At a depth of about 7,000 feet in the waters of the Papahanaumokuakea (pah-pah-HAH-now-moh-cuh-ah-cay-ah) Marine National Monument, near the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the researchers came upon the animal that they say was about the size of a minivan, measuring 12 feet long and 7 feet wide.
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The finding of such an enormous and presumably old sponge inside the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument underscores the need to protect this area using the highest conservation measures available, researchers explained.
The shape of the sponges body especially adapts to their habitat, so the largest amount of water flow can pass through their central cavity where nutrients are obtained.
Further to its massive size, researchers believe the specimen to be extremely old. It remained the largest sea sponge ever documented for more than 100 years and measured more than 11 feet in length, 3.6 feet in height and 1.6 feet in width, according to the study.
Science doesn’t know much yet about the lifespan of this species, yet massive sponges are estimated to live more than 2,300 years. Some sponges capable of growing to massive sizes can live for thousands of years, scientists believe. “Sponges don’t have things like growth rings that can be used to estimate age”.
The animal was found in the waters of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, which is the largest protected conservation area in the United States and one of the largest in the world. The oldest living coral species is estimated at 4,500 years old.
Researchers from the NOAA Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument were among the lucky few to get a glimpse of this very big sea animal.
“It is living 7,000 feet below the ocean surface, in the depths of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument”.
Seven thousand feet below the surface, a deep-sea expedition stumbled upon a “sponge the size of a minivan”, the largest ever recorded, according to researchers.
It was found during one of the agency’s deep-water expeditions a year ago around the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument off the Hawaiian Islands, according to New Scientist.
“The largest portion of our planet lies in deep waters, the vast majority of which has never been explored”, said Daniel Wagner of the NOAA and first author of the study.
Sponges are some of the simplest and most ancient of animals, though they don’t look like animals as we usually know them.
We don’t know exactly how old it is.
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‘We were looking for deep water corals and sponges, and we had just gotten some close ups of some corals, then turned away to continue the survey and the sponge appeared out of nowhere, ‘ he told the radio station.
