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ScienceQuiet 9d · day 9

Mystery Giant Sponge Found in Hawaiian Deep Sea Remains Unidentified

NOAA's 2015 discovery of a minivan-sized glass sponge in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument still lacks a species name.

newest coverage 9d agosummary written 7d ago3 pieces NewswiresGoogle NewsMastodon

What to know

  • A sponge colony found in 2015 off Hawaiʻi at 2,130 meters depth measures 3.7m long, 2.1m wide and 1.5m high — the largest sponge ever recorded.
  • Its species remains unidentified: researchers sampled only a nearby specimen believed to be related, placing it in the glass sponge family Rossellidae but not pinning down the exact species.
  • Related giant sponges are thought capable of living thousands of years, raising unanswered questions about this specimen's age.
  • The find underscores how little of the deep ocean, where such discoveries occur, has been explored.

“The largest portion of our planet lies in deep waters, the vast majority of which has never been explored”

Daniel Wagner, NOAA marine biologist · ScienceAlert ↗ · Dec 31

NOAA Research agency that led the expeditionDaniel Wagner NOAA marine biologist

Mystery Giant Sponge Found in Hawaiian Deep Sea Remains Unidentified
sciencealert.com

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in two hours at Oct 30, 10 AM; 3 pieces over 9 days (2 articles · 1 post) Oct 30, 10 AM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Google News 1, Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Oct 30, 12 PM — quietOct 30, 2 PM — quietOct 30, 4 PM — quietOct 30, 6 PM — quietOct 30, 8 PM — quietOct 30, 10 PM — quietOct 31, 12 AM — quietOct 31, 2 AM — quietOct 31, 4 AM — quietOct 31, 6 AM — quietOct 31, 8 AM — quietOct 31, 10 AM — quietOct 31, 12 PM — quietOct 31, 2 PM — quietOct 31, 4 PM — quietOct 31, 6 PM — quietOct 31, 8 PM — quietOct 31, 10 PM — quietNov 1, 12 AM — quietNov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 3 AM — quietNov 1, 5 AM — quietNov 1, 7 AM — quietNov 1, 9 AM — quietNov 1, 11 AM — quietNov 1, 1 PM — quietNov 1, 3 PM — quietNov 1, 5 PM — quietNov 1, 7 PM — quietNov 1, 9 PM — quietNov 1, 11 PM — quietNov 2, 1 AM — quietNov 2, 3 AM — quietNov 2, 5 AM — quietNov 2, 7 AM — quietNov 2, 9 AM — quietNov 2, 11 AM — quietNov 2, 1 PM — quietNov 2, 3 PM — quietNov 2, 5 PM — quietNov 2, 7 PM — quietNov 2, 9 PM — quietNov 2, 11 PM — quietNov 3, 1 AM — quietNov 3, 3 AM — quietNov 3, 5 AM — quietNov 3, 7 AM — quietNov 3, 9 AM — quietNov 3, 11 AM — quietNov 3, 1 PM — quietNov 3, 3 PM — quietNov 3, 5 PM — quietNov 3, 7 PM — quietNov 3, 9 PM — quietNov 3, 11 PM — quietNov 4, 1 AM — quietNov 4, 3 AM — quietNov 4, 5 AM — quietNov 4, 7 AM — quietNov 4, 9 AM — quietNov 4, 11 AM — quietNov 4, 1 PM — quietNov 4, 3 PM — quietNov 4, 5 PM — quietNov 4, 7 PM — quietNov 4, 9 PM — quietNov 4, 11 PM — quietNov 5, 1 AM — quietNov 5, 3 AM — quietNov 5, 5 AM — quietNov 5, 7 AM — quietNov 5, 9 AM — quietNov 5, 11 AM — quietNov 5, 1 PM — quietNov 5, 3 PM — quietNov 5, 5 PM — quietNov 5, 7 PM — quietNov 5, 9 PM — quietNov 5, 11 PM — quietNov 6, 1 AM — quietNov 6, 3 AM — quietNov 6, 5 AM — quietNov 6, 7 AM — quietNov 6, 9 AM — quietNov 6, 11 AM — quietNov 6, 1 PM — quietNov 6, 3 PM — quietNov 6, 5 PM — quietNov 6, 7 PM — quietNov 6, 9 PM — quietNov 6, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quietToday, 9 AM — quiet 1
Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6yesterdaynow · 11:26 AM ET
  1. 1

    ScienceAlert revisits the unresolved sponge mystery

    More than a decade after the discovery, ScienceAlert published a feature noting the sponge's species and age remain unidentified, drawing comparisons to giant barrel sponges thought to live over 2,300 years.

    “about the size of a minivan…”
    — NOAA, Research agency · source
  2. background

    NOAA biologist Daniel Wagner highlights deep-sea exploration value — Wagner commented on the significance of the find for understanding little-explored deep ocean environments, in remarks made the year after the discovery.

  3. background

    Team collects nearby specimen but not the sponge itself — Researchers did not sample the giant sponge directly but retrieved a smaller specimen from a nearby location believed to be the same species; spicule analysis placed it in the glass sponge family Rossellidae, though the exact species was never determined despite 18 dives during the expedition.

  4. background

    NOAA's ROV discovers record-sized glass sponge off Hawaiʻi — During the Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deepwaters off Hawaiʻi expedition aboard the Okeanos Explorer, the ROV Deep Discoverer found a sponge colony at 2,130 meters depth measuring 3.7m long, 2.1m wide and 1.5m high, surpassing the previous record held by a colony of Aphrocallistes vastus.