This object is part of the Education and Outreach collection, some of which are in the Q?rius science education center and available to see.
Notes:
This specimen is a Neptune's Cup, which is a large sponge that resembles a cup or wine glass. The cup shape and size made the sponge valuable to collectors after its discovery in 1822. As a result, the population declined and was thought to be extinct until March 2011 when marine biologists encountered one off Singapore's southern islands. This sponge was collected in the Singapore area by the United States Exploring Expedition (also called the Wilkes Expedition) in 1838.
