Bioerosion by boring sponges is an important mechanism shaping the structure of coral reefs all around the world. To determine the excavation rate by boring sponges, we developed a system in which chemical and mechanical boring rates [calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) dissolution and chip production, respectively] were measured simultaneously in experimental tanks containing reefal rock inhabited by ...

Sponges show the highest diversity of associated bacteria among marine invertebrates. Immunological evidence traces the origin of the sponge bacterial symbioses to the Precambrian era. Hence, sponges appear to be ideally suited for studying the evolutionary origins of prokaryote-metazoan associations. Sponges produce either calcareous or siliceous skeletons, which only coexist in a relict group...

SYNOPSIS. Secondary metabolites are widespread among lower phyla and understanding their functional role(s) in the producing organism has been under study in recent decades. Considerable progress has been made in understanding chemical ecological interactions among terrestrial organisms, and similar research in the marine realm has been initiated in recent years. Polar regions are more difficul...

The addition of antibiotics to intravaginal sponges used to synchronize ewe estrus is currently a recommended practice for the prevention of posttreatment vaginal infections. Application of this antibiotic treatment is usually done without withdrawal periods for milk, but official pharmaceutical instructions do not consider the extra-label use of antibiotics, which could result in the presence ...

Early fossil sponges offer a direct window onto the evolutionary emergence of animals, but insights are limited by the paucity of characters preserved in the conventional fossil record. Here, a new preservational mode for sponge spicules is reported from the lower Cambrian Forteau Formation (Newfoundland, Canada), prompting a re-examination of proposed homologies and sponge inter-relationships....

SYNOPSIS. Hexactinellid sponges are metazoans in which the major tissue component is a multinucleated syncytium. The preferred deepwater habitat of these sponges makes collection of hexactinellids in good condition difficult, and has hindered extensive examination of their body plan. Nonetheless, over the last three decades a number of studies have explored their ecology, histology and physiolo...

For reconstruction and regeneration of hard tissues, scaffold biomaterials with large size pores and high porosity are important, in addition to their roles as supporting frames. To develop a new biodegradable scaffold biomaterial, CO3Ap, which has crystallinity and a chemical composition similar to bone, was synthesized at pH 7.4 and 60 C. Then, the CO3Ap was mixed with a neutralized collagen ...