Diving into the world of sea sponges with Professor James Bell
About this episode
In this episode, Shona Riddell interviews Professor James Bell about the fascinating world of sea sponges and their ecological significance.
James Bell is a Professor of Marine Biology at Victoria University of Wellington – Te Herenga Waka, and a huge fan of sea sponges. Check out his colourful underwater photos and videos on his Instagram page, @sponge_ecology , where he has over 40,000 followers. James has scuba dived around the world researching this ancient, vibrant, intriguing, but sometimes overlooked marine species. (We both agree that charismatic megafauna – e.g. dolphins, whales, sharks – often get a disproportionate amount of attention.) In this episode we talk about the characteristics and role of sea sponges, where you can find them, and how they're responding to marine heatwaves and increased levels of sedimentation (e.g. Wellington's current wastewater treatment plant disaster). James also talks about life as a marine biologist: diving in some of the world's coolest places, teaching the next generation of marine scientists, and sharing information to help people better understand and advocate for our underwater world. Glossary: Nudibranch: soft-bodied marine gastropods (sea slugs) Bioactive: something that has a biological effect on living organisms Spicules: needle-like elements produced by sponges to…
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