The chemicals that sponges use to defend themselves could potentially be used to treat cancer and infectious diseases. The project is also taking a novel approach to drug discovery. ‘(We are) looking at sponges in pristine areas then comparing how they function in areas that are more impacted, whether it's from oil and gas or mining,’ said Prof. Now they are conducting experiments on the seafloor. They also performed experiments in the lab to investigate their ecosystem functions, such as how they absorb and turn carbon and inorganic nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus into nourishment for the rest of the habitat. So far, the scientists have discovered more than 30 new species of sponges and produced the largest sponge genomic data sets ever, which should reveal how different species and populations are related. ‘We will be using modelling tools to look into the future, to see how these sponge grounds will be impacted by climate change or any kind of stressors,’ said Prof. The scientists are investigating sponges’ ecological functions, how these animals can be used in biotechnology as well as the resilience of their ecosystems. Professor Rapp and his colleagues are identifying different species for a wide-ranging project called SponGES. ‘Nowadays a combination of morphological information and DNA has made things a bit easier but it is still a challenging and very time-consuming task,’ said Prof. Telling species apart is tricky too because many have limited distinguishing features. Found at depths of up to 4,000 metres, sponges are hard to access and most cannot handle exposure to air which makes it difficult to conduct lab experiments. ‘Given their huge filtering capacity and their pronounced role in pumping and cleaning the ocean, sponge grounds have an effect on ocean health,’ said Professor Hans Tore Rapp from the University of Bergen in Norway.īut studying sponges is not easy. But they are an important component of their ecosystems. Deep-sea sponges – aquatic invertebrates that spend their lives attached to the seabed and are found in almost all areas of the deep ocean – have been particularly neglected when it comes to research and conservation.
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