![]() Inside the sponge, tiny hairlike structures called flagella create currents to filter bacteria out of the sponge’s cells and trap food within them. Some sponges even attach themselves to floating debris! Rarely are they found completely free-floating.Īs water filters through a sponge’s porous exterior, the sponge gains some motion, receives food and oxygen, and dispels waste. In this way, sponges protect the reef against extreme fluctuations in nutrient density, temperature, and light, benefiting the survival of other reef organisms.Ī sponge’s skeletal type adapts well to its particular habitat, allowing it to live on hard, rocky surfaces or soft sediments such as sand and mud. In nutrient-depleted coral reefs, some sponge species are thought to make carbon biologically available by excreting a form of “sponge poop” that other organisms feed on, thereby fueling productivity throughout the ecosystem. A diverse sponge population can affect water quality on the reef as the sponges filter water, collect bacteria, and process carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Regardless of these differences, sponges are important inhabitants of coral reef ecosystems. ![]() While most sponges are found in the ocean, numerous species are also found in fresh water and estuaries. ![]()
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