Facts about natural sea sponges

Early naturalists saw the sponges as plants because of their frequent branching form and their lack of obvious movement. However, today, sponges are regarded as living animals that live in the water.

In structure, function, and development, sponges are very different from other animals; one of their most distinct features is that they lack organs. They do not have nervous, digestive or circulatory systems. Instead, they mostly rely on maintaining a constant flow of water through their bodies in order to obtain food and oxygen, and to remove wastes.

Many zoologists have regarded sponges as occupying an isolated position in the animal kingdom and classify them in the subkingdom Parazoa.

Sponges reproduce with both Sexual (fertilization of an egg by spermatozoa) and Asexual reproduction (in various ways – the best known method is called gemmulation).

Most sponges are hermaphroditic (having both sexes in one), but produce only one type of gamete per spawn. Some play the male role and the other plays the female role (even though they are both capable of playing either role). The sperm is released into the water column by the “male” sponge and finds its way to the “female” sponges, where fertilization occurs internally.

Eventually, the planktonic larvae are released from the female sponge and float around in the water column as plankton for only a few days. They then settle down and start growing. The next time the sponges reproduce, they may change sexual roles.

Sponge. Sponges are very slow-moving animals that are found across the sea floor. Although many sponges actually move less than a millimetre a day, some adult sponges are actually sessile, which means that they are fixed onto something and do not move at all.

Although adult sponges are fundamentally sessile animals, some marine and freshwater species can move across the sea bed at speeds of 1–4 mm (0.039–0.157 in) per day, as a result of amoeba-like movements of pinacocytes and other cells. A few species can contract their whole bodies, and many can close their oscula and ostia. Juveniles drift or swim freely, while adults are stationary.

Natural sea sponges have been known and used for ages for a wide variety of hygiene, cosmetic, industrial and artistic purposes.

You would use them if you wanted a luxurious and bath or shower sponge for your body and face. A quality sea sponge will offer you a smooth massage and natural skin exfoliation in a gentle and healthy way that plastic commercial sponges could never do. They are also suitable for make up and demake up purposes.

Sea sponges make excellent menstrual tampons for natural feminine hygiene as they are hypoallergenic, reusable and highly absorbent. They are useful for general cleaning, car washing, pet hygiene or wall cleaning. They are also used in painting, faux painting, wall painting, decoration or church related processes.

To learn more about this extraordinary natural resource, click this link and watch videos with tips on the uses of the sea sponge.