Sponge morphological diversity: a qualitative predictor of species diversity?

Bell, James J.; Barnes, David K. A.

doi:10.1002/aqc.436

Cited by 59 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The collection of morphological data rather than sponge species data has received criticism from sponge ecologists (Bell & Barnes 2001 because of the loss of ecological information. Yet this method is not intended to replace empirical studies of sponge assemblages, but aims to address the problem of monitoring areas where sponges predominate and taxonomic expertise or resources are not readily available.…”

Section: Problems and Advantages Of Using A Morphological Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, variation in environmental conditions could result in changes to the morphological composition of a sponge assemblage. Bell & Barnes (2001 described a relationship between sponge species diversity and morphological diversity for tropical and temperate hard substratum sponge assemblages. This relationship demonstrated that the same differences in sponge assemblages, in response to different environmental regimes, could be identified whether morphological or species abundance data were used.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Morphological monitoring of subtidal sponge assemblages

Bell¹,

Burton²,

Bullimore³

et al. 2006

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The management of the marine environment requires effective temporal monitoring of communities and assemblages to detect any change above the level of natural variability. Even though sponges are usually abundant in subtidal hard substratum environments and have the ability to significantly influence other community members, they have often been excluded from monitoring programmes because they are taxonomically difficult and often hard to quantify compared to other marine groups. We consider the use of a morphological method to examine photoquadrat data collected at 3 hard substratum sites over a 10 yr period at Skomer Marine Nature Reserve, south-west Wales. Differences in the morphological assemblages and abundance were apparent between years, but the sponge assemblages showed rapid recovery (within 1 yr) to their original assemblage composition and abundance following declines. The changes were attributed to natural biological variation or a short-term impact, rather than any response to prolonged environmental change and there was no correlation between any of the changes in assemblages observed and the environmental variables measured. A comparison of morphological and species data enabled the same sponge assemblages to be identified at different sites, validating the method. This morphological approach to monitoring represents a cost-effective and realistic way of monitoring certain sponge assemblages.

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Section: Problems and Advantages Of Using A Morphological Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological monitoring of subtidal sponge assemblages

Bell¹,

Burton²,

Bullimore³

et al. 2006

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Other individuals that were not sampled but were identified from the pictures based on distinctive morphology are generally referred to as morphospecies. It is therefore likely that some of the morphospecies consist in more than one species, but this could not be determined from the images alone (Bell et al, 2001). Richness and diversity analyses were performed based on the 187 quadrats previously used for the CoralNet database, and encompassed both the identified sponge species and morphospecies.…”

Section: Quantitative Surveymentioning

confidence: 99%

Shedding light on an East-Mediterranean mesophotic sponge ground community and the regional sponge fauna

et al. 2018

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Sponges are a diverse and abundant phylum, globally occupying many hard-bottom habitats. However, data on East-Mediterranean sponge communities are scarce, outdated, and mostly concern the shallow waters. This study aimed to expand the knowledge on poriferan fauna along Israel's Mediterranean coast. A newly-discovered mesophotic sponge ground at ~100 m depth was studied using a Remotely-Operated Vehicle, while shallow-water surveys were conducted by scuba diving. In this mesophotic ecosystem, sponges serve as environmental engineers, creating complex 3D structures that attract invertebrates and fish. Quantitative surveys of the mesophotic sponge ground revealed a rich and diverse sponge community with a high percentage cover (~35%). Several mesophotic species are reported for the first time from the Levantine Sea, while others might be novel species. Here we report 111 sponge species along the Mediterranean coast of Israel (from our current surveys and previous studies), 36 of which were collected from the mesophotic habitat. The updated sponge list supports the hypothesis that the sponge diversity in the Levantine Sea is not as species-poor as previously considered. A comparison of the sponge community composition between the shallow waters and the mesophotic depth revealed only partial overlap, with merely a few species thriving along the entire depth range. The mesophotic habitat was found to harbor some species that seem to have disappeared from the shallow habitats decades ago, suggesting that the former may serve as refugia for species stressed by rising temperatures in shallow waters, and that this deeper habitat thus require protection from negative anthropogenic influences.

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“…In a different study, Sargeant et al (2007) found a correlation between sponging behaviour and sponge occurrence in the eastern gulf, emphasising the potential influence of ecological variables on the occurrence of tool-use by bottlenose dolphins. The distribution and morphology of sponges are influenced by a variety of factors such as water flow and depth (Bell & Barnes 2001), slope gradient (Bell & Barnes 2000a,b), substratum type and rates of sedi mentation (Bell & Barnes 2000c, Fromont et al 2006. Factors influencing the distribution of sponges may well affect the distribution of spongers in Shark Bay (Sargeant et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological characteristics contribute to sponge distribution and tool use in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops sp.

Tyne¹,

Loneragan²,

Kopps³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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In Shark Bay, Western Australia, bottlenose dolphins Tursiops sp. carry conical sponges Echinodictyum mesenterinum on their rostra in the only documented cetacean foraging behaviour using a tool ('sponging'). In this study, we examined the influence of various ecological factors on live sponge distribution and the occurrence of sponging in parts of the western gulf of Shark Bay. We assessed sponge distribution and seagrass cover along 12 transects of approximately 11 km length, by recording sponges and seagrass in a total of 1380 quadrats (1 × 1 m), of which 56 quadrats contained conical sponges. The occurrence of sponging dolphins ('spongers') was documented along 10 of these 12 transects. The distribution of conical sponges was negatively correlated with the distribution of seagrass: no conical sponges were observed in water depths of <10 m and no seagrasses were found at depths of >12 m. A digital elevation model, created from the sample depth data, identified channels in the region. Binary logistic and Poisson loglinear generalised linear models showed that water depth and bathymetric features including channel, substrate and slope were significant in predicting the occurrence and the mean number of conical sponges, as well as that of seagrass. Conical sponge distribution was positively correlated with the distribution of sponging, indicating that ecological factors influence where sponging occurs. The greater number of spongers found in this region may be explained by the larger area of habitat suitable for conical sponges in the western than the eastern gulf of Shark Bay.

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Sponge morphological diversity: a qualitative predictor of species diversity?

Cited by 59 publications

References 21 publications

Morphological monitoring of subtidal sponge assemblages

Morphological monitoring of subtidal sponge assemblages

Shedding light on an East-Mediterranean mesophotic sponge ground community and the regional sponge fauna

Ecological characteristics contribute to sponge distribution and tool use in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops sp.

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