In a series of newly published groundbreaking studies, researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hawaiʻi Institute for Marine Biology (HIMB) identified 10 new species of marine sponges found in Kāneʻohe Bay, shedding light on an often-overlooked but vital part of coral reef ecosystems.

Published in the journals PeerJ and Zootaxa, these findings were discovered using an innovative technique that explores both genes and structural characteristics. Despite their status as one of Earth’s oldest lifeforms, marine sponges remain vastly understudied. These newly identified species contribute to a broadening understanding of sponge biodiversity within the Hawaiian archipelago and throughout Oceania.

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