Diversity and bioactivity of marine sponges of the Caribbean: the Turks and Caicos Islands

As part of a research programme focusing on the discovery of marine natural products with therapeutic potential, we have studied 85 shallow and deep water habitats of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Approximately 500 samples of sponges were photodocumented, collected, taxonomically identified, and biologically and chemically assayed. All classes of the Phylum Porifera and all orders of the Class Demosponglae were represented, although their relative abundance and diversity varied with depth. Nine percent of all sponges tested were found active in one or more enzyme assays used to identify compounds with potential as antitumor or immunoregulatory drugs.