Researchers' Diaries
Oliver Gomez - Sponges
The Western Australian Museum, until recently, had surveyed only a few selected areas of the Kimberley for sponges during 2 dredge and 2 dive surveys.
The Western Australian Museum, until recently, had surveyed only a few selected areas of the Kimberley for sponges during 2 dredge and 2 dive surveys.
In 2011 the Woodside Collection Project (Kimberley) included this important sessile filter feeder group (marine sponges) in the current surveys. Sponges do occur in this harsh marine environment but little is known about which species exist there. Only one extensive study of this group has been carried out in this region by the WA Museum and that was along the continental edge at Mermaid Reef (Rowley Shoals), Scott and Seringapatam Reefs. Therefore, this current survey was a perfect opportunity to begin to close the knowledge gaps we currently have for sponges of the Kimberley. The main aims for the sponge work are:
- What is the sponge diversity of the region?
- How abundant are they?
- How different is the sponge fauna of the Kimberley from other regions in Australia?
As a result of this 2011 fieldtrip to target this phyla, we managed to collect over 300 specimens with an early estimate of 10% being new records and possibly new species. We found some common species such as Cinachyrella isis, Cinachyrella tenuiviolacea, Haliclona (Haliclona) cymaeformis, Rhabdastrella globostellata, Neopetrosia exigua, and Phyllospongia papyracea, and many others that will take many lab hours and searching of historical literature to identify. There were some fantastic dive stations where marine sponges were abundant as well as on the reef flats, but a great majority of underwater stations were covered by fine silty sediment making it difficult to find some of the sponges. Overall, it was a wonderful fieldtrip and with another SCUBA diving expedition under my belt I can’t wait for this year’s trip to see what the next instalment has for us.
Cymbastella sp. & Phllospongia papyracea. Image copyright of the WA Museum.
Thorectidae sp. Image copyright of the WA Museum.
Cinachyrella tenuiviolacea. Image copyright of the WA Museum.
