42 sea sponges transplanted to polluted marina — 91.7% survive and start cloning

Scientists transplanted 42 sea sponges into a polluted Spanish marina, where 91.7 per cent of one hardy species survived for 455 days and began creating mobile clones.The study, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, shows that the chicken kidney sponge (Chondrosia reniformis) can thrive in heavily disturbed harbour waters and multiply on its own. The findings suggest these natural filter feeders could serve as pioneers for cleaning up polluted ports.Harbours present harsh conditions for marine life due to accumulated fuels, toxic paints, trash, noise pollution, and invasive species brought in by shipping. To test whether native sponges could help restore these habitats, researchers led by Dr Manuel Maldonado from the Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes in Girona, Spain, tested five wild Mediterranean species.“Here we show that some sponge species have exceptional potential for use in the restoration of degraded harbor habitats,” said Maldonado.