Discovery of a “Living Dinosaur”: Globally unique modern hexactinellid sponge reefs off British Columbia, Canada

Krautter, Manfred; Conway, Kim W.; Barrie, J. Vaughn; Neuweiler, Matthias

doi:10.1007/bf02668178

Cited by 105 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 22 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Supporting their low-energy habitat preference, Olóriz et al (2006) observed the appearance of Terebella lapilloides in lithofacies with low-energy conditions. Existence of this annelid from a marine shelf under low to moderate currents was also observed by Huggett et al (1986) and Krautter et al (2001).…”

Section: Paleoecological and Paleoenvironmental Significance Of Terebsupporting

confidence: 80%

Terebella lapilloides Münster, 1833 from the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous İnaltı carbonates, northern Turkey: its taxonomic position and paleoenvironmental-paleoecological significance

Kaya¹,

Altıner²

2014

Turkish J Earth Sci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionThe basic types of Jurassic reefs can be grouped into 3 categories according to their paleogeographic setting and the composition of the biota as coral reefs, siliceous sponge reefs, and pure microbialite reefs (Leinfelder, 2001). There exists a great variety of transitional forms between these major categories (Leinfelder, 2001). Additionally, the occurrence of various types of bivalve reefs and red algal reefs from the Jurassic times was also reported (Leinfelder et al., 2002). Apart from the reef categories included in Leinfelder's classification, Schlagintweit and Gawlick (2008) described microencruster-cement boundstones as a separate reef type from the Northern Calcareous Alps of Austria. Displaying many similarities with these carbonate deposits of the Intra-Tethyan domain, coralmicrobial-microencruster reefs were also documented from the southern Intra-Tethyan domain by Pleş et al. (2013). During the Late Jurassic, when one of the largest reefal expansions of the Phanerozoic occurred (Wood, 1999;Kiessling, 2002), mixed coral-sponge reefs were widespread on the isolated Intra-Tethys platform margins, whereas that mixing was rare on North Tethys/North Atlantic shelves due to the predomination of corals over sponges (Leinfelder, 2001).Colonial scleractinian corals and siliceous sponges with a rigid skeleton were the prevailing reef building metazoans of the Jurassic with occasional contribution from coralline sponges (e.g., stromatoporoids) (Leinfelder et al., 1994). These framebuilders were accompanied by diverse encrusting, boring, and free-living benthic metazoans as well as free-growing or encrusting algae or algal-type organisms, which are generally problematic in systematic position (Leinfelder et al., 1993b(Leinfelder et al., , 1994. Among these organisms, some have great importance for the paleoenvironmental/paleoecological interpretations (e.g., for bathymetry, hydrodynamics, sedimentation rate, and oxygen content). The agglutinating annelid Terebella lapilloides Münster is one of those accompanying

show abstract

Section: Paleoecological and Paleoenvironmental Significance Of Terebsupporting

confidence: 80%

Terebella lapilloides Münster, 1833 from the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous İnaltı carbonates, northern Turkey: its taxonomic position and paleoenvironmental-paleoecological significance

Kaya¹,

Altıner²

2014

Turkish J Earth Sci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Siliceous spicules are also extremely abundant in both Arctic and Antarctic bottoms at diverse depths, where they form mats up to 2 m thick (Koltun 1968; Dayton et al 1974;Van Wagoner et al 1989), thus having profound effects on the structure of benthic communities (Könnecker 1989;Barthel 1992;Barthel and Gutt 1992). Of particular interest to illustrate the issue of BSi production and retention by sponge spicules below the photic layer is the recent discovery of seven living reefs of hexactinellids at bathyal depths (154-240 m) in the Hecate Strait and the Strait of Georgia in British Columbia Krautter et al 2001). These reefs, similar to ones that were common 200 million yr ago, are built by dictyonine hexactinellids, the skeletons of which consist of a rigid, three-dimensional network of fused siliceous spicules that remains long after the sponges have died and serves as a substratum for subsequent sponge generations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The abundance of living hexactinellids can reach 240 individuals in 10 m 2 (Leys et al 2004). Because the explored reefs are up to 19 m high and extend from 2 to 10 km 2 Krautter et al 2001;Leys et al 2004), it can easily be deduced that they function as huge Si traps.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Siliceous sponges as a silicon sink: An overlooked aspect of benthopelagic coupling in the marine silicon cycle

