WonderMarine biology factContext and sources

Glass sponge reefs off the Pacific Northwest are living structures made by silica-skeleton sponges, forming rare habitats once thought extinct.

Living glass sponge reefs

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The idea in context

Glass sponge reefs sound impossible until you see the biology: animals building fragile lattices of silica, generation after generation. For a long time, reef-forming glass sponges were known mostly from fossils and assumed to be gone. Their living reefs filter water, hold sediments and shelter marine communities in cold northern depths. They are not relics; they are ancient architecture still working.

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Pasifik Kuzeybatısı açıklarındaki cam süngeri resifleri, silika iskeletli süngerlerin oluşturduğu ve bir zamanlar yok olduğu sanılan nadir yaşam alanlarıdır.

Yaşayan cam süngeri resifleri

Cam süngeri resifleri, biyolojiyi görene kadar imkansızmış gibi duyulur: hayvanlar kuşak kuşak kırılgan silika kafesleri kurar. Uzun süre resif oluşturan cam süngerleri çoğunlukla fosillerden bilindi ve yok oldukları sanıldı. Yaşayan resifleri suyu filtreler, tortuyu tutar ve soğuk kuzey derinliklerinde deniz topluluklarına barınak sağlar. Onlar kalıntı değil; hâlâ çalışan antik mimaridir.

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Background reading: Glass spongeAttribution and context are revised when stronger evidence appears. Corrections are welcome through the editorial page.

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Glass sponge reefs off the Pacific Northwest are living structures made by silica-skeleton sponges, forming rare habitats once thought extinct.

The idea in context

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