by LOURDES MEDEROS, UF/IFAS
Hidden beneath South Florida’s waves, sponges quietly clean the waters by filtering out nutrients, supporting seagrass and sustaining the region’s vibrant marine life.
But after years of environmental stress and water quality decline, these essential organisms are struggling to survive. Now, a team of scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is leading the charge to help restore these filter feeders.
Supported by a nearly $750,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a three-year project is taking shape led by principal investigator Ashley Smyth, an associate professor of soil, water and ecosystem sciences at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center and Florida Sea Grant agents Shelly Krueger at UF/IFAS Extension Monroe County and Ana Zangroniz at UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County.
“Sponges are often overlooked, but they’re incredibly important — and incredibly beautiful,” said Smyth. “They filter vast amounts of water, provide shelter for marine life and support water quality. Restoring them helps restore entire ecosystems.”
Working in partnership with Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, the team will test successful sponge restoration techniques currently used in other areas of Southeast Florida. Throughout the project, researchers will restore at least 1,500 sponges in a permitted nursery in the Lower Keys and 1,000 sponges at a pilot restoration site in Biscayne Bay.
“Sponges are nature’s water filters. They play an essential role in maintaining water clarity and supporting coastal health by cleaning the water, providing habitat for other organisms and helping to cycle nutrients,” said Smyth. “Through this project, we aim to restore not only sponge populations but also the ecological services and water quality benefits they provide to South Florida’s coastal environments.”
Sponges are very difficult to identify. In the nearshore waters of South Florida, most sponges lack the bright dazzling colors and glamour of the more recognizable coral reef-associated species. Instead, the shallow-water sponges tend to be black and round with only minor differences to tell them apart, Krueger said.
“For this reason, this new research will advance the identification of these important animals for the purposes of common names and scientific identification,” she said. “In the past, the family trees of most animals were based on common morphology, but today’s genetic advances are revealing many secrets they’ve long concealed.”
Resolving the classifications of sponge restoration species will ensure consistent scientific identification across projects statewide. Krueger brings extensive experience from her Florida Keys aquaculture research, where she’s worked on sponge restoration aquaculture while studying sponge reproduction, growth and the ecosystem services they provide to filter and improve water quality. Sponges filter algae, viruses and bacteria from the water column, which is their food source.
Zangroniz will lead the establishment of the Biscayne Bay pilot nursery, assist with public outreach and engagement efforts. She will help the public understand how sponges contribute to cleaner water and healthier bays. Together, the team aims to develop a unified framework for sponge restoration aquaculture across South Florida.
“I’m excited to expand best practices for sponge restoration aquaculture into Biscayne National Park. This project will help continue the mission of the National Park Service to preserve and protect natural and cultural resources, unimpaired, for this and future generations,” said Zangroniz.
By combining scientific research with hands-on restoration and community collaboration, the team hopes to turn the tide for Florida’s coastal habitat, reviving both their function and their natural beauty.
Provided by UF/IFAS