Section

Sponges belong to the most abundant sessile marine animals and contribute significantly to the total biomass on the sea floor.  As active suspension feeders sponges play an important role for the benthic-pelagic  coupling processes within the marine food web . Furthermore, they structure the ocean floor and act as hosts for numerous other animals and microbes. Thus, the evolutionary radiation of the Porifera is a key to the diversity and distribution of marine benthic communities.

In our research we use an integrated approach of morphological and molecular techniques combined with palaeontological data to achieve a new understanding on the evolution of the Porifera and their ecological history and their numerous roles within the marine biotopes.

Sponges are known as important providers of natural products for medical and other purposes, especially Spongia officinalis, the bath sponge, is known and used  in human medicine  since millenniums.  To defend themselves against competitors and predators sponges have developed a very efficient chemical warfare by  producing bioactive substances, which are used also for human purposes.  In the pharma industry (among others),  bioactive  compounds from key-species of sponges play an increasing role. For the identification of these key species and the knowledge of their distribution and ecology, our expertise in taxonomy and biodiversity  research is needed.

Taxomomy, diversity and ecology of selected key-species of Antarctic sponges

Diversity of abyssal and bathyal sponges of the Kurile-Kamchatka Basin (NW Pazifik)

The Kurile-Kamchatka Basin with ist maximal depth  of  9700 m  is one of the Earth`s  deepest marine biotopes  and harbours numerous abyssal and bathyal animals which are so far are almost unknown. These organisms were observed and collected within the German-Russian KuramBio II Expedition (Kuril Kamchatka Biodiversity Studies II with RV Sonne). They are partly published but many taxa are still under study.  Currently, we investigate a highly diverse Porifera fauna from this expedition. Among the deepest findings of sponges World-wide are Demospongiae of the family Cladorhizidae (carnivore sponges). We also find many new species of glass sponges in this fauna.

The early evolution of Porifera

Porifera (sponges) probably represent the oldest stem of animals still living on Earth. Their  fossil record can be traced back to Late Precambrian, and  their evolutionary history is probably much longer.

In the Marine Zoology Division, section Marine Evertebrates I, we curate the collections of Porifera (sponges), Cnidaria (mainly corals), Ctenophora (comb jellies) and Tunicates.

Our Cnidaria collection is internationally and nationally important, among others as a merit of the intensive research activity by Dr. Manfred Grasshoff, the former leader of this section. This is true particularly for the Octocorallia collection which is one of the richest World-wide.

The Porifera collection is currently growing and is internationally increasingly important, as a result of our ongoing research activities and many new accessions also from other scientists.

The Ctenophora- and Tunicata-collections are relatively rich and mainly of local significance, as they contain vaucher specimens from long-term monitoring projects, e. g. from the  German North Sea.

History

The Section was founded by the FIS former director Dr. Wilhelm Schäfer in 1966 in view of the growing Germany marine research activities.  From 1969 ontil 2001 Dr. Manfred Grasshoff  held the position as leader of the Marine Evbertebrates I. His research was focussed on the taxonomy of Octocorals and the evolution of the Coelenterates . He also took part in the Frankfurt working groups on  evolution and phylogenetics.

This section´s collections and libraries included invertebrates – with exception of the Mollusca and  Arthopoda. However at that time the section Arachnology (now led by Dr. Peter Jäger) was also curated by the section Marine Evertebrates I.

In 1990 the section Marine Evbertebrates II was erected for Polychaeta and others, under direction of Dr. Dieter Fiege. The sponges, „coelenterates“ (Cnidaria and Ctenophora) and Tunicates remained within the Marine Evbertebrates I.

Since May 2001, Dr. Dorte Janussen is leader of section ME I , and our research focus has shifted to the taxonomy,biogeography, phylogenetics and evolutionary ecology of he Porifera.