The E.T. Sponge’s Fanbase
As for the E.T. sponge, it’s made quite an impression on the public and the scientific world. In March, it was selected as one of the top 10 remarkable new marine species from 2020 by the World Register of Marine Species, along with the Patrick sea star (yes, it’s named for the SpongeBob Squarepants starfish), the branch-armed nostril copepod, and the giant plastic amphipod (the first time a new species has been found to have microplastic in its digestive tract).
Castello Branco said she’s thrilled by the attention her discovery has received, highlighting that taxonomy usually doesn’t get as much attention as other research lines.
“[I] think everyone has an ‘explorer’ personality inside themselves, and when people see a new species still being described, the excitement about discovering something unknown comes out with that,” she said.
