Aquaculture 2025

March 6 - 10, 2025

New Orleans, Louisiana USA

Add To Calendar 08/03/2025 11:00:0008/03/2025 11:20:00America/ChicagoAquaculture 2025SPONGE RESTORATION AQUACULTURE: REPRODUCTIVE VIABILITY FOLLOWING IN SITU PROPAGATION FOR 4 NEARSHORE SPONGIIDAE SPECIES IN THE FLORIDA KEYSSalon DThe World Aquaculture Societyjohnc@was.orgfalseDD/MM/YYYYanrl65yqlzh3g1q0dme13067

SPONGE RESTORATION AQUACULTURE: REPRODUCTIVE VIABILITY FOLLOWING IN SITU PROPAGATION FOR 4 NEARSHORE SPONGIIDAE SPECIES IN THE FLORIDA KEYS

Shelly Krueger*, Elizabeth Urban-Gedamke, Shirley Pomponi, and Joshua Patterson

 

Florida Sea Grant

University of Florida IFAS Extension, Monroe County

1100 Simonton Street, Suite 2-260

Key West, FL 33040

ShellyKrueger@UFL.edu

 



Since 2010, a coalition of natural resource managers and scientists have engaged in sponge restoration to mitigate a series of sponge die-offs in the nearshore hardbottom habitats of the Florida Keys. Sponge restoration aquaculture is a viable tool to accelerate the natural progression of sponge recolonization following ecological disturbances (e.g., algal blooms and hurricanes). For sponge restoration aquaculture to be successful, it is important that aquacultured propagules become reproductive to sustain future populations. There is a need to survey the reproductive capacity of restored sponges to evaluate recruitment dynamics as natural resource managers work to re-establish nearshore sponge communities associated with seagrasses. Using histology and light microscopy, gametogenesis was documented for 4 Spongiidae species (sheepswool sponge Hippospongia lachne, yellow sponge Spongia barbara, glove sponge Spongia graminea, and grass sponge Spongia (S.) tampa) in a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-permitted sponge nursery near Key West, Florida. Preliminary results reveal gametogenesis in 88% of the sampled Spongiidae propagules (n=95 histology samples from 4 species) 4-7 years following in-situ asexual aquaculture propagation. During April, May, and June, 69% (n=66) of the sponges were spermatogenic and 19% (n=18) were in oogenesis. This study will answer key questions about sponge reproductive biology in support of the current state of Florida sponge restoration and management efforts.