Settlement of juvenile glass sponges and other invertebrate cryptofauna on the Hecate Strait glass sponge reefs

2019 ◽  
Vol 138 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keenan C. Guillas ◽  
Amanda S. Kahn ◽  
Nathan Grant ◽  
Stephanie K. Archer ◽  
Anya Dunham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glass Sponge ◽  
Glass Sponges ◽  
Sponge Reefs

scholarly journals Status of the glass sponge reefs in the Georgia Basin

2008 ◽  
Vol 66 ◽  
pp. S80-S86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Cook ◽  
Kim W. Conway ◽  
Brenda Burd
Keyword(s):  
Glass Sponge ◽  
Georgia Basin ◽  
Sponge Reefs

Dynamic change, recruitment and resilience in reef-forming glass sponges

2015 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 429-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda S. Kahn ◽  
Laura J. Vehring ◽  
Rachel R. Brown ◽  
Sally P. Leys
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Remotely Operated Vehicle ◽  
Strait Of Georgia ◽  
The Face ◽  
Glass Sponges ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Sponge Reefs

Glass sponge reefs on the continental shelf of western Canada and south-east Alaska are considered stable deep-sea habitats that do not change significantly over time. Research cruises using a remotely operated vehicle equipped with accurate GPS positioning have allowed us to observe the same sponges at two reefs in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia to document recruitment, growth and response to damage over time. Spermatocysts and putative embryos found in winter suggest annual, asynchronous reproduction. Juvenile sponges (2–10 cm in osculum diameter) in densities up to 1 m−2 were more concentrated near live sponges and sponge skeletons than away (Spearman rank correlations, P < 0.0001 for live cover and for skeletons), suggesting that recruitment occurs in particular regions using sponge skeletons as substrate. Most sponges showed no change in shape or size over 2–3 years, but some had died while others showed growth of 1–9 cm year−1. Deposition rates of reef-cementing sediments were 97 mm year−1 at Galiano Reef and 137 mm year−1 at Fraser Reef, but sediments eroded so that there was no net gain or loss over time. Sponges recovered within 1 year from small-scale damage that mimicked bites by fish or nudibranchs; however sponges did not recover from crushing of a large area (1.5 × 2 m2) even 3 years later. These observations and experiments show that while recruitment and growth of sponge reefs is more dynamic than previously thought, the reefs are not resilient in the face of larger-scale disturbances such as might be inflicted by trawling.

scholarly journals Nanostructural Organization of Naturally Occurring Composites—Part I: Silica-Collagen-Based Biocomposites

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hermann Ehrlich ◽  
Sascha Heinemann ◽  
Christiane Heinemann ◽  
Paul Simon ◽  
Vasily V. Bazhenov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Similarity ◽  
Biochemical Properties ◽  
Fibrillar Collagen ◽  
Biomimetic Materials ◽  
Glass Sponge ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Glass Sponges ◽  
Biochemical Compositions ◽  
Nanostructural Organization

Glass sponges, as examples of natural biocomposites, inspire investigations aiming at both a better understanding of biomineralization mechanisms and novel developments in the synthesis of nanostructured biomimetic materials. Different representatives of marine glass sponges of the class Hexactinellida (Porifera) are remarkable because of their highly flexible basal anchoring spicules. Therefore, investigations of the biochemical compositions and the micro- and nanostructure of the spicules as examples of naturally structured biomaterials are of fundamental scientific relevance. Here we present a detailed study of the structural and biochemical properties of the basal spicules of the marine glass spongeMonorhaphis chuni. The results show unambiguously that in this glass sponge a fibrillar protein of collagenous nature is the template for the silica mineralization in all silica-containing structural layers of the spicule. The structural similarity and homology of collagens derived fromM. chunispicules to other sponge and vertebrate collagens have been confirmed by us using FTIR, amino acid analysis and mass spectrometric sequencing techniques. We suggest that nanomorphology of silica formed on proteinous structures could be determined as an example of biodirected epitaxial nanodistribution of amorphous silica phase on oriented fibrillar collagen templates. Finally, the present work includes a discussion relating to silica-collagen-based hybrid materials for practical applications as biomaterials.

