What can sponges tell us about ocean climates?
Through sponges we can look at the interactions between the ocean, the atmosphere and climate over long periods of time. As the sponge grows over time, the various chemical signatures from the ocean, such as pH levels or oceanic silicon, are recorded in the skeleton. This skeletal history, like the rings of a tree, can provide a timeline of the climatic conditions the organism has experienced. With a focus on ice ages, the researchers can look at those chemical signatures during the glacial and interglacial periods and understand how the ocean changes through these warm and colds periods. And if we understand how ocean cycles work and how they change over those climate periods, we can also look with greater insight at how they might influence or react to climate now and in the future.
