Where do sponges come from?

The bath sponge we use in our home is the soft skeleton of an animal that once lived in the sea.

Probably many sponges you see at home were made in a factory.  They are made of synthetic material to look and clean like true sponges.

If you have ever used a true sponge to wash anything, you are using the soft skeleton of an animal that once lived in the sea.

Sponges don’t look like other animals.  A sponge has no head or mouth.

Water flowing through the many holes in its body brings oxygen and tiny bits of plant matter that provide food for it.

For almost all its life, the sponge stays in one place—attached to the ocean floor.

There are sponges of all shapes, sizes and colors.  Some are shaped like fans, vases, and bowls.

Some sponges are only about as big as a pea.  Others may grow to be several feet tall.

Sponge fishermen use a long, hooked pole to pull up sponges that live in shallow water.  In deep water, fishermen dive for sponges in diving suits. – Dick Rogers