Strong like a Sea Sponge

I have marveled at the gossamer glass skeleton of my tubular sea sponge, with optical transmission efficiency exceeding our fiber optics. It is also one of the longest living animals, estimated to be many thousands of years.

But then I saw the research on its strength — “nearly as uncrushable as possible for this kind of structure. It’s sort of the holy grail of engineering design”

“The sponges often live thousands of meters deep where water pressure is extreme… the sponge needs a strong structure to stand up and filter plankton from the water. It also needs to contain a pair of shrimps that often permanently inhabit the sponge once they grow too big to leave it. These occupants have earned the sponge status as a symbol of eternal love in Japan, where it is given as a wedding present.” — NAUTILUS