Maldonado

Carmona

Velásquez

et al. 2005

Limnology & Oceanography

154

136

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Our current understanding of the silicon (Si) cycle in the ocean assumes that diatoms dominate not only the uptake of silicic acid, but also the production and recycling of biogenic silica (BSi), and that other organisms with siliceous skeletons, including sponges, radiolarians, and silicoflagellates, play a negligible role. In this study, we reexamine some aspects of the potential contribution by sponges and present in vitro evidence that BSi in the form of sponge spicules redissolves into silicic acid at far slower rates than those known for diatom frustules. We also show that the retention of Si by siliceous sponges in some sublittoral and bathyal environments is substantial and that sponge populations function as Si sinks. Additionally, by reanalyzing published information on sponge growth and BSi content, we estimate that BSi production rates by sublittoral sponges in Si-poor and Si-rich marine areas fall quite close to values known for diatom assemblages. Therefore, sponges may affect Si cycling dynamics and Si availability for diatoms, particularly in Si-depleted environments. Altogether, our data strongly suggest that the role of sponges in the benthopelagic coupling of the Si cycle is significant.

show abstract

“…Nevertheless, the dearth of lyssacine sponges and the abundance of sponge skeletons in the inner basin of Howe Sound is striking. In 1977 and 1978, anoxia was sustained for an anomalously long period (www-sci.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/osap/projects/bcinlets/ default_e.htm) resulting in widespread death of fishes and invertebrates (Levings 1980 ; Krautter et al 2001) it is quite possible that the sponges seen in the inner basin of Howe Sound in 1981 were no more than 3 to 4 yr old. It is also likely that the juveniles recruited at the greatest depths did not survive the low oxygen levels encountered during the observation period (Fig.…”

Section: Dissolved Oxygen Levelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of glass sponge (Porifera, Hexactinellida) distribution in coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada

Leys

Wilson²,

Holeton³

et al. 2004

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Glass sponges are enigmatic members of the deep-sea fauna that inhabit shallow waters in only a few locations world-wide. In order to understand what factors influence the distribution of glass sponges, patterns of distribution and abundance of reef and non-reef forming hexactinellids in fjords of British Columbia, Canada, were analyzed from photographs and transcripts recorded on dives undertaken by the 'Pisces IV' manned submersible during the 1980s. Hexactinellids are widely distributed throughout all fjords from 16 to 650 m depths, and in some fjords abundances reach 240 individuals in 10 m 2 . In all fjords hexactinellids were most abundant at depths of 20 to 260 m, even where water depths exceeded 500 m. Glass sponges were rare in regions of inlets where oxygen levels fall below 2 ml l -1 , or in areas of high sediment deposition. Highest abundances coincided with water conditions of high dissolved silicate, low light, temperatures between 9 and 10°C and low suspended sediments. Extensive glass sponge skeletons in the inner basin of Howe Sound reflect past stress in this fjord that may include oxygen deficit, sediment loading from a mine and contamination from industrial sites. The observations from 'Pisces IV' suggest that glass sponges may be sentinel species for current and past seawater conditions in coastal British Columbia.

show abstract

Discovery of a “Living Dinosaur”: Globally unique modern hexactinellid sponge reefs off British Columbia, Canada

Cited by 105 publications

References 22 publications

Terebella lapilloides Münster, 1833 from the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous İnaltı carbonates, northern Turkey: its taxonomic position and paleoenvironmental-paleoecological significance

Terebella lapilloides Münster, 1833 from the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous İnaltı carbonates, northern Turkey: its taxonomic position and paleoenvironmental-paleoecological significance

Siliceous sponges as a silicon sink: An overlooked aspect of benthopelagic coupling in the marine silicon cycle

Patterns of glass sponge (Porifera, Hexactinellida) distribution in coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About