Project title: Biogeographical patterns of sponge functional traits at the global scale
Context: Marine sponges are the most ancient multicellular organism. They are abundant through tropical, temperate and polar regions from shallow to deep waters1. They are crucial for the functioning of marine ecosystems in which they are abundant: (1) they impact the substrate by acting as binders, stabilizers and dismantlers, (2) they play an important role in benthic-pelagic coupling, by processing high volume of water, sponges efficiently retain pico-nanoplankton and process nutrient and organic matter (OM)2,3. Their role in nutrient and OM cycling has been equated to that of the microbial loop4. The latter ecological function depends on sponge microbiomes, which expand host metabolism2.
Several geographical and biodiversity databases track sponge species and habitats, allowing us to study the diversity of these organisms in the ocean. However, still very little is known of which taxa play key role in the ecosystem functioning (e.g., carbon sink or sources). During a previous effort from an internal internship, we built a literature database to synthetize the information about the ecological function different species play in nutrient and OM cycling. Combining geographical distribution from the open database and functional traits obtained from the literature review, we then plan to study spatial patterns of marine sponge functional diversity across the ocean.
Method and work envisioned:
During the first three months of the project, the candidate will review ~600 readily accessible scientific articles and compile the extracted information into a database of sponge functional traits (e.g., body shape, life-history strategies, and pumping rates). The candidate will then investigate how these traits are distributed across sponge taxonomy, with a particular focus on the four classes of marine sponges. Over the following two months, the newly developed functional trait database will be combined with a geographical dataset to investigate biogeographical patterns in marine sponge functional traits. The final month will be dedicated to writing the Master’s thesis and, if the candidate is interested, preparing a scientific manuscript for publication based on the results.
Skills: We are looking for a student who is proficient in reading and critically evaluating scientific literature in English and with skills in data analysis (ideally R).
Team and training: The supervision team consists of experts in various fields: Teresa Morganti (expertise in marine sponge feeding ecology and physiology) and Pierre Ramond (expertise in community and functional ecology). The student will gain expertise on marine sponge ecology and nutrient and organic matter cycling, but also skills in data-analysis (training in R) and the redaction of scientific publications. We highly recommend motivated candidates to apply for an Erasmus+ Student Mobility Grant and contact their home university’s coordinator to check for internal deadlines and developing their grant proposal.
Contacts: Teresa Morganti (tmorganti@icm.csic.es), Pierre Ramond (pierre@icm.csic.es)
Selected literature:
1 Voogd, et al. 2026. World Porifera Database. Accessed at https://www.marinespecies.org/porifera on 2026-10-08. doi:10.14284/359
2 Maldonado et al. 2012, Advances in Marine Biology, Vol. 62, The Netherlands: Amsterdam, Academic Press, 2012, pp. 113
3 Bell et al. 2023. Sponge functional roles in a changing world, Editor(s): Charles Sheppard, Advances in Marine Biology, Volume 95, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.amb.2023.07.002.
4de Goeij et al. 2013. Surviving in a Marine Desert: The Sponge Loop Retains Resources Within Coral Reefs, 342, Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.1241981
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