Recording-2025-01-30T17:39:00.536Z

Sponge Reproduction and Predation

• Female sponges have a chance occurrence of pulling sperm from the same species, leading to reproduction.

• Natural predators of sponges are scarce despite their soft-bodied structure and nitrogen-rich tissue that can be an attractive food source.

  • Predators are deterred by the sponge's chemical defenses.

  • Sponges have evolved toxins over 600 million years to fend off these predators.

Sponge Physiology and Water Filtration

• Sponges pass large volumes of water through their bodies, filtering out pathogens and particulates.

  • A sponge can filter the equivalent volume of a room's water in one day.

  • This constant water flow exposes them to pathogens, necessitating advanced chemical protections.

• Sponges are chemically rich, leading to significant interest in pharmaceutical bioprospecting.

  • More medicinal compounds have been sourced from sponges than from all other marine organisms combined.

Symbiosis and Immune Function

• Some sponges host symbiotic microbes that aid in filtering out harmful materials, preventing digestion of beneficial organisms like their own species' sperm.

• Sponges provide insights into the evolution of immune systems due to their filtering mechanisms and interactions with pathogens.

Environmental Sensitivity and Pathogens

• Sponges are vulnerable to specific pathogens and environmental stressors such as:

  • Low/high salinity levels

  • Temperature fluctuations

  • Excess phytoplankton which can clog their filtration systems

  • Physical damage from storms

Predator-Prey Dynamics

• Jellyfish, which possess stinging cells, are generally avoided by most sponges, and their high water content makes them less concerning in terms of detoxification.

• Sea turtles feed on a select few types of sponges, particularly those with silica spicules instead of toxic chemicals.

  • Their digestive systems are tolerant of this roughage, but they do not consume most sponge species.

Toxins and Food Safety

• Instances of illness in South Pacific villages after eating sea turtles may suggest consumption of toxic sponges accumulated within the turtles, although this remains anecdotal.

Temperature Adaptability

• Sponge species display specific temperature tolerances based on their native environment, e.g., Antarctic sponges cannot survive if relocated to coral reefs or other drastically different temperatures.