Behold the Super Long Sneeze of a Deep Sea Sponge

Date: March 15, 2020

Source: Popular Mechanics
Author: Daisy Hernandez

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) has been studying deep-sea sponges and other benthic fauna by capturing video footage and taking time-lapse photos to figure out what really goes on deep beneath the ocean’s surface.

MBARI found that deep-sea sponges do a lot more than just hang out along the ocean floor and drift aimlessly wherever the current takes them—they actually do a lot of moving around including contracting, expanding, and sneezing.

According to a paper published in Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, it’s tough to capture footage of deep-sea sponges contracting and sneezing because they move so slowly.

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Posted on Categories General Science