Shoham wanted to look into whether the sponge species in the deep waters of the Gulf of Eilat had such high concentrations of ...

You can pick up a synthetic sponge for just a few dollars. But a natural sea sponge, hand-harvested from the Mediterranean seafloor, could set you back $30. Harvesting these sponges is dangerous ...

Glass sponges are found along the deep sea, providing a hiding place for small critters along the seafloor. For one newly discovered species, glass sponges provide both a home and a hunting ground.

"The rock, with all the grooves, will attract plankton, baby sponges and baby corals, [and] the hard surface creates the reef and colonises the sea bed," Dr Gillies said. The rubble is also ...