Sponges in South Florida
- are widespread, common and often dominant components of shallow-water marine communities;
- number over two hundred species;
- occur in every local shallow marine habitat, including reefs, seagrass beds, rocky bottoms, sandy bottoms, and mangroves;
- often far outnumber coral species and represent a greater percent of living biomass in local reef and rocky bottom habitats;
- are well known but still include many undescribed species.