Glass Sponges
From the Royal BC Museum
Invertebrates collection intern Ayla Barten writes about how glass sponges eat, grow and reproduce.
Meet Sarah Cook, an ecologist who studies glass sponge reefs in BC.
A Summary of Sarah Cook’s research.
Meet Dr. Henry Reiswig, world-renowned glass sponge expert and research associate at the Royal BC Museum.
In 2015, Dr. Henry Reiswig identified a new species of glass sponge found off the coast of Haida Gwaii; Doconesthes dustinchiversi.
Where to Begin Your Own Research
- Learn more about the study of animals without backbones (invertebrates) at the Royal BC museum!
- Search through our invertebrate collections for more information about the glass sponge specimens we have at the museum. Copy and paste the following into their respective spots to begin your search! Class: Hexactinellida Order: Hexactinosida
Outside Links
These links will take you away from the Learning Portal. Come back soon!
Department of Fisheries and Oceans website about marine protected areas. Learn more about marine protected areas in Watch.
More about glass sponges from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.
More on the biology of glass sponges, species lists and photographs. This website is dedicated to Dr. William Austin, who spent 45 years researching glass sponges. The specimens he collected are now at the Royal BC Museum for other scientists to study.