Elsewhere on the same Pearl and Hermes reef, DeFelice found his 10 new marine sponge species, all in the single sinkhole, caught between the ridges of the atoll's coral reef. Despite the rough wave action above them, the water around these sponges is calm, creating perfect conditions for creatures of their particular kind. DeFelice said sponges are an important part of a marine ecosystem. They are multicellular animals that serve as filters, drawing in water, removing nutrients for their own use, and pumping the water back out, clean. Many sponges are collected for their potential use in medicine.
People like to look at big, charismatic animals like fish, turtles and marine mammals.
Although the sponges that were found are charismatic and colorful as far as sponges go, it's tough for people to understand their importance in an ecosystem. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, scattered and isolated, have been similarly unexciting to most people. The new scientific exploration hopes to change that image. The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of Gannett Co .