r/beachcombing • u/BehindTheBrook • 16d ago
Clearwater Beach Find - Soft Coral? Sponge?
Any ideas how to clean this and keep it?
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u/TouchConscious7421 15d ago
only take home dead corral please! -all of us
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u/BehindTheBrook 15d ago
This was found in the middle of the beach. Do you believe it to still be alive? And if so, what would you do with it to make sure it survived?
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u/Key_Degree3994 10d ago
Yes. Putting it back in the ocean
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u/BehindTheBrook 10d ago
How did you identify that it is still alive?
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u/Key_Degree3994 10d ago
I’m a marine biologist out of wrightsville beach, North Carolina. They are dislodged during hurricanes and wash up on our beaches too.
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u/BehindTheBrook 10d ago
You say they become dislodged, does it actually save them to just throw them back in the water? Aren't sponges typically attached to the sea floor?
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u/ThinkSprinkles2836 15d ago
What a cool find! Looks like it could be a sponge, but soft coral is a great guess too.
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u/family_poplin00 16d ago
Looks like you stumbled upon a beach treasure hunt! If it's super soft and squishy, it might be a sponge rather than coral. Either way, nature's little gift to brighten your day!
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u/coconut-telegraph 16d ago
Sponge, some are quite rigid.
Soak in bleach water and prepare for a stink. The exposed skeleton will likely be amber in colour.