09/26/2025
It’s a perfect example of science meeting pop culture in the deep sea. In 2021, scientists aboard the NOAA Okeanos Explorer captured a deep-sea image off the coast of New York showing a bright yellow sea sponge sitting right next to a pink sea star on the ocean floor. The resemblance to SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star was uncanny, and the internet lit up with joy.
The sponge belonged to the genus Hertwigia, and the sea star was a Chondraster, known for its bubblegum-pink color and stubby arms. Ironically, in real life, sea stars like Patrick would likely eat sponges like SpongeBob, making their friendship a bit more predatory than cartoonish.
