesohyl. The reason that sponges are able to stand straight up though is due to the fact that this mesohyl lies between two layers of hardened cells. Thus, sponges have both a stiff yet flexible skeleton. Because these organisms have pores and channels, water is able to flow freely through the sponge while delivering the necessary nutrients that the sponge needs. When the water flows through the sponge, it absorbs oxygen which is necessary for it to survive. This is the main nutrient that sponges “eat.” A final fact about sponges is that the adults remain stationary while the younger sponges are to move freely about the ocean, a view contrary to popular belief that all sponges are “stuck” to the the ocean floor. The world of the sponge should truly excite you as much as it excites me.
