The scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute are working on bacteria and other types of life around the methane absorption at depths 3,340 feet when it finds an unknown coral flowers in the northwest of La Jolla, as reported by The Sacramento Bee on Tuesday, April 15, 2014.
They describe them as carnivorous sponges that resemble twigs that can survive in the sea floor and the cold dark. The sponge-like sponge species found along the West Coast of the U.S. and the state of Mexico, Baja California.
"Killer sponges sounds like a creature from a B-grade horror movie. In fact they can survive in the deep ocean floor with no light," a statement from the aquarium research center.
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute said the first time scientists have found some sponges with carnivorous category at 20 years ago. Since then, only seven species of carnivores sponges are found throughout the northeastern Pacific Ocean.
Kim Fulton-Bennett, a spokesman for the aquarium research institute told the U-T San Diego newspaper that the sponge was discovered by a remotely operated vehicle Doc Ricketts.
The scientists named the species Asbestopluma rickettsi, in honor of biologist Ed Ricketts, the main character in the famous novel "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck. The sponge colony living near the shells and tube worms that use bacteria to obtain nutrients from the methane that seeps out of the sea floor. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | THE SACRAMENTO BEE]
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| This 2013 photo provided by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute shows a manipulator arm on Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute's remotely operated vehicle collecting a Cladorhiza caillieti sponge growing on a piece of carbonate crust on the seafloor off the coast of Southern California. Researchers at MBARI say they have discovered a new species of poisonous sponge, described as a twig-like carnivore that is able to survive on the dark, frigid ocean floor, just northwest of La Jolla, U-T San Diego reported. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1nv57m8 ) |
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| A new research from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has described four new species of flesh-eating sponges living deep in the ocean, located in the Pacific Northwest to Baja California. The complete findings also appear in the journal Zootaxa. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1mflJkD) |
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute said the first time scientists have found some sponges with carnivorous category at 20 years ago. Since then, only seven species of carnivores sponges are found throughout the northeastern Pacific Ocean.
Kim Fulton-Bennett, a spokesman for the aquarium research institute told the U-T San Diego newspaper that the sponge was discovered by a remotely operated vehicle Doc Ricketts.
The scientists named the species Asbestopluma rickettsi, in honor of biologist Ed Ricketts, the main character in the famous novel "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck. The sponge colony living near the shells and tube worms that use bacteria to obtain nutrients from the methane that seeps out of the sea floor. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | THE SACRAMENTO BEE]
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