Sea sponges moving1/18/2024 ![]() According to Victoria University of Wellington’s Professor of Marine Biology James Bell, the depth of damage was extensive, occurring 8 to 40 or possibly 50 metres below the surface.Īlthough bleached sea sponges may bounce back, marine ecosystems have much to lose should these creatures fail to revive. This sudden temperature gain has caused up to 95 per cent of the Breaksea and Doubtful Sound’s usually healthy brown sponges to lose their photosynthetic symbionts, turning them a chalky white. Since November last year, the country has been dealing with its strongest marine heatwave in 40 years, with Fiordland reporting ocean temperatures five degrees Celsius warmer than the average. But while visitors may marvel at the park’s snow-capped mountains, lush forests, and fiords like the world-famous Milford Sound, scientists have recently uncovered a troubling development off the coast.Įarlier this month, mass sea sponge bleaching was observed in New Zealand for the first time. ![]() ![]() New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park is nestled within Te Wāhipounamu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose beauty, biodiversity and importance to scientific research is globally recognised.
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