[{"command":"settings","settings":{"ajaxPageState":{"theme":"hm_theme","theme_token":"NMAoxtSHcwvERrWZVL48Dr8rHw74HsNFaUj8fyB6tg4","libraries":"eJwDAAAAAAE"},"ajaxTrustedUrl":{"form_action_p_pvdeGsVG5zNF_XLGPTvYSKCf43t8qZYSwcfZl2uzM":true},"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"2af85631393b514cbde3779a1f71d92618d53b94b54ea1960d28b2e2d121ff12"}},"merge":true},{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/7055\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESponges and corals: Seafloor assessments to help protect against climate change\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeep-sea sponges \u2013 aquatic invertebrates that spend their lives attached to the seabed and are found in almost all areas of the deep ocean \u2013 have been particularly neglected when it comes to research and conservation. But they are an important component of their ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Given their huge filtering capacity and their pronounced role in pumping and cleaning the ocean, sponge grounds have an effect on ocean health,\u2019 said Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.uib.no\/en\/persons\/Hans.Tore.Rapp\u0022\u003EHans Tore Rapp\u003C\/a\u003E from the University of Bergen in Norway.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut studying sponges is not easy. Found at depths of up to 4,000 metres, sponges are hard to access and most cannot handle exposure to air which makes it difficult to conduct lab experiments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETelling species apart is tricky too because many have limited distinguishing features. \u2018Nowadays a combination of morphological information and DNA has made things a bit easier but it is still a challenging and very time-consuming task,\u2019 said Prof. Rapp.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Rapp and his colleagues are identifying different species for a wide-ranging project called SponGES. The scientists are investigating sponges\u2019 ecological functions, how these animals can be used in biotechnology as well as the resilience of their ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We will be using modelling tools to look into the future, to see how these sponge grounds will be impacted by climate change or any kind of stressors,\u2019 said Prof. Rapp.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Scientists want to understand how fragile cold-water coral ecosystems are being affected by sectors such as deep-sea mining. Image credit - \u00a9 Changing Oceans Expedition 2012 (cruise JC073)\u0022 height=\u00221425\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/forkbeardcropped.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022Scientists want to understand how fragile cold-water coral ecosystems are being affected by sectors such as deep-sea mining. Image credit - \u00a9 Changing Oceans Expedition 2012 (cruise JC073)\u0022 width=\u00221900\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EScientists want to understand how fragile cold-water coral ecosystems are being affected by sectors such as deep-sea mining. Image credit - \u00a9 Changing Oceans Expedition 2012 (cruise JC073)\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESponge genomes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the scientists have discovered more than 30 new species of sponges and produced the largest sponge genomic data sets ever, which should reveal how different species and populations are related. They also performed experiments in the lab to investigate their ecosystem functions, such as how they absorb and turn carbon and inorganic nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus into nourishment for the rest of the habitat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow they are conducting experiments on the seafloor. \u2018(We are) looking at sponges in pristine areas then comparing how they function in areas that are more impacted, whether it\u0027s from oil and gas or mining,\u2019 said Prof. Rapp.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project is also taking a novel approach to drug discovery. The chemicals that sponges use to defend themselves could potentially be used to treat cancer and infectious diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESponges are typically ground up and tested to identify compounds that could be used to develop drugs. The project, however, is trying to zero in on the genes involved in making these compounds so that it can sustainably produce them in the lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We\u0027ve already identified some of the gene sequences that are related to the production of anti-cancer compounds,\u2019 said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fau.edu\/hboi\/mbbr\/spongebio.php\u0022\u003EDr Shirley Pomponi\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;from Florida Atlantic University in the US and Wageningen University in the Netherlands, who is leading the biotechnology arm of the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Pomponi and her project colleagues are also one step closer to creating bone implants that make use of sponge architecture. Sponges produce microscopic skeletal elements, or spicules, made of biosilica that are the building blocks of their structures. Biosilica has been found to induce bone-forming cells to produce more bone. The scientists therefore hope to make implant scaffolds with bone-forming cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey achieved a breakthrough by creating a cell line in the lab from deep-sea sponge cells, which Dr Pomponi claims is the first time this has been done for any marine invertebrate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Pomponi says the cell lines are exciting as they will enable the scientists to study how sponges produce their skeletons as well as their defensive chemicals. The team is focussing on how to produce biosilica and these chemicals in tissue culture, she says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEndangered\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResults from the project are already being recognised by policymakers too. Sponge grounds have now been included in the Norwegian Red List for endangered habitats, for example.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We are now also contributing to getting sponge grounds into the management plan for the Nordic Seas,\u2019 said Prof. Rapp.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018We will be using modelling tools to look into the future, to see how these sponge grounds will be impacted by climate change or any kind of stressors.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003E-Prof. Rapp, University of Bergen, Norway\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to sponges, other elements of deep North Atlantic ocean ecosystems need to be better understood. To tackle this, a project called ATLAS is undertaking the biggest assessment of the area to date.