Xestospongia muta

People:
Joseph Pawlik
Post-Doc
Graduate Students

Science:
Marine Chemical Ecology

Giant Barrel Sponge Xestospongia muta

Marine Invertebrate Larval Biology

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The Caribbean barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta, is a large and common member of the coral reef communities at depths greater than 10 m, and has been called the “redwood of the deep”.

Despite its prominence, high biomass and importance to habitat complexity and reef health, very little is know about the basic biology of this massive sponge, including rates of mortality and recruitment, reproduction, growth and age. Like reef corals, this sponge is subject to bleaching and subsequent mortality.

With support from NOAA's Undersea Research Center at UNCW, our research group has been monitoring populations of X. muta in the Florida Keys since 1997. Surveys are conducted twice a year, creating one of the largest datasets on sponge population dynamics, as well as observations on rates of bleaching, incidences of disease, and effects of marine debris on sponges. We will be publishing results and conclusions from this monitoring study within a year or so. Until then, we provide here some important general discoveries about sponge growth, death, and bleaching.

X. muta | Population Dynamics | Bleaching | Monofilament Line