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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 59(4)

Neighbour and environmental influences on the growth patterns of two temperate Haliclonid sponges

D. A. Abdo A C , J. I. McDonald A , E. S. Harvey A , J. Fromont B and G. A. Kendrick A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Plant Biology (M090), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

B Department of Aquatic Zoology, Western Australian Museum, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, WA 6986, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: abdod01@student.uwa.edu.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 59(4) 304-312 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF07165
Submitted: 19 September 2007  Accepted: 26 February 2008   Published: 15 May 2008

Abstract

Understanding the growth dynamics of an organism is central to understanding its ecology and biology. Sponges often dominate many subtidal habitats, however, determining their growth dynamics is often difficult owing to the plastic and amorphous morphologies that occur in many species. Two sympatric Haliclonid sponge species were examined using a novel photogrammetric technique to understand how environmental and competitive influences affect their growth. Sponges of both species were tagged and monitored over a 14-month period. Haliclona sp. 1 (green Haliclona) showed little variation in growth compared with Haliclona sp. 2 (brown Haliclona), which had a significant seasonal growth pattern. Both green and brown Haliclona grew a significant amount over the period of study (green Haliclona: 3.4% month–1; brown Haliclona: 6.0% month–1 (with neighbours) and 4.1% month–1 (without neighbours)). In both species, growth was not significantly influenced by competition from neighbours; rather, neighbouring organisms appeared to provide protection from adverse environmental conditions. The growth dynamics of both species have important implications for the maintenance of both species populations, particularly given the important habitat they provide for other organisms, and their potential exploitation for the supply of bioactive metabolites.

Additional keywords: competition, morphology, wave height.


Acknowledgements

Special thanks are given to Linda Heap, David Gull and Ben Toohey for their help in the field. The present study was carried out under permit SF005514 from the Department of Environment and Conservation, and a University of Western Australia–Fisheries WA umbrella permit. Thanks are extended to SeaGIS for the supply of PhotoMeasure and for technical support during the present study. We would like to thank the School of Plant Biology, CRC for Coastal Zone, Estuary and Waterway Management, Wills Housing and Raytech Industries for their funding, logistical support and help in the current study. The anonymous reviewers are also thanked for their valuable comments and suggestions.


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