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Cliff Face Covered in Sponges

We saw many scenes like this one during the fourth dive of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition, with a cliff face covered in both living and dead sponges. While they may not look as pretty as their living white counterparts, the brown dead sponge skeletons in this image play an important role in the deep ocean, providing habitat for other organisms.

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Credit

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise Seamounts.