Why Sea Sponges Are So Expensive | So Expensive

You can pick up a synthetic sponge for just a few dollars. But a natural sea sponge, hand-harvested from the Mediterranean seafloor, could set you back $30. Harvesting these sponges is dangerous, and the risks don’t guarantee big rewards. Divers, or “the sponge men” as they’re called in Kalymnos, Greece, can find some of the most valuable sponges in the Mediterranean Sea. But these days, they're not so easy to come by. So what happened to the once-booming sea sponge population here? And why are these sponges so expensive?
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Why Sea Sponges Are So Expensive | So Expensive

[@KaineAlpha]

"so what happened to the sea sponges?" **Shows a storage room full of sponges**

[@RoelfvanderMerwe]

Hahahahahahaha. I was thinking exactly the same thing.

[@Simba______]

😊 Funny.

[@Blissbb]

😂😂😂

[@tomwelshshore]

Must be warm water not like thats ever happened to these old as earth animals

[@enabaumland]

@@Simba______ you seem very passive aggressive

[@himanshusoni528]

For once at least a synthetic product has the potential to save a natural one.

[@tomwelshshore]

Rich people will never settle for what the plebs use

[@sadiaq1693]

For that matter there are plants used as sponges on the dry surface that can suffice.

[@williamweigt7632]

It happened for whales, in the past.

[@cheryl-lynnmehring8606]

And fake fur too!

[@ns7987]

@@tomwelshshore like air and water and fuel and electricity and much more...we are all humans...unless you are made of iron or come from another planet then we all belong to the same process

[@coopers1716]

"WE'D HARVEST 20 TONS A YEAR!" "So what happened?" I mean, I feel like he just told us what happened.

[@adw6894]

it looked like they were just saying "climate change is doing this" instead of the constant year on year harvest of them.

[@piedjunex]

Climate change!!!

[@jonathankitsos1291]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH.........

[@Unhomiee]

So basically, they're blaming everything except their own (potential) over-fishing? Doesn't seem very plausible or believable.

[@wierdwackkerronii5838]

Yeah they complete not include that. 3 sack of 8 kilo of sponge? I think that number is to much for a foam like fungus. They are too thin to say they are heavy and that measurements is surely after they dry it and kilo. And pulling will sure do damage to it why dont use cutting tool to assured that they are something leftout, not just wishing on RNG/Chances that their are left out

[@tomwelshshore]

Exactly cant imagine a f'ing sponge has fast enough breeding to keep up with greed

[@yunantheobserver6841]

Typical human behavior

[@Gebri3l]

@@yunantheobserver6841 and you are?

[@dearhunter7206]

@@wierdwackkerronii5838 that's exactly what I thought... All this yanking explained while claiming they need to leave some behind... 🙄

[@thecommoncliche5444]

'Thier hard to find' = 'we overfish sponges, we have a clear alternative, and now we just get then for people who deliberately want them natural.'

[@tomwelshshore]

Rich dont want what plebs use their better then us remember

[@arthurianking9776]

Isn't loofah a better more sustainable and natural alternative for sponge? I don't get why people has to use an animal that helps the ecosystem and takes a long time to grow into harvesting size in a depleted environment.

[@arthurianking9776]

@A M Doesn't sea sponge take approximately 2 - 3 year to reach harvestable size and have a lifespan of up to 200 years? Don't they also become a habitat of different fishes?

[@arthurianking9776]

@A M But aren't you the one who had a simplistic explanantion on the life cycle of a sponge? Saying they only die on 14 and that they disintegrate anyway? Huh

[@arthurianking9776]

@A M But that doesn't mean sponges in bot warm and cold climate are the same. Tropic climate sea sponges are found to be more diverse than the ones found on cold climates. Just because one side is preserved doesn't mean the current one being harvested from is okay for over exploitation.

[@therallyguy1]

Let's get real. Over harvesting is the real qulprit to decline in sponges. Sustainable yes but only when properly managed & regulated. I grew up aboard the fv saga on the bearing sea. I agree its a hard pill to swallow when fishing declines but global warming would only mean the population will migrate north or south with temperature change.

