The US Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a five-year grant to develop a genetics-guided program to restore sponge populations in Florida Bay.
The new research program and grant led by Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College associate professor Andia Chaves-Fonnegra targets long-term resilience in a shallow, ecologically important basin between mainland Florida and the Florida Keys that supports sponges, fish and commercially valuable spiny lobster.
Sponges play a crucial role in the Florida marine ecosystem. They anchor hard-bottom communities across the bay and the reef tract by filtering water, cycling nutrients such as nitrogen, stabilizing sediments and creating habitat for diverse species.
Declines in sponge cover have undermined ecosystem services and contributed to losses in both sponge and lobster fisheries. Previous restoration efforts using asexual transplant cuttings have re-established sponge cover in damaged areas, but they have produced largely clonal populations with limited genetic diversity, which in effect has reduced their ability to adapt to future changes.
This new initiative will be the region’s first restoration effort to integrate population genetics into practical techniques. The work will focus on the diversity of four species used in current restoration programs:
- Spongia Barbara
- Spongia graminea
- Ircinia campana
- Spheciospongia vesparium.
Commenting on the grant, Chaves-Fonnegra stated:
“Receiving this EPA grant is incredibly significant because it means that we can move from simply rebuilding sponge numbers to restoring sponge populations with the genetic strength to withstand a shifting climate, disease, and other growing threats. For the region, that means more stable fisheries, healthier reef ecosystems, clearer waters, and a safeguard for communities and businesses that depend on a thriving Florida Bay. It’s not just science – it’s an investment in resilience, for our ecosystems and for our people.”
