Laguionie-Marchais C et al. (2015), Spatial and temporal variation in sponge spicul...

ECB-ART-43847

Mar Biol 2015 Jan 01;1623:617-624. doi: 10.1007/s00227-014-2609-1.

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Spatial and temporal variation in sponge spicule patches at Station M, northeast Pacific.

Laguionie-Marchais C , Kuhnz LA , Huffard CL , Ruhl HA , Smith KL .

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Changes in habitat-forming organisms can have complex consequences for associated species. Sessile epibenthic glass "plate" sponges (Porifera: Hexactinellida) are conspicuous inhabitants of soft-sediment abyssal areas and their siliceous spicules create persistent spicule patches on the seafloor. Sponge spicule patch density, spatial dispersion, and percent cover were examined over a seven-year period (2006-2013) using remotely operated vehicle videos from Station M in the abyssal northeast Pacific (50˚00N, 123˚00W, ~4,000 m depth). There was an apparent large increase in newly dead plate sponges in February 2007 compared with December 2006, with this trend continuing through June 2007 (mean 0.03 % cover increasing to 0.33 %). A second increase in mean percent cover of dead plate sponges occurred from May 2011 (0.24 %) through June 2012 (0.60 %). Among the 28 megafaunal taxa occurring in association with the patches, the distributions of three taxa [two sponge taxa (Porifera) and brittle stars (Ophiuroidea)] suggested selectivity for the sponge spicule patches. The community structure of visible megafauna within sponge spicule patches was different when compared with that outside the patches suggesting that the sponges, after death, provide preferred habitat patches for certain benthic megafauna. These findings indicate that sponge spicule patches contribute to habitat heterogeneity in space and time.

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Genes referenced: LOC100893907 LOC105441782 LOC115925415

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References [+] :

Kahn, Bathydorus laniger and Docosaccus maculatus (Lyssacinosida; Hexactinellida): Two new species of glass sponge from the abyssal eastern North Pacific Ocean. 2013, Pubmed

	Fig. 1. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) video annotation and reference system high-definition framegrabs a living plate sponge Bathydorus laniger b sponge spicule patch c sponge spicule patch with tissue remains
	Fig. 2. Sponge spicule patch features in time. a mean density as 10−3 number of patch m−2 with SE in black squares compared with living plate sponge density in open squares, b mean percent cover of sponge spicule patches within transects with SE. Horizontal axis with 6-month major interval tick and 2-month minor interval ticks. At each date, n = #Bins of date, see Table 1. No living plate sponge data available for June 2013
	Fig. 3. Sponge spicule patch assemblage composition by phylum over time as percentage. Arthropoda in white, Bryozoa in black and white squares, Chordata in tilted black lines, Cnidaria in black chevrons, Echinodermata in gray, Porifera in black, Protista in black horizontal lines
	Fig. 4. Statistically significant megafauna associates of sponge spicule patch: mean densities per m−2 of patch (filled square; left axes) and m−2 outside of patch (open square; right axes) in time with SE a Porifera spp. b Cladorhiza sp. A c Ophiuroidea. Horizontal axis with 6-month major interval tick and 2-month minor interval ticks. At each date, n = #Bins of date, see Table 1