[@Joe_2025]

Let’s get real: Plankton is the real culprit

[@therallyguy1]

@@Joe_2025 haha

[@Glibglabglob]

Yes overharvesting is probably a major contributing factor, like every other collapsing fishery in the world. Populations won’t necessarily migrate though, since ocean temperatures are mostly a product of ocean currents, which can drastically change. A good analogy is actual climate… you can’t say that a global increase in temperature moves any specific country’s temperature up or down. Another equally difficult to predict factor comes from how the ecosystem itself responds.

[@tomwelshshore]

Chems in the water are no small change either temps have been changing since the beginning of this rock but the chems are new

[@Dakidpepe]

We throw away more food than we eat & then get shocked when the environment or animals start dying.

[@kw717]

Not worth risking life to get natural sponges like this. There are other natural sponge alternatives. In Asia we use sun dried whole melon fibre as sponges. Totally natural, easy to farm, and safe.

[@jjk4891]

Yes the fibers are awesome!

[@cheryl-lynnmehring8606]

@K W Do you mean the rind?

[@hpdpco6634]

And is super cheap too

[@kajolika417]

Yeah Loofah

[@medic19782]

From my childhood i always used coconut husk loofahs and not once a synthetic one.The coconut loofahs a re quite rough but lasts a long time if dried in the sunlight after each bath.

[@mrvy]

Sponges act as the bio filters of the ocean, they can filter 100 litres in a hour removing their food sources that consist of microorganisms and unicellular algae .. in doing that they also remove other particles and they then release some compounds back to the environment close to them sustaining their surroundings as well. Moreover sponges are an abundant source of natural active compounds that have incredible properties in medicine and more, we recreate and synthesise those in the lab later on for numerous industries.. it’s incredibly important that these colonial organisms are protected when needed and have a place to flourish. The oceans are way too overexploited in places, with not enough efforts to educate and help communities that depend on it for their livelihood.. we need to work on education and creating sustainable ways to harvest from it .

[@AutumnKat2119]

I wish they mentioned all of that in the video. Thank you for sharing that.

[@Pannenkaka]

Amen

[@Elstocks21]

He literally stated that they don’t harvest the whole sponge just so it can grow right back

[@mrvy]

@@Elstocks21 yet the fact they can regenerate doesn’t necessarily make the practice sustainable, sponges in stress may not enter into reproductive cycle, limiting the growth of the whole population.

[@twistedpixie6972]

I’m wondering if there was a way to harvest the substrates and farm the sponges on their own without putting other ecosystems in danger of collapse.

[@big_changus4905]

Same

[@defeatSpace]

Do it

[@dreamym00n59]

There is a way, but it costs money to have that large of an area to farm sponges, water costs, the property itself. It’s a lot cheaper to harvest them naturally

[@defeatSpace]

@@dreamym00n59 that only remains true until organizations establish farming methods

[@dreamym00n59]

@@defeatSpace farming in this matter has been proven to be equally bad for the environment as well though. It’s extremely hard to replicate their ideal growing environment, it most likely wouldn’t be done in an open sea like mussel & salmon farming. It would have to be done indoors and the amount of water needed/ electric power would outweigh the pros

[@electricaltimelapsetest5713]

The 50 year sponge killer talks about the sponges dying

[@Blissbb]

😂😭

[@PumpkinEater-gh6ok]

Looks like a pretty fun job

[@NicoBirknicnoc]

stop with this nonsense first educate yourself!

[@dingleberry12349]

@@NicoBirknicnoc r/woooosh he was obviously just making a joke lmfao

[@karenfan010]

poor spongebob

[@tengkualiff]

No wonder you barely see any of Spongebob's relatives 😂

[@powerisinsoul7061]

😂LoL

[@jxc7512]

good one

[@oanhnguyenthikieu549]

such a punchline :>

[@Kameron347]

Because they’re in the dollar store

[@mixelsseason3]

Spongey from BFDI is a animal too​@@powerisinsoul7061

[@jadelee6555]

So they're basically over-picking and blaming it on the ocean just not producing enough on time? What?! 😂

[@NicoBirknicnoc]

oh you read a study showing how its over-picked?

