A guide to the deep-water sponges of - NMFS Scientific Publications ...

Abstract—The first dedicated collections
of deep-water (>80 m) sponges from
the central Aleutian Islands revealed a
rich fauna including 28 novel species and
geographical range extensions for 53 others.
Based on these collections and the
published literature, we now confirm the
presence of 125 species (or subspecies)
of deep-water sponges in the Aleutian
Islands. Clearly the deep-water sponge
fauna of the Aleutian Islands is extraordinarily
rich and largely understudied.
Submersible observations revealed that
sponges, rather than deep-water corals,
are the dominant feature shaping benthic
habitats in the region and that they provide
important refuge habitat for many
species of fish and invertebrates including
juvenile rockfish (Sebastes spp.) and king
crabs (Lithodes sp). Examination of video
footage collected along 127 km of the
seafloor further indicate that there are
likely hundreds of species still uncollected
from the region, and many unknown
to science. Furthermore, sponges are
extremely fragile and easily damaged by
contact with fishing gear. High rates of
fishery bycatch clearly indicate a strong
interaction between existing fisheries and
sponge habitat. Bycatch in fisheries and
fisheries-independent surveys can be a major
source of information on the location
of the sponge fauna, but current monitoring
programs are greatly hampered by the
inability of deck personnel to identify bycatch.
This guide contains detailed species
descriptions for 112 sponges collected in
Alaska, principally in the central Aleutian
Islands. It addresses bycatch identification
challenges by providing fisheries observers
and scientists with the information
necessary to adequately identify sponge
fauna.Using that identification data, areas
of high abundance can be mapped
and the locations of indicator species
of vulnerable marine ecosystems can be
determined. The guide is also designed
for use by scientists making observations
of the fauna in situ with submersibles,
including remotely operated vehicles and
autonomous underwater vehicles.
A guide to the deep-water sponges
of the Aleutian Island Archipelago
Robert P. Stone (contact author) 1
Helmut Lehnert 2
Henry Reiswig 3
1 Alaska Fisheries Science Center
National Marine Fisheries Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
17109 Point Lena Loop Road
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Email address for contact author: Bob.Stone@noaa.gov
2 Freelance Sponge Taxonomy
Eichenstr. 14, D-86507
Oberottmarshausen, Germany
3 Royal British Columbia Museum and University of Victoria (Biology)
675 Belleville Street
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W 3N5
Introduction
The first dedicated collections of
deep-water (>80 m) sponges from
the central Aleutian Islands revealed
a rich fauna comprising 102 species,
including 28 species new to science
and range extensions for 53 species.
Based on these collections and the
published literature, we now confirm
the presence of 125 species (or
subspecies) of deep-water sponges
in the central Aleutian Islands. The
inventory includes 10 species of calcareous
sponges, 20 species of hexactinellid
sponges, and 95 species of
demosponges. Despite the initial collection
efforts, the sponge fauna of
this region of the North Pacific is still
poorly known. Based on our extensive
submersible observations, we estimate
that there are several hundred sponge
species yet to be inventoried or described
from the region. This regional
estimate (i.e., total percent known)
is consistent with those made for all
sponges worldwide (Hooper and Lévi,
1994; Hooper and Van Soest, 2002).
The main purpose of this guide is to
promote an awareness and appreciation
of the importance of the sponge
fauna in the North Pacific Ocean,
particularly in the Aleutian Islands
1
where the diversity and abundance of
sponges appears to be extraordinary
and bycatch in existing fisheries continues
to be a major concern for resource
managers. Bycatch in fisheries
and fisheries-independent surveys is
a major source of information on the
location of the sponge fauna and also
a source of specimens for study. This
guide serves the additional purpose of
providing fisheries observers and scientists
with the information necessary
to adequately identify sponge fauna
so that the data can be included in
existing databases. These data can be
used to map areas of high abundance
and the locations of indicator species
of vulnerable marine ecosystems. The
guide is also designed for use by scientists
making observations of the fauna
in situ with submersibles, including
remotely operated vehicles (ROVs)
and autonomous underwater vehicles
(AUVs).
The protocols used to identify bycatch
of sponges, both in commercial
fishing operations and in fisheries surveys,
have major shortcomings. They
are largely restricted by the limited
number of personnel dedicated to
this task, a general lack of knowledge
of the taxonomy of the sponge fauna,
and the fact that sponges are particu-