Survival and Growth of Sponge Recruits in a Land-based Nursery

Sponges (phylum Porifera) are ancient animals that provide numerous ecosystem functions (e.g., water filtration, habitat, food source) and commercial applications (e.g., bath sponges and pharmaceuticals). However, mass mortality events in Florida Bay have drastically impacted sponge communities and the ecosystem services they provide. To restore habitats, sponge restoration initiatives are ongoing in Florida. The aim of this thesis was to determine survival and growth of sponges in a land-based nursery. Larvae from four species were collected from the Indian River Lagoon and the Florida Keys from July to September 2021. Larval settlement and metamorphosis, survival of recruits, morphological development and growth were observed, quantified, and compared to other species. Larvae settlement success was highest in our Heteroscleromorpha species Tedania ignis, Haliclona caerulea and Niphates erecta, but not the Keratosa species Spongia sp. However, the highest recruit survival was the Spongia sp. Early developmental characteristics were significantly different among species and over observation periods, with most developmental characteristics occurring during the first 14 days post-settlement. H. caerulea and Spongia sp. developed faster than other species. Spongia sp. recruit growth was higher when kept in artificial seawater with no food supplement. These results provide further insight toward optimizing the FAUHBOI sponge nursery protocols to supplement current restoration efforts and increase the abundance of sponge populations and community diversity.