[@HorrifiedThanos]

@@NicoBirknicnoc They said a boat can carry a ton, and fi they're already hard to find, maybe it'd be a better idea to kind of leave it alone for a bit, so that they have time to regrow?

[@NicoBirknicnoc]

@@HorrifiedThanos they do .-.

[@NicoBirknicnoc]

@@HorrifiedThanos the m ain cause is as he said climate change, pls do your research

[@HorrifiedThanos]

@@NicoBirknicnoc Sure

[@srikarbharadwaj9537]

4:28 this boomer was responsible for decline in sponges. 30 tons per day?!

[@jaredbertoldo1047]

Maybe they’re in decline because people have been picking them for hundreds of years. Same reason as plenty other of these videos.

[@tude17]

Right! 👌 How is the answer to their decline not blatantly obvious, as it is...humans! Same reason anything in nature is in decline...humans! 🤦🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️

[@kenfern2259]

@@tude17 right? they didn't even bother to stop harvesting and let the population grow. Even there less lets make it more expensive .

[@tonyrandall3146]

There weren't eight billion people hundreds of years ago. And all the rest.

[@degeneratewithasideoftidep6795]

@@tonyrandall3146 The eight billion greedy fucks we have now are a pretty big threat to the environment ngl

[@zoro4roronoa]

Sea sponges can regenerate themselves even from few cells. And it is mentioned in the video that divers are careful to always leave a part attached to the rock so that it can regrow.

[@jayshah3566]

As a certified recreational diver, Decompression Sickness is extremely rare to happen to a professional diver because they don't make these stupid mistakes.

[@johnsadek3514]

What are the different diving certificates that one may obtain?

[@notorio526]

@@johnsadek3514 Many!!!

[@dimitrismitzithras1852]

Its still a risk.

[@ZOCCOK]

The crucial difference is the meaning of risk and mistake. Risk is a threat/unwanted possibility A mistake is a human/mechanical error In this video, it is said that the divers face a 'risk' of decompression sickness not a mistake of it. Stupid or not, a risk of decompression sickness will be present, whether or not a mistake is committed.

[@jayshah3566]

@@ZOCCOK Yes, your are absolutely correct it is still a risk, just didn’t want the video to scare anyone and discourage them to trying diving. It’s kind of like saying there is a risk from crashing in a plane but the risk is very small so people shouldn’t be discouraged from flying.

**harvests all sponges in an area** **cant find anymore sponges** Them: Ouhwu wha? What happened to my precious sponges?

[@rianamomo6597]

I thought that only Mr. Krabs is exploiting Spongebob until I found out about this

[@magdowich]

in Turkey, its illegal to farm sea sponges. Divers should not cause any harm to sealife.

[@tomwelshshore]

At least the arabs get it

[@ajithadrian7137]

@@tomwelshshore Greeks lol

[@tomwelshshore]

@@ajithadrian7137 yeah keep telling yourself turks are greek lol

[@ajithadrian7137]

@@tomwelshshore But u said arabs though i just mentioned the place was. Greece and not gonna deny it a lot of mixing happened lol

[@hakarmalm7756]

@@tomwelshshore Turks are not Arab nor are they Greek.

[@gabrielnicopilario8010]

I just recently knew that people actually use these sponges. When I was a kid, I thought they were just called sponges because they resemble the household sponge. Haha

[@taotzu1339]

Yeah, and I thought they were as hard as stone.

[@rhavellimen4828]

@@taotzu1339 me too hahahaha

[@Jed67]

You guys really couldn’t inform people what these sponges do for the ocean water? Shame on you insider. For people curious, they filter the ocean water…..

[@giantalaskanworm719]

isn't that like... a common knowledge?

