Blue Sponge Coral: The Caribbean Dream
Dakota Stones’ Natural Blue Sponge Coral is just one example of a natural bead that still showcases beauty and uniqueness! It is one of more than 9,000 different living species of sponges in the ocean. All sponges are found in water. A few reside in fresh water, but most sponges live in salt water. They do not move under their own power and most live so far beneath the ocean’s surface that they are shrouded in complete darkness.
Geographically, sponges can be found from Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the Caribbean, West Indies, Pacific Coast of Mexico and Panama. The blue sponge has even reached the Islands of Hawaii and Guam from biofouling (hitching a ride) on the hulls of ships.
Coral reefs are invaluable resources to local communities around the world, serving as sources of food, jobs and livelihoods, and as coastal protection.
The Dakota Stones line uses farmed coral, which involves extracting a part of a coral colony or free-floating larvae from a reef, and growing them in a nursery until outplanting would be successful. It is commonly referred to as the "gardening method" and has been compared to silviculture as a management practice that mimics natural ecosystems. So, you need not worry about the environmental impact when you purchase these stones. We also carry several varieties of shell beads, spiny oyster, abalone, and others. You can have the whole ocean incorporated into your designs!