Florida’s “Redwood of the Reef”: Growth, age, … giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta ... Nagelkerken, Aerts & Pors 2000. Reef Encounter 28: 14-15 ... NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation

FloridaFlorida’’s s ““Redwood of the ReefRedwood of the Reef””: : Growth, age, demographics and bleaching of the Growth, age, demographics and bleaching of the

Caribbean giant barrel sponge Caribbean giant barrel sponge Xestospongia mutaXestospongia mutaJoseph R. PawlikJoseph R. Pawlik

Biology and Marine BiologyBiology and Marine BiologyCenter for Marine ScienceCenter for Marine Science

UNC WilmingtonUNC Wilmington

Linking Science to ManagementLinking Science to ManagementDuck Key, FloridaDuck Key, Florida1919--22 Oct 201022 Oct 2010

Caribbean

Sponges DOMINATECaribbean reefs

GBR - Australia

Xestospongia mutacolor due to cyanobacteria

primary habitat-forming organism

Conch Reef, Florida Conch Reef, Florida –– 15 m15 m

Conch Reef, Florida Conch Reef, Florida –– 20 m20 m

San Salvador, Bahamas San Salvador, Bahamas –– 30 m30 m

Dominant competitorDominant competitor

1990’s: Barrel sponges were bleachingSome were dying

Similar to coral bleaching?

- also -

How old are barrel sponges?

Mortality?Recruitment?Growth?Regeneration?

$$ when lost in groundings and for remediation and restoration?

AQUARIUSHABITAT

http://aquarius.uncw.edu/

•1997-present

• Circular 16m diameter plots-3 at 15, 20, 30 m depths (Conch Reef)-3 at 15 m depth (Pickles Reef)

• Sites surveyed twice-yearlyMonitoring:

Condition, bleaching, disease, predation, mortality, recruitment

• Photographed from above and in profile (since 2001)

Monitoring Xestospongia mutaN

E

S

W

smallest recruits

>9000 photos of >700 sponges!!>9000 photos of >700 sponges!!

MAY 2001 DEC 2005

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

400000

450000

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Time (years)

Volu

me

(cm

3 )

Tanaka Growth Model

Growth and age of X. mutaMean growth of 52% per year - range: 2- 404%Faster growth in summer, no effect of depth

McMurray, Blum & Pawlik 2008. Mar Biol 155:159-171

E. K

ardi

naal

Nagelkerken, Aerts & Pors 2000. Reef Encounter 28: 14-15

2,300 years old !McMurray, Blum & Pawlik 2008. Mar Biol 155:159-171

Data from:Sven Rohde and Peter Schupp, University of Guam Marine Lab

Growth of Ianthella bastainvasive in Apra Harbor, Guam

1 m diameter in ~8 years!!

Cowart , Henkel, McMurray & Pawlik 2006. Coral Reefs 25:513

Sponge Orange Band (SOB)= fatal bleaching not the same as cyclic bleaching

López-Legentil, Song, McMurray & Pawlik 2008 Molecular Ecol 17:1840-1849López-Legentil, Erwin, Pawlik & Song 2010Microb Ecol online early

normalcyclic

fatal

Quantified hsp70 expressionCorrelated with content of Chl. a • no enhanced hsp70 in cyclic bleached• strongly enhanced hsp70 in fatal bleached• hsp70 expression induced in 1.5 hrs• Synechococcus is a commensal, not a

mutualist!

López-Legentil & Pawlik 2009 Coral Reefs 28:157-165

Genetic structure from I3-M11 partition of COI

• most divergent morphologies had different haplotypes• common morphology is a mixture of haplotypes• genetic structure correlated to prevailing currents

Demographics: populations of X. muta are increasing!

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3Sp

ring

Fall

Sprin

g

Fall

Sprin

g

Fall

Sprin

g

Fall

Sprin

g

Fall

Sprin

g

Fall

Sprin

g

Fall

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Mea

n nu

mbe

r of s

pong

es/m

2

Time (yr)

20 m Conch

15 m Pickles

15 m Conch

30 m Conch

McMurray, Henkel & Pawlik 2010. Ecology 91:560-570McMurray, Henkel & Pawlik 2010. Ecol Arch E091-040-A1-A10

OCTOBER 1999 MAY 2000 MAY 2006

BASE

McMurray, Henkel & Pawlik 2010. Ecology 91:560-570McMurray, Henkel & Pawlik 2010. Ecol Arch E091-040-A1-A10

BASE I II III IV V

Stage-based Matrix Model

McMurray, Henkel & Pawlik 2010. Ecology 91:560-570

Impacts of demographic changes on filtration, benthic-pelagic coupling -- Dr. Chris Finelli - UNCW

Novel method for re-attaching barrel sponges

• Reciprocal transplants to 15 m and 30 m• 90% of deep and 35% of shallow transplants survived, despite 3 hurricanes (2005).

McMurray & Pawlik 2009. Restoration Ecol 17:192-195

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements: :

All publications available as PDFs at:All publications available as PDFs at:

http://people.uncw.edu/pawlikj/pubs2.htmlhttp://people.uncw.edu/pawlikj/pubs2.html

FUNDING and SUPPORT:FUNDING and SUPPORT:National Science Foundation National Science Foundation -- Biological OceanographyBiological OceanographyAquarius Reef Base/UNCW (NOAAAquarius Reef Base/UNCW (NOAA--NURC) NURC) -- Key Largo, FloridaKey Largo, Florida

* Aquarius and Dayboat support missions* Aquarius and Dayboat support missions* Technical diving training and support missions* Technical diving training and support missions

NOAANOAA’’s Coral Reef Conservation Programs Coral Reef Conservation ProgramFKNMS FKNMS –– permission to conduct research in SPAspermission to conduct research in SPAs

Smart and Smart and dedicated dedicated STUDENTS!STUDENTS!