How to find and use sponges

What is a sponge
Sponges are a yellow-coloured block found in ocean monuments.

Uses for sponges
Sponges are great for emptying medium sized bodies of water as you can place a sponge in a lake to soak water up and then dry the sponge in a furnace. You can dry a sponge as many times as needed.

Sponges are also good decoration blocks if you have some to spare as their uniqueness makes them useful for pixel art and decorating buildings.

How to find sponges
Sponges are found in ocean monuments in survival mode and also in your inventory in creative mode. They can also be summoned with a give command.

Ocean monuments
Ocean monuments are underwater sea temples guarded by guardians and elder guardians. Most ocean monuments have sponges in but some don't.