Sea Sponges from Marine and Environmental Laboratory of Pohnpei, (MERIP), Micronesia

The sponges are farmed in an ecologically and environmentally friendly way using organic methods which do not involve the use of chemicals in cleaning.

Cuttings taken from broodstock sponges are held on lines submerged 3 metres deep, to grow in the lagoon. The broodstock sponges were originally grown from cuttings from wild sponges which grow in abundance in the lagoon.

Pohnpei is one of the remotest islands in the Pacific and many of its indigenous people still live a primarily subsistence lifestyle.  It is the only place in the world where bath sponges are commercially farmed, and this activity is proving to be a sustainable and low impact economic activity for coastal people

There are currently 19 sponge farmers on Pohnpei.  They tend their sponge crop from canoes, using only a mask and snorkel.  The sponges require little care and have no known predators.

MERIP is a non-profit organisation which offers training in self-sustainability projects and involves the farmers in all aspects of decision making and planning.  A young Pohnpein woman is being trained to take over sponge marketing, and when the enterprise is well established, is envisaged that the sponge farming community will take over the business.