[@wumbology3109]

Lol

[@iknowwhereyouliveandilikei3392]

@@giantalaskanworm719 I guarantee you at least half of the people watching this did not know that

[@onetwo9978]

@@iknowwhereyouliveandilikei3392 The word "sponge" was a huge hint......

[@kaylemathewcomendador6964]

@@giantalaskanworm719 Still a bit weird how the video didn’t even briefly mentioned it. Even for a few seconds.

[@benayayamin657]

Basically natural sea sponges is more expensive due to its decline population and the risk divers to pick them, but has no advantage againts synthethic sponges

[@HidekiShinichi]

Well its expensive so you can flex to people by having it.

[@EET321]

"I've been cutting down this forest for the last 50 years, but lately there aren't many trees to cut down and nobody knows why." "Do you think it might be because you cut them all dow-" "Nobody knows..."

[@LilDusty5528]

😂😂 exactly humans do the dumbest shit to their own environment for profit and then try and find a way to come back fix it without ever thinking just stop doing it

[@mugen18]

"we harvest 20 tonnes of it everyday back then" but blames climate. how about leaving the sea sponge alone and use regular sponge

[@NicoBirknicnoc]

another guy that thinks he knows stuff better than the guy who did this job for years sure, do you also give advice to your doctor when givin treatment?

[@donovanchilton5817]

@@NicoBirknicnoc Tell me you're a middle school dropout without telling me you're a middle school dropout.

[@NicoBirknicnoc]

@@donovanchilton5817 impressive how did you notice? because im mad about his unreasearched statements? (BTW I study sustainability so pls don't answer if ure a unreasearched ****)

[@jameswong6418]

@@NicoBirknicnoc leaving them alone would help the population, it’s common sense, don’t need a degree to make that statement Einstein😂

[@NicoBirknicnoc]

Guys if you want to help the environment do something more productive than blaming a necessary job im so sick of humanity gosh thankfully we have climate crisis to kill a few of us cancer organisms

[@christopherthomson1978]

making it sound much more dangerous than it is. it's no different to anyone diving. decompression is fully understood procedure and easy to follow

[@limbo5463]

It was very dangerous in earlier times. Divers had to make 3-5 dives a day and came up from 100ft in 5 mins, so people got the bends and also they equipment was very heavy and unreliable, sometimes strong current could cause the diver to fall with all the equipment and not be able to get back up

[@VicJang]

I thought the same. It’s quite stupid mentioning decompression in this context. All divers sustain the same risk.

[@alastairwilliams9550]

Spends 50 years picking sponges -> bloody climate change where are all the sponges gone

[@MrGrombie]

4:20 It’s everyone’s fault besides the divers over harvesting..... Not say he is wrong, but everyone wants to put the blame on everyone besides themselves.

[@piksler]

This video makes a really poor job explaining what there is to know about sponges: - They don't really explain why sea sponges are supposed to be better than a synthetic and cannot be replaced - Blames climate change when they clearly have been over-fishing them for decades - Also blames pollution but guess who filters water? Those sea sponges that they over-fished! Fun fact: Sea sponges belong to the animalia kingdom being the most primitive multi-celullar organism. Even when they are very simple organisms sponges are the last common ancestor for all animals! They have so many important functional roles in all marine systems so please take care o sea sponges!

[@omarspost]

lmao. "if 20 boats went out, 20 ton would be brought back. If 30 went out, 30 ton would be brought back". There's a shoratage, but the existing guys still have room fulls of the stuff? Wheres the conservation effort by these guys? why is over harvesting not mentioned once?

[@kenfern2259]

money. They sorta think like nothing is wrong and shit . Everything is infinite.

[@NicoBirknicnoc]

because these things regrow in 5 years which is mentioned in the video but yet this youtube warrior saves the enviorment by letting everyone know that they are pure evil gosh if you wanna save the enviorment stop using electrcity for such stupid claims

[@tanziameherin2696]

@@NicoBirknicnoc Dude if sponges take 5 years to grow back and 20 tons were extracted a day and the over picking continues extinction will be lead without question, this is a matter of common sense. Stop defending a job that ruins ocean climate for money.

