Fonnegra, Andia Chaves

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.

To conserve marine sponges, we must understand their reproductive output. Previous studies suggest not all individuals are active during every reproductive event. The purpose of this study is to quantify the population reproductive output of five brooding sponge species; Haliclona caerulea, Mycale angulosa, Niphates erecta, Spongia sp., and Tedania ignis, off the coast of Florida, USA. Larvae traps were deployed on individuals of Spongia sp. off Summerland Key during the full moon of July 2021, and on H. caerulea, M. angulosa, N. erecta, and T. ignis off the Fort Pierce City Marina during August and September 2021. We quantified the number of larvae during a given reproductive event and the percentage of the population sampled releasing larvae. Daily larvae release during a full-moon event is asynchronous across sponge populations. These results will help assess which species are most viable for larvae collection efforts to support a conservation centered sponge nursery.