Page 27 - Caribbean Reef Life Demo

iant Barrel Sponges have earned the nickname The Redwoods of the Caribbean because of their great size and age. Some are estimated to be 2000 years old. The sponge on the left could easily be over 800 years old. In fact, when Columbus was rst discovering the Caribbean, this sponge was already attached to this same spot on the reef and growing happily.
Divers should take care when moving around these giants. Despite their size they are very fragile, especially around the rim where most of the new growth takes place. oor buoyancy can mean the end of decades of growth.
The careless dropping of an anchor or even a dragging shing line can slice through a large sponge, often killing it. As lter feeders, sponges can suffer uickly from increased contaminants in the seawater. They can develop diseases such as Orange Band Disease far right , which has now become common throughout the Caribbean. The exact cause of this disease is still unknown, though it is thought to be similar to the bacterial diseases that affect coral heads p. 102 .
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