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe deep Atlantic is home to a number of vulnerable ecosystems, says Professor Murray Roberts from the University of Edinburgh in the UK, the project coordinator.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We need to understand the corals, the sponges, the clams, we need to understand the seamounts,\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018And critically we need to understand how industry active in these areas already, and proposing to increase its operations, could impact these systems.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project is monitoring the deep ocean by using climate-monitoring instruments, along with new equipment such as sensor arrays to measure carbon dioxide and acidity to provide regular readings for the first time which will be made publicly available.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new information will help to better understand the physics of the ocean such as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/article\/warmer-saltier-polar-water-could-change-global-ocean-currents.html\u0022\u003Ecirculation\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;patterns, for example, so that changes can be predicted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project has published 49 scientific papers, revealing, for example,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/srep35057\u0022\u003Ehow corals on the seafloor are nourished in an environment where there is little food available\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimulations showed that water currents interact with coral mounds, which can grow hundreds of metres tall to draw organic matter down to them from the surface.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It\u2019s an amazing example of ecosystem engineering on a scale we\u0027ve never really seen before,\u2019 said Prof. Roberts. The scientists will follow up by taking measurements in the field to see if they agree with their model.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Image credit - Horizon\u0022 height=\u0022304\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/sponges-factoid-982.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022Image credit - Horizon\u0022 width=\u0022982\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EImage credit - Horizon\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFisheries\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother aspect of the project involves bringing together different sectors that use the ocean, such as fisheries and oil and gas companies, to plan out marine space in a more sustainable way. \u2018It\u2019s like town planning in a sense for the oceans,\u2019 said Prof. Roberts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u2019s goal is to make sure that ocean activities are sustainable and that ecosystems are preserved.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey have been working with multinational oil and gas companies, for example, to assess the areas in which they operate, where there are vulnerable ecosystems such as sponge grounds and coral reefs. The impact of climate change also needs to be addressed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018With warming of the Atlantic Ocean and gradual acidification, areas that have been protected are going to end up as unsuitable for the very things that they\u0027ve been closed to protect,\u2019 said Prof. Roberts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on scientific findings from the project, the team plans to come up with management strategies for sectors such as deep-sea mining and renewable energy where growth is forecast. The team also developed new models showing the distribution of deep Atlantic species which will provide a good starting point.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We have a much better understanding of how likely it is that vulnerable species occur in areas that industries are looking to exploit,\u2019 said Prof. Roberts. \u2018We\u0027re (now) taking that into industry and policy.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022moreinfoblock\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3\u003ESponges: survivors of the sea\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/sponge-animal\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003ESixteenth-century naturalists\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;considered sea sponges to be plants, they are actually animals that live attached to surfaces in tidal zones or areas as deep as 8,500 metres.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESea sponges are filter feeders that can survive for long periods without food, such as during the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blog.nationalgeographic.org\/2018\/04\/23\/secrets-of-our-ocean-planet-the-not-so-simple-sea-sponge\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Elightless polar winters\u003C\/a\u003E. Some sponges can also live for hundreds of years. A specimen the size of a minivan, believed to be centuries to millennia old, was discovered \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2016\/may\/28\/sea-sponge-the-size-of-a-minivan-discovered-in-ocean-depths-off-hawaii\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003E2,100 metres below the ocean surface in Hawaii\u003C\/a\u003E in 2016.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESponge cells are like stem cells \u2013 sponges can regenerate an entire body from just one cell. Sponges themselves have no internal organs. Instead, their\u0026nbsp;entire\u0026nbsp;body processes oxygen and nutrients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost sponges feed and breathe by extracting nutrients and oxygen floating in the water\u003Cstrong\u003E. \u003C\/strong\u003EWater enters a sponge\u2019s pores and passes through the intricate canals and chambers that form its body. Special cells lining the inside of a sponge\u2019s body capture food particles and keep the water constantly circulating.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbout \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/british-columbia\/4-new-species-of-killer-sponges-discovered-off-pacific-coast-1.2615509\u0022\u003E140 species\u003C\/a\u003E of known sponges \u2013 most of them deep-sea dwellers \u2013 are carnivorous. They trap tiny crustaceans and larvae with microscopic hooks and digest them \u2013 cell by cell \u2013 over \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/dn25436-flesh-eating-sponges-are-beautiful-but-deadly\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Eseveral days\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research in this article was funded by the EU. 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