Unpublished data

Sponges are diverse and common inhabitants of benthic ecosystems along the shelf and within fjords of the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Among the types of sponges recorded in these environments during an ROV dive in Scott Inlet in 2014 are carnivorous sponges belonging to the genera Chondrocladia and Cladorhiza. These highly derived cladorhizid sponges capture small crustaceans using modified spicules and digest them; their distribution may therefore depend on local zooplankton productivity. Sponge tissues harbor a high diversity of microbes thought to be functionally important for sponge nutrition, immunity, and defense against predators and biofouling organisms. Given their anatomical simplicity and lack of a digestive system, carnivorous sponges probably rely on microbes to assist them in digestive processes, as suggested for a Mediterranean carnivorous sponge, Asbestopluma hypogea. Sponge associated microbes have also been of recent interest because they can produce biomedically important natural products such as antibiotics. Notably, the microbiome of the carnivorous sponge A. hypogea contains cultivable Actinobacteria that have antimicrobial activity, highlighting the potential of the carnivorous sponge microbiome in natural product bioprospecting. The microbiomes of Chondrocladia (from any region) and of Cladorhiza from shallower, polar regions have not yet been explored. The data set is developed to store information on sponge sample collection (location, date) as well as detailed information on the genetic identity of associated microbes (in progress).

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eng; CAN

Summary: Not Applicable Research Program(s): ArcticNet. For further information: sdufour@mun.ca sdufour@mun.ca

eng; CAN

North American Profile of ISO 19115:2003

2009-01-01

https://www.polardata.ca/pdcsearch/PDCSearchDOI.jsp?doi_id=12601