Cara Fiore

Cara Fiore

Feb 14, 2015

Group 6 Copy 91
2

We reached our goal!

Thank you to all of you for your support, because of you our research project on sponges and nutrient cycling on coral reefs is going to move forward! We are excited to get in the lab to start processing samples and generating lots of data! In the mean time though, we hope you enjoy some nice photos of sponges doing what they do best- filtering seawater and looking photogenic!

This is one of the most colorful sponges that you see on Caribbean reefs, Niphates digitalis. It is a delicate looking vase sponge and is a "low microbial abundance" (LMA) sponge, similar to the loggerhead sponge (Speciospongia vesparium) that is part of our study.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Jessica Jarett (Joint Genome Institute, CA)

Another common and photogenic sponge is known as the orange icing sponge, Mycale laevis, and is typically seen growing on flat surfaces of corals. Whether the relationship between the coral and sponge is mutualistic (both organisms benefit) or commensal (one or neither organisms benefit but neither is harmed) is not clear, but it seems to be a stable relationship. You can see the oscula that are elevated with white collars.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Jessica Jarett

The photo below is of the giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta (a "high microbial abundance" (HMA) sponge) with a grouper hanging out inside, perhaps taking refuge or going after some food or may have found a cleaning station - a specific location where small shrimp clean the gills of fish that pass through the "station".

Photo courtesy of Dr. Jessica Jarett

Another X. muta sponge is shown below, this one is from a reef near Little Cayman Island was about as tall as me (5'5'')! Just imagine how much water a sponge this size must be pumping through its body! You can also see some small colorful fish just in front of the sponge.


2 comments

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  • And1
    And1Backer
    Congrats Cara!
    Feb 14, 2015
  • Sarah Gormady
    Sarah GormadyBacker
    This is wonderful! Congrats! I just got scuba certified and I come look at these pictures to identify what I saw in the water (other than what's on the fish charts).
    Feb 14, 2015
  • Cara Fiore
    Cara FioreResearcher
    That is great! let me know if you have questions on anything that you see and happy diving!
    Feb 14, 2015

About This Project

Sponges are nature's filtration systems; they can filter up to 50,000 times their own volume in a day. Changes to coral ecosystems from climate change make reef sponges increasingly important. This project takes one of the first steps to explore the impact of sponges on nutrient availability on coral reefs.

Contributions are tax deductible, and backers will get timely labnote field updates. We invite you to ask questions and connect with us directly in the comments - we'd love to hear from you!

Blast off!

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