Show Sponges Have Natural N Nursery ursery on Coral Isles At a group of coral islands about 30 miles off oft the coast of British Honduras a genuine sponge nursery has been Strains of wild sponges most suited to modern tastes were first selected and now in a shallow blue lagoon forming a natural nursery thousands of pedigree sponge fragments are steadily growing Each is weighed down with a cement disc As these animal animal animal ani ani- mal cuttings attain maturity a matter of four years' years growth they will again be drastically dismembered dismembered dismembered and planted in adjacent la la- goons Sponges die quickly upon exposure exposure exposure ex ex- ex- ex to light They are black skinned and thickly gelatinous when brought up by shark defy ing divers Formerly their skeletons skeletons skeletons tons were simply dried and bleached in the sun Today a dip in in secret chemicals before trimming trimming trimming trim trim- ming operations adds both to their luster and purity |