Sponge microbiomes

Sponge microbiomes are diverse communities of microorganisms in symbiotic association with marine sponges as their hosts. These microorganisms include bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses, among others. The sponges have the ability to filter seawater and recycle nutrients while providing a safe habitat to many microorganisms, which provide the sponge host with fixed nitrogen and carbon, and stimulates the immune system. Together, a sponge and its microbiome form a holobiont, with a single sponge often containing more than 40 bacterial phyla, making sponge microbial environments a diverse and dense community. Furthermore, individual holobionts work hand in hand with other near holobionts becoming a nested ecosystem, affecting the environment at multiple scales.

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