Reciprocal nutritional benefits in a sponge-seagrass association

Abstract

Sponges commonly form associations within seagrass meadows, but their potential impact on seagrass productivity and nutrient cycles remains poorly understood. This study investigates the association between the demosponge Chondrilla nucula and the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica in two sampling occasions during the plant growth (spring) and senescence (autumn) seasons at a small inlet near Naples, Italy, where the sponge grows conspicuously within the seagrass bed. We found a non-linear relationship between the benthic cover of the sponge and the seagrass, with higher C. nucula cover linked to intermediate P. oceanica cover, suggesting spatial dependence. P. oceanica showed higher net primary production (NPP) in spring, while C. nucula was net heterotrophic in spring but exhibited slightly positive NPP in autumn. NPP remained stable when the two organisms were associated, regardless of the season. C. nucula consistently contributed inorganic nutrients to the association in the form of phosphate, ammonium, and substantial nitrate, recycling nutrients that potentially benefited P. oceanica in its growth season. In return, the seagrass consistently provided dissolved organic carbon, which aided sponge nutrition in spring. These findings suggest reciprocal benefits in the interaction between C. nucula and P. oceanica, with nutrient exchange facilitating a facultative mutualism that potentially supports and stabilizes the productivity of the seagrass ecosystem.

Preprint | Data

Citation

BibTeX citation:

@online{cardini2024,
  author = {Cardini, U. and Montilla, L. M. and Zapata-Hernandez, G. and
    J , Berlinghof and E , Guarcini and M , Furia and F , Margiotta and
    T , Meador and C , Wild and S. , Fraschetti and I , Olive},
  title = {Reciprocal Nutritional Benefits in a Sponge-Seagrass
    Association},
  date = {2024-12-12},
  url = {https://www.luismmontilla.com/papers/cardini2024/},
  doi = {10.1101/2024.12.06.627200},
  langid = {en},
  abstract = {Sponges commonly form associations within seagrass
    meadows, but their potential impact on seagrass productivity and
    nutrient cycles remains poorly understood. This study investigates
    the association between the demosponge *Chondrilla nucula* and the
    Mediterranean seagrass *Posidonia oceanica* in two sampling
    occasions during the plant growth (spring) and senescence (autumn)
    seasons at a small inlet near Naples, Italy, where the sponge grows
    conspicuously within the seagrass bed. We found a non-linear
    relationship between the benthic cover of the sponge and the
    seagrass, with higher *C. nucula* cover linked to intermediate *P.
    oceanica* cover, suggesting spatial dependence. *P. oceanica* showed
    higher net primary production (NPP) in spring, while *C. nucula* was
    net heterotrophic in spring but exhibited slightly positive NPP in
    autumn. NPP remained stable when the two organisms were associated,
    regardless of the season. *C. nucula* consistently contributed
    inorganic nutrients to the association in the form of phosphate,
    ammonium, and substantial nitrate, recycling nutrients that
    potentially benefited *P. oceanica* in its growth season. In return,
    the seagrass consistently provided dissolved organic carbon, which
    aided sponge nutrition in spring. These findings suggest reciprocal
    benefits in the interaction between *C. nucula* and *P. oceanica*,
    with nutrient exchange facilitating a facultative mutualism that
    potentially supports and stabilizes the productivity of the seagrass
    ecosystem.}
}

For attribution, please cite this work as:

Cardini, U., L. M. Montilla, G. Zapata-Hernandez, Berlinghof J, Guarcini E, Furia M, Margiotta F, et al. 2024. “Reciprocal Nutritional Benefits in a Sponge-Seagrass Association.” December 12, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.06.627200.