But new research, published in PeerJ, has once again highlighted sponge-power. These squishy creatures, it is feared, might take over coral reefs if not kept in check by sponge-eating fishes ...

and coral. Christopher Mah/NOAA Marine researchers exploring an underwater mountain off the United States' East Coast spotted a yellow sea sponge and pink sea star that resemble a certain ...

Coral reefs are demolished from within, by bio-eroding sponges. Seeking refuge from predators, these sponges bore tunnels into the carbonate coral structures, thus weakening the reefs. Scientists ...

The study, led by De Goeij and Van Oevelen, shows that sponges are the missing link between corals and algae and the other inhabitants of the coral reef. Sponges recycle the waste products from corals ...