Ew… this sponge smells FISHY!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Overfishing and climate change have drastically reduced global fish populations. Research about these fish is critical to prevent their extinction. Luckily, marine biologists have found an unlikely and ABSORBENT ally in studying the briny depths.
Erika Naeve’s research at John Moores University in Liverpool was aided by sea sponges! Sea sponges feed by soaking up surrounding water and filtering out microscopic snacks. In the process, they also soak up fragments of DNA from their environment.
Researchers sampled DNA fragments from sea sponges in different locations across the northern Atlantic Ocean. They compared these fragments to DNA of known fish species. This analysis provided researchers with detailed snapshots of local fish communities.
These natural repositories are a treasure trove of information about ecologically and economically important fish.
Using sea sponges to gather ecological data could aid in quick and effective conservation efforts.
Gotta love these absorbent informants!
Reference: Neave, E. F., Cai, W., Arias, M. B., Harper, L. R., Riesgo, A., & Mariani, S. (2023). Trapped DNA fragments in marine sponge specimens unveil north Atlantic deep-sea fish diversity. bioRxiv, 2023-03.