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Boring Sponge on Coral

Preview This orange boring sponge (Cliona varians) overgrows several coral species at Panama's Smithsonian Tropical Studies Institute.
(Amber Stubler)

This orange boring sponge (Cliona varians) overgrows several coral species at Panama's Smithsonian Tropical Studies Institute. Boring sponges mechanically and chemically breakdown mollusk shells and coral skeletons to hold themselves in place. But, overtime, their eroding behavior can kill the organisms they cling to.

Tags: Sponges