Marine sponge biodiversity from genes to ecosystems: delivering knowledge and tools for sustainable management and conservation

Sponges are one of the most ancient animals still present on our planet. They can be found in all marine ecosystems, from tropical to polar regions, from the shallows to the deepest depths waters, fjords and marine caves. Sponges play important roles in the ecosystems by providing shelter and habitat to multiple organisms, and in some areas, they can create large aggregations (sponge grounds/gardens). These habitats are considered vulnerable marine ecosystems susceptible to human activities (like fishing and mining) and climate change. Since our knowledge on their diversity and distribution is still fragmentary, our goal is to compile and synthetize all information we have in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. We also aim to identify ecological corridors and refugia areas between species and regions by using genomic techniques. With this, we will be able to produce tools and methodologies that will improve the management and conservation frameworks, thus protecting these animals and habitats and ensuring their sustainability for the future.

Sponges are widely distributed across the oceans and form highly-structured habitats that play key functional roles and deliver numerous ecosystems goods and services. They serve as habitat and nursery to numerous other species including commercially exploited fish, and bath sponges have been harvested for centuries for commercialization. However, sponges and their habitats are increasingly threatened by human activities in areas within and beyond national jurisdictions. Despite significant advances in recent years, knowledge of their biodiversity, distribution, biology and ecology is still sparse and largely fragmentary. This gap in knowledge integration hampers their inclusion in conservation frameworks, compromising the establishment of ecologically representative, interconnected and resilient networks of protected areas, and consequently the achieving of biodiversity targets and commitments. It will use an interdisciplinary approach to build knowledge base on the biodiversity, biogeography and connectivity patterns and sponge habitats across the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The project is anchored on the establishment of a trans-European and pan-Atlantic network of research organizations that will engage with key stakeholders to co-produce, analyse, knowledge and tools in support of evidence-based policies for management and conservation of marine biodiversity, from coastal areas to deep-sea ecosystems. Using the latest biophysical and species distribution modelling techniques and genomic sequencing technologies, hotspots of sponge biodiversity, from genes to ecosystems, will be identified and the most significant ecological and evolutionary drivers of their distribution uncovered. Generated knowledge and tools will allow the design of conservation and monitoring strategies, and support the implementation of agreements and policies that will ensure a better management and protection of marine biodiversity from national to European scales and beyond.