scholarly journals Nanostructural Organization of Naturally Occurring Composites—Part II: Silica-Chitin-Based Biocomposites

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hermann Ehrlich ◽  
Dorte Janussen ◽  
Paul Simon ◽  
Vasily V. Bazhenov ◽  
Nikolay P. Shapkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Physicochemical Properties ◽  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Alkali Treatment ◽  
Structural Similarity ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Glass Sponge ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Glass Sponges ◽  
Nanostructural Organization

Investigations of the micro- and nanostructures and chemical composition of the sponge skeletons as examples for natural structural biocomposites are of fundamental scientific relevance. Recently, we show that some demosponges (Verongula gigantea, Aplysinasp.) and glass sponges (Farrea occa, Euplectella aspergillum) possess chitin as a component of their skeletons. The main practical approach we used for chitin isolation was based on alkali treatment of corresponding external layers of spicules sponge material with the aim of obtaining alkali-resistant compounds for detailed analysis. Here, we present a detailed study of the structural and physicochemical properties of spicules of the glass spongeRossella fibulata. The structural similarity of chitin derived from this sponge to invertebrate alpha chitin has been confirmed by us unambiguously using physicochemical and biochemical methods. This is the first report of a silica-chitin composite biomaterial found inRossella species. Finally, the present work includes a discussion related to strategies for the practical application of silica-chitin-based composites as biomaterials.

scholarly journals Benthic grazing and carbon sequestration by deep-water glass sponge reefs

2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda S. Kahn ◽  
Gitai Yahel ◽  
Jackson W. F. Chu ◽  
Verena Tunnicliffe ◽  
Sally P. Leys
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Water Glass ◽  
Glass Sponge ◽  
Sponge Reefs

scholarly journals Glass sponge reefs as a silicon sink

2011 ◽  
Vol 441 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
JWF Chu ◽  
M Maldonado ◽  
G Yahel ◽  
SP Leys
Keyword(s):  
Glass Sponge ◽  
Sponge Reefs

Description and distribution of Desmacella hyalina sp. nov. (Porifera, Desmacellidae), a new cryptic demosponge in glass sponge reefs from the western coast of Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren K. Law ◽  
Henry M. Reiswig ◽  
Bruce S. Ott ◽  
Neil McDaniel ◽  
Amanda S. Kahn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Coast ◽  
Glass Sponge ◽  
Sponge Reefs

scholarly journals Improving monitoring by understanding the patterns and drivers of biodiversity on Canada’s Glass Sponge Reefs

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie K Archer ◽  
Lily Burke ◽  
Anya Dunham
Keyword(s):  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Monitoring Methods ◽  
Glass Sponge ◽  
Strait Of Georgia ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
The Many ◽  
Passive Acoustic ◽  
Sponge Reef ◽  
Sponge Reefs

Glass sponge reefs, built by up to three species of dictyonine hexactinellid sponges, are hotspots of biodiversity that are unique to the waters of the Pacific continental shelf. Since 2012 we have surveyed the biological community on 21 sponge reefs from the Strait of Georgia to Chatham Sound, British Columbia. Here we present patterns of biodiversity found on glass sponge reefs and associations between common reef-dwelling organisms and sponge reef habitat categories: no visible reef, dead reef, mixed reef, live reef, and dense live reef. Further we share our findings regarding energy flow through the reef community and the implications for the maintenance of biodiversity in this system. We discuss how our findings inform monitoring in the new Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Areas and the many other conservation-based fishing closures centered on sponge reefs. Finally, we show how this research has led to the development of novel monitoring methods, namely the application of passive acoustic monitoring on the sponge reef ecosystem.

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