Blog 3 - One Sponge at a Time

     Off the cost of West Australia, scientists have found vast sponge gardens. Okay, so what? A few sponges can't really do much, can they? Yes, they can! Researchers have found that these areas were proven to be a haven for new species. With further investigations, they have found that many of these species of sponges are leading an important role in new drug discoveries. The way sponges work is that they rely on their chemicals to ward off predators, protect reproductive products, avoid being overgrown by neighbors, and fight disease or recover from illness or injury. Scientists believe that they can use to be used in new drugs. Unfortunately, these sponge gardens are (of course) being destroyed. Ships come by and these sponge gardens get torn apart and researchers fear that if they are not protected, then these medical advancements might be destroyed.

     I find it amazing that after all this time and technology we are still able to find ways that the environment can help us. But, what really gets me is that this is only one thing in one area. For me, a study like this makes me wonder, "What else is out there that could benefit us?" Not necessarily, "what else can we exploit and destroy," but what else has nature itself has provided for us that we have overlooked? I always find it amazing how Indigenous people are able survive and function with only the use herbs and medicines that they have discovered in nature. From this thought there is a darker side, "what has nature provided for us that we have already destroyed?" With globalization has come explanation, colonization which has led to mass areas being deforested and natural resources being stripped from the land. It just makes me wonder what if there were plants that could have helped us cure diseases like cancer for all we know, and they are now dead in a grave under a city somewhere.

Link: http://phys.org/news/2014-02-australian-sponge-survey-medical.html