Deep underwater, gardens of giant sponges teem with life.

The fingered goblet sponge (Heterochone calyx) is one of the largest sponges on the Pacific coast. Their funnel-shaped bodies can grow up to two meters (nearly seven feet) tall and fan out two meters (nearly seven feet) across. Remarkably, the skeleton of this massive animal is made of microscopic slivers of silica glass called spicules. As the sponge grows, the glass spicules fuse together, creating rigid joints in between. This intricate three-dimensional structure remains intact long after the tissues die.

The fingered goblet sponge is a filter-feeder that strains tiny plankton, bacteria, and organic material from seawater. They unlock carbon for their neighbors on the deep seafloor, making nutrients available to other animals that eat parts of the sponge or consume the sponge’s waste. 

We have observed dense gardens of Heterochone and other sponges on Sur Ridge, offshore of Central California. But in some places, Heterochone grows together with other sponge species to form massive reef structures. Dead sponge skeletons provide the foundation for these reefs. Off British Columbia, sprawling sponge reefs can span more than 700 square kilometers (270 square miles) and are estimated to be thousands of years old.

Fingered goblet sponges support bustling communities of life. Much like coral reefs in tropical waters or the old-growth forests on land, countless critters make their home in sponge gardens.

Small snailfishes seek refuge from predators inside a cavernous sponge, hiding from flatfishes patrolling nearby sand channels. Nudibranchs and slime stars nibble on Heterochone, while other invertebrates consume the sponge’s leftover waste products. Crabs and feather stars climb up the sponge towers to feed in the current or release their eggs for maximum dispersal. Shark and skate moms attach their egg cases to Heterochone so their offspring are protected during their development. Thousands more unseen animals thrive inside the nooks and crannies of the sponge.

Decisions we make in our everyday lives can affect all animals, even in out-of-sight places like the deep sea. 

Increased demand for metallic minerals could lead to mining in pristine areas of the deep sea, harming animals like Heterochone. Mining equipment plowing across the seafloor could damage sponges and the plume of sediment from mining waste could clog their filtering mechanism. Life moves at a slower pace in the ocean’s frigid depths. It can take years for Heterochone and other deep-sea sponges to recover from disturbance, in turn threatening all the animals that depend on sponges.

Share what you have learned about Heterochone and sponge gardens to help protect these unique habitats. Help us spread the word about safeguarding the ocean’s pristine wilderness. The future of our big blue backyard depends on us.