Sea Sponges are simple aquatic creatures with skeletons that are dense but porous and are well adapted to their surroundings. The seafloor of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is covered in a variety of sponges. Sponge shapes and textures range from rounded to encrusting to branching, adding to the complexity of the reef.
Although they may conjure images of tropical waters, sponges are a common and crucial component of Alaska’s marine ecosystems. Cold, acidic, and low-oxygen environments are ideal for deep-sea sponge growth. The deep waters of Alaska frequently experience these circumstances. Sponges living in deep water can live for hundreds or even thousands of years. Other creatures, such as numerous fish and invertebrates with significant economic value, benefit from the intricate environments that these living structures produce.
Similar to how sea sponges have their worth in nature, each business application has its value. So far, the most prevalent commercial application of sea sponges nowadays is natural bath sponges. Sea sponges are perfect for cleansing the body and the face because they are quite gentle on the skin. They are a great tool for deeply cleaning pores and exfoliating the skin thoroughly.
However, a nice natural sea sponge is difficult to get and is not known to be inexpensive. It is an expensive product because of the dangers involved in diving and harvesting, its scarcity, and the labour-intensive processing. Out of the more than 8,000 species of marine sponges, only 6 to 7 have commercial worth.
