The sponging industry in the Bahamas was introduced by whom?

• A. Gustav Renourd
• B. Marcus Garvey
• C. Christopher Columbus
• D. Henry Flagler

Answer: (A)

The question is about who first turned sponge gathering into a sustained economic activity in the Bahamas. Gustav Renourd is the figure tied to introducing the sponge industry there, because he organized and promoted sponge diving as a commercial enterprise, establishing the networks and practices that allowed sponges to be harvested, processed, and exported on a larger scale. This shift from a casual activity to an organized industry is what the question targets.

Christopher Columbus is known for discovering the Bahamas, not for starting a sponge trade. Marcus Garvey is associated with Pan-African and civil rights movements, not sponges. Henry Flagler is famous for developing railways and tourism in Florida and the Bahamas, not for introducing sponge diving.