On the quest for spongy pests
Science Centres: Aquatic Biodiversity and Biosecurity
Ancorina alata
Leucettusa lancifer
Dendrilla rosea
Hamigera tarangaensis
Leucettusa tubulosa
Psammocinia hawere
Sponges are sedentary marine invertebrates, yet, like many other marine species, they are able to forge a path across bays and between continents without much effort. International shipping plays an important role in transporting organisms like sponges around the world, and many marine species find themselves hitching a free ride in the ballast water of ships or attached to their hulls.
NIWA is currently undertaking comprehensive surveys of New Zealand’s ports and harbours for the Ministry of Fisheries to identify the range of introduced species that may be lurking in these environments (see “On the lookout for marine pests”). Sponges have been a significant component of the fauna recovered from the seven ports examined so far, and we hope to distinguish our native New Zealand species from potential exotic invaders.
To aid the research team, we recently held a 3-day workshop at NIWA in Christchurch to help staff involved in the port surveys develop the skills necessary to identify sponge species by using the vast amount of sponge material collected so far.
The workshop included seminars, slides, and discussions on sponge biology and ecology, followed by an exploration of the important morphological characteristics which are used for identifying sponges to genus and species level (e.g., shape, surface features, texture, and spicule configuration).
Over the next 2 days, the research team put their newly aquired skills to good use, sorting through the samples, making and studying spicule preparations, and dividing the sponges into species groups.
The workshop was fascinating, fun, a resounding success, and the first of its kind in New Zealand.
So, did we detect any unwanted invaders? Well, we certainly uncovered some weird and wonderful specimens, which will be more formally identified over the coming months. Watch this space!