News Animals

Deep-sea Arctic sponges feed on fossilized organisms to survive

The sponges, some over 300 years old, eat the remains of critters from at least 2,000 years ago

a group of Arctic sponges

The densest group of Arctic sponges found to date (some pictured) feeds on fossilized animals beneath the sponges, explaining how this large ecosystem survives in the harsh conditions of the deep Arctic Ocean.

Alfred-Wegener-Institut, PS101 AWI OFOS system, Antje Boetius

By Richard Kemeny

- More than 2 years ago

In the cold, dark depths of the Arctic Ocean, a feast of the dead is under way.