[@NicoBirknicnoc]

@@tanziameherin2696 idk i just imagine being them and getting such hateful comments on my job that I do with as much care for the ocean ecosystem as for the money

[@tanziameherin2696]

@@NicoBirknicnoc So driving sea sponges to extinction and harming the ocean ecosystem is "care for the ocean ecosystem"? Oh sorry I didn't know.

[@ellen3666]

And if you think about how slow-growing sea sponges normally are, then it's no wonder they're being over-harvested.

[@Skultzzz]

faster than trees though.Research

[@jakkank]

​@@Skultzzznecrocommenting but the quick growth only applies to cultured sponge suspended in ropes and meshes to grow quickly having optimal sunlight/current and cage to be free from predators. Naturally growing sponge like the ones shown in the video grow and reproduce slower.

[@rhv7520]

With this video I just found out that Spongebob is real. Thanks

[@maximustrolleus9860]

you never knew that before? i knew that back in grade school lol

[@maximustrolleus9860]

@@Joe_2025 no grade school biology taught me that sea sponges are real animals and that most kitchen sponges were actually live animals but the market was slowly moving towards synthetic sponges.

[@apdroidgeek1737]

@@Joe_2025 its kinda easy to learn these if you watch documentary videos….

[@joelsterling3735]

I'm a painter and we have a few of the durable ones. We use them to remove wallpaper usually. We've had the same ones for probly 15 years.

[@thesparks00]

Woah it lasts long

[@Spicycow94]

Okay you’re part of the problem in the sponge decline

[@isaibro]

@@Spicycow94 how is the view from up there on your high horse?

[@makatron]

They're overfishing and complaining that a living thing that they're forcibly removing from its environment isn't thriving as once was before.

[@fuckcorporati0ns]

In 80th we got like a ton per ship and harvested as much as we could Now we can't find almost anything Of course we will blame climate change, not our avarice. Disqusting

[@lynnleigha580]

Because people keep plucking them, they don't grow overnight, dudes got a shop full of sponges and you ask where they've gone, WTF?!?

[@Thebreakdownshow1]

Lol when I clicked on the video I thought this video is about the pungent use in my kitchen. Then I realized sponge bob is actually a sea creature lol not a commercial sponge. Life changed.

[@E.l347]

You didn’t know 😭 😂

[@madat5843]

Dude mee too. BTW checked you channel you are so under rated. Loved the video on india’s love with Hit. ler

[@datpanu3015]

Actually, SpongeBob is indeed designed as a kitchen sponge because the creator felt that it would be the type of sponge most people would be familiar with.

[@E.l347]

@@datpanu3015 yes but spongebob grandma and grandpa are natural sponge form

[@Tom_Samad]

Fun fact: the Antikythera mechanism (the oldest known analogue computer) was found by Greek sponge divers.

[@joeshmoe6930]

"So what's happening to the sponges here?" Shows video of a room packed with harvested sponges... Gee I wonder...

[@downwithtrudeau]

These are the only sponges I remember seeing back in the 90's

[@KrabbyPatty99Archive]

1998 and below

[@K-Riz314]

Yup yup! I remember seeing them in damn near every store in the mall back in the early 90s. I was just a kid but remember feeling them thinking of how painful they'd be to use in the shower. Then again, that was back when the "Epilady" was popular, a hair removal device that painfully ripped the hairs from their follicles with a vibrating spring.

[@fenil7366]

Members of this phylum are commonly known as sponges. They are generally marine and mostly asymmetrical animals . These are primitive multicellular animals and have cellular level of organisation. Sponges have a water transport or canal system. Water enters through minute pores (ostia) in the body wall into a central cavity, spongocoel, from where it goes out through the osculum. This pathway of water transport is helpful in food gathering, respiratory exchange and removal of waste. Choanocytes or collar cells line the spongocoel and the canals. Digestion is intracellular

[@naviikar-ji2wj]

ncert?

