Sponge Community Enhancement in Tarpon Springs

Sponges perform important ecological roles in Florida coastal ‘hard-bottom’ habitats. Unlike coral reefs, hard-bottom habitats are comprised of flat expanses of calcium carbonate rock with a thin overlay of sediment. Sessile organisms such as sponges, octocorals, and solitary hard corals provide most of the 3-dimensional structure in these shallow habitats, but sponges dominate the biomass. Given the foundational role that sponges play in hard-bottom communities, it is obvious that their enhancement or restoration could have positive ecological consequences. This is in addition to the economic benefits provided to the coastal fishing communities they support. However, prior to launching large-scale restoration or enhancement efforts, investigations into the ecological considerations of restoration are of paramount importance for achieving restoration goals. We plan to address these ecological considerations and capitalize on the hundreds of sponge outplants surviving from a prior pilot study aimed at identifying candidate species for restoration or enhancement.