Photos by Nanci Blog

This Purple Vase Sponge was seen on Great Wall West, Bloody Bay Marine Park, Little Cayman, BWI. The Purple Vase Sponge, also known as the Azure Vase Sponge, is a vibrant and colorful member of the demosponge class of animal. Like all sponges, this species does not move throughout its life, and an individual's success relies entirely on the environment in which it lives.  Newly born sponges are carried by currents of the sea, and often end up in coral reefs. Like coral, sea sponges were long believed to be plants, much like algae. Unlike algae, however, sea sponges do not fuel themselves through photosynthesis, but filter the water around them and consume any plankton that may pass through.  Quite literally, these strange invertebrates "go with the flow" and rely on the movement of water to both reproduce and feed themselves. Because their well being is so reliant in the health of their ecosystem, climate change and pollution greatly affect the well being ...