[@markopolo1271]

We have synthetic sponges for a reason we need these animals in our ecosystem harvesting natural sponges like this on this scale should be highly regulated or even banned and if people still want natural sponges then we should work towards farming natural sponges plus that also brings the added benefits of preserving the different sponge species

[@jadecoolness101]

I would assume synthetic sponges are bad because they can't degrade and will just fill landfills, no? Surely the best option is sustainably farming sponges, preferably in seawater, because they will filter the water.

[@switch8428]

The guy admitted that 'back in my day we used to harvest tons of them' and still blames it on climate change. Also their warehouse seems full of stocks

[@wallacesouza2678]

I'VE BEEN SEEING POST EVERYWHERE ABOUT FOREX TRADING AND CRYPTO CURRENCY, A LOT OF PEOPLE KEEP SAYING THINGS ABOUT THIS TRADING PLATFORMS PLEASE CAN SOMEONE LINK ME TO SOMEBODY WHO CAN PUT ME THROUGH.?

[@montserratherrero782]

Trading with her is %100, she is legit and sure in trading unlike others.

[@Simeonsaater]

Mrs Olivera Jane okhumalo,God will continue to give you the strength to satisfy all your client.

[@antoniaprieto5390]

who's this professional, everyone is talking about i always see her post on top comment on every KZbin video I watched how can i reach her?

[@claudiamoro2728]

@@antoniaprieto5390 Ohhh yeah I have her contact I have been trading with her also

[@claudiamoro2728]

@@antoniaprieto5390 Give her a call, or sms direct

[@SuperAdnan117]

4:38 Genuinely the best simple explanation for what a sponge is and how delicate it is.

[@runnersshade6612]

So: fewer divers means they get bigger sponges (what it sounds like, a good thing) They are a sensitive life form, and dirt can kill it--so potentially those that do get picked in a relatively sustainable way may still die (bad) Humans could potentially die if they resurface too fast (bad, but also I would imagine a well trained diver would know this risk--something that ought to be mitigated) The climate is changing, almost certainly faster than they can react (bad) There are fewer sponges available (bad, points to both overharvesting and climate issues) The choice to trim them to make them more marketable, despite increasing overall waste (bad imo) What I'm hearing is overharvesting, climate change, and not enough change in the industry to make it a sustainable practice, and demand not being curtailed--thus the increased price. I'd rather have an increased price and sponges to live on for more centuries than it go extinct because of human desires.

[@jillyfischer8839]

how's reddit lately my guy

[@bombituico]

@@jillyfischer8839 and then everyone started clapping

[@rhasta80]

lol, the shortage is because of their own doing not because of climate change. yeah, there is climate change but I think harvesting did more damage.

[@ngxinyi1894]

yeah blaming surroundings is easier than doing something beneficial to themselves and environment

[@kenfern2259]

@@ngxinyi1894 they blame everything but themselves

[@tiloslouighee1087]

"nothing bad ever happens to a sponge" -robot chicken SpongeBob if you know what I mean

[@ktgiang]

"The problem is how long we can keep doing a job that cannot naturally provide enough product to meet its rising demand." is clearly the right question to be asking ourselves when someone asks if you've overfished/overfarmed something organic and living. It's not about you and your "career" ... it should be about the species you're actively and knowingly trying to wipe out for profit.

[@alexiscostilla4215]

KYa Ya ven 😅 😅 😅😅

[@thestonercltu]

When sponges are harvested, the sponge divers hand cut each sponge to ensure that more than one inch of the base remains intact. The sponge then re-grows back to its original form within 3-5 years. Sponges can live for hundreds or even thousands of years. "While not much is known about the lifespan of sponges, some massive species found in shallow waters are estimated to live for more than 2,300 years," the study authors write.

[@phoenixnight9237]

Article?

[@NicoBirknicnoc]

it hurts reading all these comments claiming that we should stop this because its bad for the enviroment, like really it hurts he enviroment more that you watched that video and typed that comment because you used the electrcity to do this. so stupid

[@thestonercltu]

@@NicoBirknicnoc We really don't need sea sponges anymore there are alternatives like many people in comments pointed out. Who harvest sea sponges just have to adapte to changing times and not to cry. A real man over comes a problem!!!

