Sponge spawning and larval responses to sediment 2018

There are more than 9000 species of sponges in the world and in some parts of Australia, they are an important part of the seabed in tropical ecosystems. Sponges provide structure and habitat in areas where corals are less prominent, such as in deeper waters and turbid environments, where they can from sponge gardens.

However, fundamental questions such as “When and how do they reproduce?”, “How far do larvae travel?” and “How do larvae and juveniles respond to environmental stress?” are largely yet to be answered.

Answers to these basic questions will provide key information to effectively manage human activity and conserve our rich sponge biodiversity.

This project investigates the behaviour of larvae, recruitment rates and survival of common Great Barrier Reef sponges. These include a mass spawner (sponges that release eggs and sperm into the water column) and a species that release developed larvae.

Larval and juvenile sponges will be exposed to sediment and lighting that simulate realistic conditions experienced during dredging to assess their responses under potential stress.