Chu JWF, Leys SP
High resolution mapping of community structure in three glass sponge reefs (Porifera, Hexactinellida)
MEPS 417:97-113 | Full text in pdf format

 

Supplement 1: Full text in pdf format (pdf, 320 KB)

 

Supplement 2: Video imagery highlighting differences between 3 glass sponge reefs in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada. Howe reef (HR) was the least densely covered by living sponges, and had areas of mechanically broken sponges. A bed of the seawhip Halipteris willemoesi was discovered on the north western side of Howe Reef. At the Fraser reef (FR), a sixgill shark Hexanchus griseus swam over the sponges and past the ROV. Galiano Reef (GR) had the densest population of glass sponges. Live and dead sponges were heavily populated by crustaceans. The decorator crab Chorilia longipes was found inside oscula, here decorating itself with sponge tissue. Also, populations of the dorid nudibranch Peltodoris lentiginosa were found at Galiano reef and were confirmed as predators of the reef forming glass sponges.

 

 

Click to download video (mov, 9.5 MB)