How can human actions help restore the balance of the glass sponges in freshwater and ocean ecosystems?

Have you thought of sponges as more than just cleaning supplies? Sponges are actually living creatures classified as animals. Some species of sponges are at risk or is endangered. Glass sponges are a species of sponges that are endangered. This is due to their ecosystem because of their sensitivity to ocean movements. Human actions can help restore the balance of the glass sponges in their ecosystem.

Sponges are one of the oldest invertebrates to have ever lived. Invertebrates are animals that do not have a vertebral columns. Sponges are one of the oldest invertebrates to have ever lived and is thought to live over 600 million years ago. Of all the animal kingdoms, about 95% of them are invertebrates. The phylum Porifera that sponges belong to contain of characteristics that they all share. They are multicellular with no heads, arms, internal organs, or a nervous system with only few tissues. They are all aquatic and mostly marine. These are what invertebrates are and what the characteristics of the phylum Porifera are.

Sponges are animals, not plants which they were once thought of. The sponges used today are mostly artificial. Interestingly enough, sponges were discovered to have chemical compounds that could be used in medicine to fight cancer and other diseases. Glass sponges (Hexactinellida) are a specific species of sponges. These are one of the species of sponges that are endangered. They were once thought as extinct until rediscovered during the 1990s. Glass sponges needs silica and oxygen for their survival. Their skeleton is made out of silica. The threat to their survival is because of its unique skeletal structure. It is extremely sensitive to ocean movements. Protection is enforced onto glass sponges to save them.

There are several ways how humans can help restore the balance of glass sponges. One way is to stop polluting fresh bodies of water and oceans. Foreign objects in the water such as oil or trash pollutes the water, and affects the growth of glass sponges. Making an effort to stop polluting the oceans doesnt just help the sponges to grow more efficiently, but for all the other aquatic animals living there as well. This is one of the ways of to help restore the balance of glass sponges.

Another way humans can help restore the balance of glass sponges is to create a marine-like area to protect the glass sponges. Because of its extreme sensitivity to ocean movements, placing it in a marine-area will protect it from a major threat that puts it at risk of extinction. This also protects its other threats, such as natural disasters and pollution. It will be under the care of biologists who seek help for glass sponges who will continue finding other ways to protect them. This is another way to help restore the balance of glass sponges.

One other way humans can help restore the balance of glass sponges is to raise money to find solutions for the threats being faced by glass sponges. Any solution for protecting the glass sponges from their threats will cost lots of money. The species that we caused to be at risk or endangered should be our responsibility to save them so they can live on in the future. During the time money is being raised for a solution to save the glass sponges, more ideas to protect them is being created. Raising money is very important to save the glass sponges.

These are ways human actions can help restore the balance of the glass sponges in freshwater and ocean ecosystems. Avoiding to pollute water, creating a marine-area, and raising money are ways to help the glass sponges repopulate. Glass sponges are dying out because of their sensitivity to ocean movements. There is still hope to repopulate this particular

species of sponges.