Marine sponge biodiversity from genes to ecosystems: delivering knowledge and tools for sustainable management and conservation

Sponges (phylum Porifera) are widely distributed across the oceans and form highly-structured habitats (sponge grounds, gardens and reefs) that play key functional roles and deliver numerous ecosystems goods and services.

However, sponges and their habitats are increasingly threatened by human activities (e.g. fisheries, climate change, deep-sea mining, general pollution) in areas within and beyond national jurisdictions (EEZs, ABNJs).

SponBIODIV will use an interdisciplinary approach to build a common and enhanced knowledge base on the biodiversity, biogeography and connectivity patterns of sponges and sponge habitats across the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The project includes European (Sweden, Norway, Spain, France, Greece) and pan-Atlantic partners (South Africa, Brazil).

The Swedish partner will be co-coordinating the project and be mainly involved in generating a comprehensive dataset of sponge records and DNA barcodes to investigate patterns of sponge species/habitat diversity.

Generated knowledge and tools will allow the design of conservation and monitoring strategies, and support the implementation of agreements and policies that will ensure a better management and protection of marine biodiversity, from national to European scales and beyond, in line with the global agenda for sustainable development and conservation of biodiversity.