Sponges, in biological and ecological research topics, are basal metazoans (phylum Porifera) characterized by a porous body plan, an aquiferous canal system, and choanocyte-lined chambers that drive water flow for filter feeding, gas exchange, and waste removal. They possess a skeleton of spicules (siliceous or calcareous) and/or spongin fibers and exhibit high cellular plasticity with loosely organized tissues lacking true organs. Sponges play key roles in benthic ecosystems as major filter feeders, mediating biogeochemical cycles (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, silicon) and hosting diverse microbial symbionts that contribute to nutrient transformations, chemical defense, and the production of bioactive secondary metabolites.
An international study led by researchers from the University of Tartu shows that approximately 470 million years ago, a significant ecological change took place in the world's oceans: For the first time, the interiors of ...
Ecology
19 hours ago
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In marine environments, sponges tend to eat other organisms to get their nutrients. But a study published in Functional Ecology by researchers at the University of Amsterdam's Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 1, 2026
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Marine sponges may play an important, previously underestimated role in reducing methylmercury contamination in marine food webs. In a new modeling study, researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon showed that sponges can significantly ...
Ecology
Jun 25, 2026
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When we think of marine life, we usually picture colorful coral reefs or dense seaweed forests filled with fish and other critters. The ocean that comes to mind is the one touched by sunlight.
Plants & Animals
May 27, 2026
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Deep beneath the ocean surface, where sunlight never reaches and food is scarce, vast gardens of deep-sea sponges are quietly thriving. Now, a team led by UNSW researchers has uncovered some of the hidden microbial strategies ...
Plants & Animals
May 27, 2026
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Some of the most ancient fossils collected to date were traced back to the Ediacaran period. This is the time interval ranging from around 635 to 541 million years ago, shortly before the time when scientists predict that ...
The Indo-Pacific is the largest marine biogeographical region on Earth and a global center of marine biodiversity. Nevertheless, there are gaps remaining in our understanding of the diversity, distribution, and endemism of ...
Ecology
Mar 17, 2026
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New research shows the effects of marine heat waves on sponges could be much more severe as temperatures rise. More intense marine heat waves as a result of climate change could lead to the mass loss of a sponge species found ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 11, 2026
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Sponges are among Earth's most ancient animals, but exactly when they evolved has long puzzled scientists. Genetic information from living sponges, as well as chemical signals from ancient rocks, suggest that sponges evolved ...
Evolution
Jan 7, 2026
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A completely new order of marine sponges has been found by researchers at the Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University. The sponge order, named Vilesida, produces substances that could be used in drug development. The same ...
Evolution
Dec 2, 2025
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