Sea Sponges as Filter Feeders
Sea sponges, demospongiae are a type of filter feeding animals, generally surviving in shallow waters and earning their place as part of the ocean’s fundamental trophic levels. Such sponges obtain nutrients by pumping water from their environment in their pores, filtering the same for matter that is of biological and elemental value. They then absorb the matter in their choanocytes and through their cells.
A sea sponge’s dietary requirements are simple, primarily centring around organic continues of protein, carbohydrates, lipids and minerals. The proteins, carbohydrates and lipids are aquired in a similar manner as other filter feeders, from already pre-digested organic continues that are disolved in the ocean, from which they take directly into their bodies for use. The minerals are obtained via the water passing through their organs, such as their sensitive filter feeding tiles, and captured by the sponge.
The basis of for this method relies on the sponges’ special feature of being able to produce their own filtration materials through their water routes within the pore structures. As intake water passes through the sponge, it passes through these tight structures to gain the nutrients, with the particles to large to fit through them being left to flow on. Therefore, there is no need for an ocean organism such as a sea sponge to move in order to gain the proper nutrition it needs, as these cylindrical structures enable it to remain still in the same area.
Experts believe that the main advantage for sponges of having this filter feeding process is that it allows them to survive in relatively shallow water, as long as they can be submerged by 10 meters at least. In deeper waters, the food particles needed by them would be spread out and less concentrated. Therefore, filter feeding allows them to remain in familiar areas without the need to move to gain nutrition, while still being able to obtain the necessary organic continues and minerals required.
In challenging areas, such as the intertidal region in which sea sponges prefer to exist, the current can be quite strong. This can change the availability of food particles and can cause the sponges to lose their filter material. For this reason, the sponges have the capability to produce micro-organisms to increase the concentration of self-produced filtrations. This also enables the sea sponges to survive during calming water regimes where there is a shortage of food.
Overall, the method in which sea sponges extract the nutrients they need from filter feeding is remarkable in its ability to adapt according to the surrounding environment, and to produce the material necessary to keepup with the changing needs of the ocean. This is a highly efficient technique with few drawbacks, and allows the sea sponges to remain in one location while still gaining the high levels of nutrition they need to survive.
Sponges and Carbon Processing
Carbon processing is an essential part of the filter feeding process efficient for sea sponges. Chloroplasts in their cells enable them to photosynthesise, making them able to process light sources as part of their nutrition. The carbon processing capabilities of some sea sponges is incredibly impressive, with some species being able to turn solar energy into carbohydrates without needing energy from the sun. This means that the carbon processing of these species is efficiently converting energy into other forms of energy to further supplement their diet.
The development of free living cells in some sea sponges have allowed them to develop absorption systems for the organic continues they need. This is advantagious because these cells are able to absorb materials from both their external and internal layers, and tend to act as hydraulic pumps. While this is a slower way for sponges to have food, it is much more effective. This is because they are not only able to obtain nutrients through their external pores as with filter feeding, but also take energy directly from the environment.
The main downside to this method of aquiring nutrition is the longecy involved. The sponges must wait to absorb and process their material from the environment, and this can often leave them open to opportunist predators or damage from the levels of pollution that can frequently occur in their environment.
The carbon processes of some species of sea sponges serve a beneficial purpose to the environment. These species feed on things like aluminum and iron, both of which are elements that can be toxic to other species. By taking these elements out of the water, they can help to protect other species around them. While this can vary greatly from one sponge species to another, most are beneficial in this manner.
Not only are some sea sponges able to process carbon, some are even able to take in nitrogen from the water. Nitrogen is essential for many organisms and can also be toxic if there are too much of it is concentrated into a single area. By taking it in, sea sponges can help to keep levels balanced and therefore maintain the health of the sea.
The carbon processing capabilities of some sea sponges is a great advantage, enabling them to obtain more energy than simple filter feeding allows. The direct absorption of nutrients from the environment allows them to have access to energy that they might otherwise not have available, supplementing their diet. Additionally, their eating patterns can help to keep the environment clean by removing potentially toxic substances.
Sponges and Efficient Nutrient Recycling
An interesting method by which sponges obtain nutrients is through efficient nutrient recycling. Sponges are able to absorb molecules of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate from their environment and convert them into usable material for their own nourishiment. This nutrition is both balanced internally and can be released in when it is of no use. The extraction of these elements allows sponges to survive in places with low quantities of these molecules and to use them to produce the necessary energy they require.
The chemical reactions involved in this process are highly complex and depend on a number of internal components like enzymes. These same enzymes are key to the closure of the sponge’s life cycle as they break down the molecules of ammonium or nitrogen from their own bodies back into the environment to be recycled again in a process referred to as ammonification.
The need for ammonification is especially great in areas where sponges live in greater concentrations. This is because they can release these molecules into the environment and therefore increase the abundance of these molecules for themselves. This is a form of competition and seeks to maintain the survival of the sponges in an efficient manner.
Without ammonification, the sea sponge would go hungry and likely die, as the molecules required for their growth and nourishment are only available after a certain period of time has passed. This is why these creatures have adapted with this mechanizm as it allows them to survive in areas with less food and energy.
The efficient nutrient recycling capabilities of some species of sea sponges are a great advantage in terms of survival. This method gives them access to molecules that would otherwise not be available to them and allows them to maintain their nourishment by releasing these required molecules back into the environment.
Sponges and Micro-Organisms for Nutrition
Some sponges also obtain nutrition through the presence of micro-organisms in their pores. Certain poriferans have the ability to house specifc types of bacteria in their pores, such as symbiotic bacteria, that can provide nutrition to the species in exchange for something. This is especially true of species that live in arid environments that need additional proteins and minerals to complete their diets.
This method of aquiring nutrition is advantageous to sea sponges as it is an efficient form of obtaining nutrients that do not appear in their filter food or their environment. Moreover, these bacteria can help to convert the organic continues of protein and carbohydrates into forms that can be used directly by the sponge and hence allow for a greater degree of nourishment than the filter food process above.
The micro-organisms in the sponges can also help to protect the species from potential predators. Certain bacteria are known to produce compounds which can be unpalatable to predators, meaning that the pores in which they are housed are forbidden and the sponge is safe from hunting. In addition to this, these bacteria can also produce anti-fungal or anti-bacterial compounds that can help to protect the sponge’s cell integrity.
The most important factor of this method for the sponge is the overall level of nutrition it can provide to the species. By providing the necessary proteins and carbohydrates that the sponge cannot access directly, these micro-organisms can effectively help to sustain it; even when conditions are not optimum for filter feeding. Additionally, the protection offered by the bacteria is a great boon for survival.
Sponges and Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is an interesting method of aquiring nutrition practiced by a few species of sea sponges. This can be particularly adavantagious to those species that live in relatively shallow waters and as such are unable to access the nutrients that might be available in deeper parts of the sea.
