This sponge is the largest sponge documented to date, close to 3.7 meters (12 feet long) and 2.1 meters (7 feet) wide, comparable in size to a minivan. It was documented during the 2015 Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deepwaters off Hawaiʻi expedition aboard NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer</em> while exploring deepwater habitats in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument using remotely operated vehicles at depths ranging between 700-4,875 meters (2,300–16,000 feet).
Giant Sponge
Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2015 Hohonu Moana. Download larger version (jpg, 466 KB).
This sponge is the largest sponge documented to date, close to 3.7 meters (12 feet long) and 2.1 meters (7 feet) wide, comparable in size to a minivan. It was documented during the 2015 Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deepwaters off Hawaiʻi expedition aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer while exploring deepwater habitats in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument using remotely operated vehicles at depths ranging between 700-4,875 meters (2,300–16,000 feet).
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