Times of the Islands Summer 2021

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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources Let’s start with a quick crash course in sponge biology. Sponges are considered to be some of the simplest animals due to their structure—they lack true tissue, organs or even a brain, and instead rely on specialized cells. These cells work together to filter water through the sponge, allowing the organism to absorb oxygen and gain nutrients. This filtering occurs when cilia, or hair-like projections, move in order to create an area of negative pressure inside the atrium of the sponge, driving water into the sponge’s cavities via pores, or ostia, and out through the main opening, or osculum, located near the top of the sponge. Sponges also contain spicules, which act as support to the structure, as well as spongin, which is a type of collagen which give sponges their “spongy” structure. One of the ways to capture a sponge’s beauty is to put it under a microscope. Spicules—those support structures mentioned earlier—can come in a variety of different shapes, all of which are unique to different sponges. By figuring out whether the spicules within a certain sponge are composed of calcium or silica, as well as by determining the shape of the spicules, scientists can identify sponge species. Peeking inside the atrium of sponges is my favorite pasttime while scuba diving. You can often find brittle stars or shrimp that call them home hiding inside. Sponges can reproduce in three ways: By spawning, fragmentation and budding. Spawning occurs when sponges release their sperm into the water column in hopes that it will reach another sponge. If it does, the cells of the sponge can capture the sperm and transport it to the eggs for fertilization and brooding of larvae. Later, the sponge will release the brooded larvae. This is the only time in the sponge’s life when they’re not immobile, as the sperm, and later the larvae that form, can move with ocean currents until they find a spot to settle on the sea floor. Interestingly, most sponges are actually hermaphroditic, and produce both egg and sperm. Fragmentation occurs when a part of a sponge breaks off, for example, and then is perhaps moved by currents or wave action to settle in a nook elsewhere. Finally, budding occurs when part of a sponge actually begins growing a clone of itself, which can eventually break off to settle elsewhere, or remain attached to begin a colony of sponges. Freshwater sponges have a unique adaptation that allows them to survive dormant in unfavorable conditions, such as cold water, droughts or anoxic (low oxygen) environments. These sponges can create gemmules, which have an outer protective layer and can remain dormant for long stretches of time. When conditions become favorable again, these gemmules can release cells that create new sponges, and some gemmules have even been stored for up to 25 years! Sponges and corals are often confused for one another and I’ve even heard someone refer to a sponge as a “coral-sponge.” Sponges and corals are, however, two 42 www.timespub.tc
green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources different types of organisms. Sponges can be identified by their telltale ostia and osculum. Sponges will have what look like pores all over their structure, which are the ostia, as well as a main large opening, usually near the top of the sponge, which is the osculum. Corals don’t have these pores or the osculum. If observed closely, corals do have polyps—structures with tentacles used to capture food—and will lack any opening or osculum. Sponges are fascinating and bizarre creatures that have incredible abilities. The following are some ways that scientists have researched sponges in order to learn more about these unique organisms. With a quick search online, interesting videos can be found of this research, but please keep sponges safe and don’t try this on any sponges you see in the water! One interesting way to check out a sponge’s flow of water is to fill a syringe with water and food dye and release this concoction around the base of a sponge. You will soon see the colored water being released out of the osculum at the top of the sponge, which shows how sponges can filter water very quickly in order to get proper nutrients and oxygen! Sponges are widely considered the most basic animal form, yet they actually have incredible abilities to regenerate. Scientists have studied this characteristic by separating sponge cells by squeezing them through a silk cloth. Sponges are then actually able to re-form their cells into a sponge. Even more interestingly, if two sponges are separated in this method, they can recognize their own cells and re-form as two sponges! Although there are several types and body plans of sponges, one in particular stands out as an awe-inspiring and incredible animal. The Venus flower basket (Euplectella aspergillum) is a type of glass sponge. These sponges live in the deep sea, and have an intricate shape created by layers of silica made in a precise pattern to keep them structurally sound. The most interesting part of this sponge, however, are its inhabitants. These This giant barrel sponge stands tall at a dive site off the coast of South Caicos named The Spanish Chain. Times of the Islands Summer 2021 43
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Times of the Islands Summer 2021

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