- We close the #biodiversity25 conference with a keynote presentation by Ute Hentschel Humeida about the basis of #sponge #symbiosis. “Life has evolved in a sea of microbes”. Microbial diversity already existed before the diversification of Eukaryotes. Host-microbes symbiosis appeared early in time.
- Metaorganism or holobionts are groups of organisms living together. Sponges are a diverse marine animal phyla either >7500 species. They are wonderful example of microbes symbiosis. They are efficient filter feeders and “big bags with pipes connected by jelly. The jelly has many symbiotic bacteria”.Oct 29, 2025 12:02
- Sponges are exceptional reservoirs of microbial diversity. Sponges have 4 specific microbial clusters. They have many nitrogen-assimilation and carbon-assimilation bacteria and chemical defenses and defense against external DNA. One example is the Poribacteria phylum specific to sponge.
