Say hello to the Parpal Dumplin! Unnamed sea sponge is given a moniker by schoolgirl from Norfolk


Say hello to the Parpal Dumplin! Unnamed sea sponge is given a moniker by schoolgirl, 9, from Norfolk (and it makes sense if you say it in a local accent)

  • Sponge is purple, looks like a dumpling and was found off north Norfolk coast
  • Marine Conservation Society asked children to name the find ten years later 
  • Now, with some help from nine-year-old Sylvie, it has a name: Parpal Dumplin 

It is purple, looks a bit like a dumpling and was found off the north Norfolk coast ten years ago. 

But, for a decade, not even the most brilliant scientific minds could think what to call this sea sponge. 

Now, with some help from a local schoolgirl, it finally has a name: Parpal Dumplin. 

The winning suggestion came from Sylvie, nine, after the Marine Conservation Society asked children to name it. 

And if you’re wondering, Sylvie, who goes to Langham Village School, chose a name which is best said in a Norfolk accent… 

It is purple, looks a bit like a dumpling and was found off the north Norfolk coast ten years ago but, for a decade, not even the most brilliant scientific minds could think what to call this sea sponge

It is purple, looks a bit like a dumpling and was found off the north Norfolk coast ten years ago but, for a decade, not even the most brilliant scientific minds could think what to call this sea sponge

Panellists were unanimous in their decision and particularly liked that the spelling gives the sponge a strong connection to Norfolk.

Sponge specialist Claire Goodwin said she believed Parpal Dumplin to be ‘a species new to science, in a sub-genus of sponges known as Hymedesmia (Stylopus)’.

‘We need to look at specimens deposited in museums to understand how many different Hymedesmia (Stylopus) species exist in the UK and how they differ from this new species,’ she said.

‘The Agents of Change naming project has given the sponge a common name that we can use until it has a scientific one.

‘I loved seeing all the creative suggestions.’ 

The winning suggestion came from Sylvie, nine, after the Marine Conservation Society asked children to name it

The winning suggestion came from Sylvie, nine, after the Marine Conservation Society asked children to name it

Sponges help to keep seawater clean by filter feeding – consuming tiny particles of food that float by.

There are more than 11,000 different species globally.

Parpal Dumplin is encrusting, meaning it adopts the shape of whatever it covers.

It was identified in Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds Marine Conservation Zone.

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