Sponges and Sponge farming

Amidst the challenges posed by climate change on seaweed farming in Zanzibar, a shift towards sponge farming has empowered women, offering financial independence and environmental sustainability.

About the Sponges:

• The Sponges are simple multicellular aquatic animals belonging to the phylum Porifera.
• They have a porous body structure and play a crucial role in marine ecosystems, contributing to nutrient cycling.
• Some sponges, like corals, are immobile aquatic invertebrates, but many of them have distinct anatomy, feeding methods, and reproductive processes. 
• Inside the sponge, tiny hairlike structures called flagella create currents to filter bacteria out of the sponge’s cells and trap food within them.
• It has strong skeletal structures that help sponges withstand the high volume of water that flows through them each day.

Corals vs Sponges:

• Corals are complex, many-celled organisms, while sponges are very simple creatures with no tissues.
• All corals require saltwater to survive, while most sponges are found in the ocean, they can also be present in freshwater and estuaries.

Significance:

• They filter water, removes bacteria and other particles, thus helping to maintain water quality.
• They provide habitat and shelter for various marine organisms.
• Some sponge species can make carbon biologically available by excreting a form of “sponge poop” that other organisms feed on, thereby fuelling productivity throughout the ecosystem.
• Sponges protect the coral reef against extreme fluctuations in nutrient density, temperature, and light, benefiting the survival of other reef organisms.

Benefits of Sponge Farming:

• Sponges has remarkable resilience and ecological benefits and requires minimal maintenance with higher market prices.
• Hermaphroditic nature of sponges facilitates natural propagation, making sponge farming financially viable with minimal resources.
  • A hermaphrodite is an organism that has both male and female reproductive organs. 
• Sponges has become a source of income for women facing the adverse impacts of climate change on seaweed farming.

Ref: Source