Long-term experimental in situ farming of Crambe crambe (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida)

Abstract

BackgroundThe marine sponge Crambe crambe was chosen as an experimental model of sustainable shallow-water mariculture in the Sardinian Sea (Western Mediterranean) to provide biomass with high potential in applied research.MethodsExplants were cultured in four long-term experiments (19 and 31 months at ca. 2.5 m depth), to determine the suitability of new culture techniques by testing substrata and seeding time (season), and monitoring survival and growth. Explants were excised and grown in an experimental plant close to the wild donor sponge population. Percentage growth rate (GR%) was measured in terms of surface cover area, and explant survival was monitored in situ by means of a digital photo camera.ResultsExplant survival was high throughout the trial, ranging from 78.57% to 92.85% on travertine tiles and from 50% to 71.42% on oyster shells. A few instances of sponge regression were observed. Explant cover area correlated positively with season on two substrata, i.e., tiles and shells. The surface cover area and GR% of explants were measured in the starting phase and monitored up to the end of the trial. High GR% values were observed both on tiles (>21%) and on oyster shells (>15%).DiscussionThe data on the behaviour and life-style of cultured fragments, together with an increase >2,400% in cover area, demonstrate that in situ aquaculture is a viable and sustainable method for the shallow-water biomass supply of Crambe crambe.

Sponges architecture by colour: new insights into the fibres morphogenesis, skeletal spatial layout and morpho-anatomical traits of a marine horny sponge species (Porifera)

“…Clones of Sarcotragus spinosulus had been obtained during previous farming experiments on donors from the wild population inhabiting shallow water (0.2-3 m) rocky substrata, intermattes and rhizomes of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, 1813 meadows in Porto Conte Bay (Figure 1, Sardinia, Italy) (see Perez-Lopez et al 2017;Padiglia et al 2018;. This is a pristine area in the Capo Caccia -Isola Piana Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Northern Sardinian Sea (Western Mediterranean).…”

“…Mariculture plant is located on special submerged man-made structures in a small marina in Tramariglio Cove (40°35ʹ32.47"N, 8°10ʹ11.50"E); plant modules are anchored to the underwater structure of a pier in shallow water (2-3 m depth), and are partially shaded by the pier (see Perez-Lopez et al 2017;Padiglia et al 2018). The cove is sheltered from the north-western wind, but exposed to the east wind and strong gales from the southwest.…”

Invasive green algae in a western Mediterranean Marine Protected Area: interaction of photophilous sponges with Caulerpa cylindracea

“…Only one case of algal settlement was observed during the 5-year study on the wild population of the bay. Moreover, the absence of this invasive alga in sponge-farming plants has been documented during long-term experiments on C. crambe cultivation in the same Porto Conte Bay (Padiglia et al ., 2018 b ), where modular plants are suspended in the water column at a distance of ~50 cm from the dense C. cylindracea prairie.…”

The multifunctional role of marine sponges in multi-trophic mariculture systems : towards sustainable use of sponges in polluted marine waters

“…The mariculture of non-commercial sponges started with the pioneering work of who cultured four Mediterranean sponge species under different light and current conditions. Three decades ago (1996-), a second wave of in situ sponge culture commenced due to the sponge-derived bioactive metabolites and biomaterials identified from various species (Battershill and Page, 1996;Munro et al 1999;Duckworth and Battershill 2003a;Page et al 2005;Carballo et al 2010;de Caralt et al 2010;Padiglia et al 2018;Santiago et al 2019;. Sponge mariculture was identified as a viable method to supply sustainable quantities of desirable sponge biomaterials .…”

“…Three decades ago, a wave of in situ and ex situ sponge culture commenced due to the many sponge-derived bioactive metabolites isolated and biomaterials identified from species other than bath sponges (Battershill and Page, 1996;Munro et al 1999;Duckworth and Battershill 2003a,b;Page et al 2005;Carballo et al 2010;de Caralt et al 2010;Schiefenhövel and Kunzmann et al 2012;Perez-Lopez et al 2014;Ternon et al 2017;Padiglia et al 2018;Santiago et al 2019;. Sponge mariculture was identified to be one of the best applicable methods to supply sustainable quantities of desirable sponge biomaterials such as avarol, collagen, halichondrin B, isohomohalichondrin B, peloruside A, prenylhydroquinones and renieramycins Perez-Lopez et al 2016;Santiago et al 2019).…”