Sneezing sponge caught on camera

This time-lapse video (one image every 30 seconds) shows a sponge contracting after sediment is added to the water it is filtering. These contractions work like a sneeze, helping remove sediment clogging the sponge’s filtration system. University of Alberta researchers Danielle Ludeman and Sally Leys used a variety of drugs to elicit sneezes in freshwater sponges and observed the process using fluorescent dye—all recorded using time-lapse video. Their efforts focused on the sponge’s osculum, which co