Marine Sponge Bleaching Observed For 1st Time Off Eastern Tasmania As Warming Continues
Bleaching in marine sponges in temperate waters off Tasmania’s east coast has been observed for the first time, with scientists warning the discovery could be an indicator of climate change in deeper reef systems.
Researchers at the University of Tasmania’s Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies used seafloor surveys to discover the bleaching of cup sponges in the Flinders commonwealth marine reserve after heatwave events.
The sponges, which are ordinarily reddish-purple in colour, live in a mesophotic ecosystem – the twilight zone at depths between 30 metres and 150 metres – that bridges brightly lit shallow waters and the darkness of deep ocean.
Images of the bleached cup sponges were captured in 2017 but not analysed until later. The research findings were recently published in the journal Climate Change Ecology. “There seems to be a pattern going on with increased bleaching through time,” Dr Nick Perkins, the study’s lead author, said. Perkins said the bleaching of cup sponges could act “as a canary in the coalmine” to indicate the impact of climate change on rocky reefs in temperate waters.
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/12/bleaching-of-marine-sponges-observed-in-warming-tasmanian-waters-for-the-first-time
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