[@thestonercltu]

@@robertlee6338 I agree with warming oceans but there are natural alternatives to sea sponges. Like harvester pointed out sea sponge is home for others. Using that logic by harvesting them you not only fuk life for a sponge that has to deal with warming oceans but also with greedy people.

[@NicoBirknicnoc]

@@thestonercltu no there are not replaceable, there are a lotof chemicals and microorganisms that still are not well known. Read studys before trying to educate people on stuff u have no clue about. Just because 90% of the people write stuff like this doesn't mean it's correct

[@coralineblue9195]

Loofah is more sustainable and eco friendly.

[@joonashannila8751]

I own one of these. They feel so different from the synthetic ones you can buy from stores.. Like.. I have never seen as soft sponge as this one is

[@photastica]

"Who lives in a pineapple under the s-" Divers: nobody

[@kianamcdonough1147]

ive been looking for a spongebob comment

[@tonyrandall3146]

Never knew I felt so strongly about sea sponges.

[@fraizie6815]

My mother used own a relatively large natural sponge back in 1998. She bought it in 1995 I believe. Back then she only paid roughly $6 for that sponge. Tells you how rare they became in just under 30 years

[@padpuff3209]

Damn I miss the dislike numbers on videos

[@annewang1984]

I really like the subtitle features, thank you.

[@nilnil8411]

I hope whatever they're doing does not entirely wipe out the remaining sponges in that habitat.

[@tomwelshshore]

It will to a point that they cant find them anymore then they will do something but probably not just blame it on marginal changes in water temp

[@saldan3985]

Ayy, leave Spongebob alone.

[@TheSilverLioness]

I cant understand that something that takes so much time to grow, to get to that size, costs just 30 dolars, and is overharvest.

[@koldplayz1]

Fascinating! Thank you…

[@jamesbrianengay3010]

Sea sponges are expensive because some are working in the Krusty Krab

[@Njurk]

didn’t know sponges grow in sea. You learn something everyday

[@sushanalone]

Ya you thought they grow on Supermarket shelves 😅

[@KaleidoSTARPH]

the fisherman blames climate change for declining population of sponges but OVERFISHING??? 😑

[@dillsimmons]

I didn't even know this process existed, pretty neat!

[@inkydoug]

I remember my dad having natural sponges as car wash sponges back in the 60's and 70's. I just saw a car wash sponge going for $80 online!!!

[@TheMarineCorp1775]

Why don't they farm them in 30 to 50 acre plots on the sea floor with new improved underwear drones?

[@TheMarineCorp1775]

@@IguanaJoose atleast UWUAV are actually feasible today with automony

[@TheMarineCorp1775]

@Doggers not necessarily its an easy method and doesn't require paying people. You have a phone right? That's uses AI so what's the difference?

[@TheMarineCorp1775]

@Doggers because either they don't want to spend the money or their Corporate level executives don't know. If you are a Tax payer you should know who corporations work. Not alot of planning

[@davidfaiheng]

"Sponges grow in the Ocean. I wonder how deep the ocean would be if that didn't happen" - Steven Wright

[@datmanjay9274]

0:33 “So what’s happening to the sponges?” Literally there is a massive pile that probably has them extinct

[@selveriopatino2201]

Love this channel..!!! just subscribed a minute ago

[@cooooo2677]

We have artificial sponges why people use natural sponges?

[@cjlindallas7749]

I get cutting the bigger sponges but why trim them down so much? Why not sell them as they are and let the customer trim or alter them as needed.

[@barsoktay2119]

We had a teacher in our high school who carried his own sea sponge to each class. We used chalkboards and he didn't like how eraser clean the board so he used his own sponge.

[@lizc6393]

Ugh. I had a VHS as a kid of Popular Science episodes from the 50's, and I was just utterly captivated by sea sponges. Sadly, that episode has not found its way to the internet, and I lost the VHS.

