A sponge as large as a minivan was found living deep underwater, stretching more than 12 feet long and 7 feet across. This is the largest sponge known to exist anywhere in the world.

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is a marine outpost near Hawaii, where the discovery was made. The massive sponge was found living 7,000 feet beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

The Okeanos Explorer was out searching waters around the monument, utilizing remotely operated vehicles (ROV's) to look for unusual animals. These explorations were being carried out at depths between 2,300 and 16,000 feet beneath the waves.

Today, scientists know more about the moon and some alien worlds than they do about select regions of the ocean floor.

"The largest portion of our planet lies in deep waters, the vast majority of which has never been explored. Finding such an enormous and presumably old sponge emphasizes how much can be learned from studying deep and pristine environments such as those found in the remote Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument," said Daniel Wagner, Ph.D, leader of the mission which recorded the unusual creature.

Sponges are among the oldest, as well as the simplest animals found anywhere in the world. Little is known about the primitive animals, but they do live for extensive periods of time. Some sponges living in shallow water are believed to be over 2,300 years old.

These aquatic animals often grow to massive sizes, and provide significant benefits to the marine environment. They are capable of filtering vast quantities of seawater, while also serving as a home for a diverse variety of invertebrate lifeforms. Although some of the sponges used for household cleanup are natural, most are made of plastic polymers or wood fibers.

The Okeanos Explorer is currently the only ship funded by the United States government specifically tasked with exploring the ocean for new discoveries. The research vessel launched for the first time on August 13, 2008. Since that time, the vehicle has toured both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, mapping previously-uncharted territory. Scientists aboard the Okeanos Explorer also prowled the Gulf of Mexico, looking for undiscovered forms of life.

Discovery of the largest sponge in the world was profiled in the journal Marine Biodiversity.