Researchers in Hawaii discovered four new species of sponge. Getty Images/iStockphoto Researchers in Hawaii used structures that mimic coral reefs to study aquatic life — and they found four new ...

Named for its ropy-looking long branches, Aplysina cauliformis, a coral reef sponge, provides a critical 3D habitat for marine organisms and helps to stabilize the foundation of coral reefs.

Coral reef sponges in Curacao in the southern Caribbean Sea are shown. This image relates to a paper that appeared in the 4 Oct., 2013, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The paper, by Jasper M.