[@aamiztab334]

This channel should have been called Business Expensive instead of Business Insider 😂

[@nvsk9124]

😂🤣

[@MrH2O1998]

Funny how they never said that there are things sea sponge can do that synthetic ones can't. Things like giving pottery and painting more natural patterns can always be done without overfishing these creatures. I hope they find a better way to make a living.

[@skotwilt]

ive always used a washrag, but love exfoliating soaps.. i tried a bath sponge for the first a few weeks ago.. im hooked!! im ordering a real sea sponge tomorrow, found one for $12 on amazon. but they are expensive, up to $30! the one i got at walmart was $2, and i absolutely love it!!

[@tinytortoise1296]

* them stealing all the sponges from the ocean * Also them: where'd they all go

[@hughmungus5009]

And I bet when we pick the very last one we’ll be asking where they all went

[@TechsScience]

What's the use of sea sponge?

[@ardaakdogan7751]

Same as normal sponge

[@rustyshackleford9888]

Scrubbin your dishes, face, balls, etc.

[@apdroidgeek1737]

It literally says at the beginning of the video.

[@hiya_glyv5154]

i always thought a sponge was yellow like spongebob lmao

[@yuhboris304]

This channel makes videos about the most random, obscure, unimportant things and we still watch them lol

[@Fuller-fc6rs]

But can they just get a piece of land un the sea and harvest them ??? I dont know thats why im asking

[@alicehargest]

I bought a sponge from a market in France when I was very young, but whenever I see it I feel the guilt and I wish I hadn't picked it up, so I barely use it I mostly have it as an ornament in my parents house

[@NicoBirknicnoc]

Why do you feel ashamed?

[@MrBakedDaily]

Sherwin williams paint store sells natural sea sponges in different sizes .A hell of alot cheaper too.

[@amazingjasononemillion6999]

I got a 30 second unskipable ad before this

[@aliahi994]

the only reason for the decline that they should've brought up is over harvesting... that room is full of sponges & i dont see why they complain. they even mentioned that they still got a TON each harvest?! and the decline of the sponges def not only disturb their "selling" but also for the nature & ecosystem, which not even for a second mentioned here. lost my respect. again human only cares about the money.

[@eduardo-ur4nj]

i know right?!

[@heinzzz85]

Them: "We harvest 20 tons a year." Also them: "We blame the climate change for the decreased amount of sea sponges." 🤡🤡🤡

[@UserY2k3]

This video was more entertaining than anything that was shown to me in school.

[@thijsdeboer389]

always cool to learn about another ecosystem we've sdestroyed for the sake of making a couple bucks

[@badbeowulf2107]

Poor Spongebob :(

[@user-xn5bq8uo6o]

No wonder why spongebob is not on TV anymore. They killing it

[@m1ke88]

I've just walked out of the shop on the island! Strange seeing a place I've watched on a BI video!

[@TheHamsterHasSpoken]

Ik that this is harvesting too much or something but like, videos like these always give me Studio Ghibli vibes

[@kieragard]

Maybe stop harvesting and use synthetic. Let them grow in peace.

[@VIPUnmatched]

So spongebob actually wasn’t just a random idea

[@abby361]

ive touched one of those when scuba diving in greece! i rly wanted to ask to take it home but i held back lmao

[@fredericcolombier5380]

They are rare to find all around the med now , 50 years ago they are at 2 meters deep , now not under 60 to 80 meters deep . Like the Red coral of med , not under 70 meters deep now near Marseilles , France but don't imagine to fish that , it's on a national marine park .

[@munk4hire]

Why is it that people only thinl about farming when the species is decimated. Think ahead plant some sponges start a farm and you will be the only market in town in 5 years

[@christinad4432]

I can't believe they even did a story on this and narrated it like it's OK and not harmful to the ecosystem at all

[@kas7344]

3:36 are we gonna ignore this cracked dinosaur like egg 🥚

[@user-cn7ni6yi3j]

Who knew spongebob will be that expensive