A Hexactinellid Glass Sponge collected in the Antarctic

A portion of hexactinellid glass sponge collected at around 210 meters depth off Trinity Island (Antarctic Peninsula). Glass sponges are usually common only in the deep ocean, however, the cold water and deep Antarctic continental shelf allows numerous deep-sea organisms to live at shallower depths.
Greenpeace is conducting scientific research and documenting the Antarctic’s unique wildlife, to strengthen the proposal to create the largest protected area on the planet, an Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary.