Marine scientists discover a dozen previously unknown sponge species off California coast

Researchers have published the scientific description of a newly discovered sponge, Megaciella sanctuarium, which they named in honor of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary off the Central Coast of California.

Professor Tom Turner, a sponge expert from the University of California Santa Barbara, discovered Megaciella sanctuarium and 11 other previously-unknown species of sponges in the fall of 2021 during a research cruise in the Carmel Pinnacles State Marine Reserve, which is nestled within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.