• Beyond the tip of the seamount: Distinct megabenthic communities found beyond the charismatic summit sponge ground on an arctic seamount (Schulz Bank, Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge) 

      Meyer, Heidi Kristina; Davies, A.J.; Roberts, Emyr Martyn; Xavier, Joana R.; de Azevedo Ribeiro, Pedro Miguel; Glenner, Henrik; Birkely, sten richard; Rapp, Hans Tore (Journal article; Peer reviewed, 2023)
      Our understanding of the benthic communities on arctic seamounts and descriptions of such communities in habitat classification systems are limited. In recent years, Schulz Bank (73°52′N 7°30′E), a seamount on the Arctic ...
    • Bioactivity of Biosilica Obtained From North Atlantic Deep-Sea Sponges 

      Dudik, Olesia; Amorim, Sara; Xavier, Joana R.; Rapp, Hans Tore; Silva, Tiago H.; Pires, Ricardo A.; Reis, Rui L. (Journal article; Peer reviewed, 2021-05-17)
      Demosponges are a well-known source of a plethora of bioactive compounds. In particular, they are able to form a skeleton by direct deposition of silica in a process catalyzed by silicatein. Herein, we isolated biosilicas ...
    • Biodiversity, environmental drivers, and sustainability of the global deep-sea sponge microbiome 

      Busch, Kathrin; Slaby, Beate M.; Bach, Wolfgang; Boetius, Antje; Clefsen, Ina; Colaço, Ana; Creemers, Marie; Cristobo, Javier; Federwisch, Luisa; Franke, Andre; Gavriilidou, Asimenia; Hethke, Andrea; Kenchington, Ellen; Mienis, Furu; Mills, Sadie; Riesgo, Ana; Ríos, Pilar; Roberts, Emyr Martyn; Sipkema, Detmer; Pita, Lucía; Schupp, Peter J.; Xavier, Joana R.; Rapp, Hans Tore; Hentschel, Ute (Journal article; Peer reviewed, 2022)
      In the deep ocean symbioses between microbes and invertebrates are emerging as key drivers of ecosystem health and services. We present a large-scale analysis of microbial diversity in deep-sea sponges (Porifera) from ...
    • A Blueprint for an Inclusive, Global Deep-Sea Ocean Decade Field Program 

      Howell, Kerry L.; Hilário, Ana; Allcock, A. Louise; Bailey, David M; Baker, Maria; Clark, Malcolm R.; Colaço, Ana; Copley, Jon; Cordes, Erik; Danovaro, Roberto; Dissanayake, Awantha; Escobar, Elva; Esquete, Patricia; Gallagher, Austin J; Gates, Andrew R.; Gaudron, Sylvie M.; German, Christopher R.; Gjerde, Kristina M; Higgs, Nicholas D.; Le Bris, Nadine; Levin, Lisa A.; Manea, Elisabetta; McClain, Craig; Menot, Lenaick; Mestre, Nélia C.; Metaxas, Anna; Milligan, Rosanna J; Muthumbi, Agnes WN; Narayanaswamy, Bhavani E.; Ramalho, Sofia P.; Ramirez-Llodra, Eva; Robson, Laura M; Rogers, Alex D.; Sellanes, Javier; Sigwart, Julia D.; Sink, Kerry; Snelgrove, Paul V. R.; Stefanoudis, Paris V.; Sumida, Paulo Y.; Taylor, Michelle L.; Thurber, Andrew R.; Vieira, Rui P; Watanabe, Hiromi K.; Woodall, Lucy C.; Xavier, Joana R. (Journal article; Peer reviewed, 2020)
      The ocean plays a crucial role in the functioning of the Earth System and in the provision of vital goods and services. The United Nations (UN) declared 2021–2030 as the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. ...
    • Community Composition and Habitat Characterization of a Rock Sponge Aggregation (Porifera, Corallistidae) in the Cantabrian Sea 

      Ríos, Pilar; Prado, Elena; Correia De Carvalho, Francisca; Sánchez, Francisco; Rodríguez-Basalo, Augusto; Xavier, Joana R.; Ibarrola, Teodoro P.; Cristobo, Javier (Journal article; Peer reviewed, 2020)
      Deep-sea sponge-dominated communities are complex habitats considered hotspots of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. They are classified as Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem and are listed as threatened or declining as a ...
    • Deep-sea sponge derived environmental DNA analysis reveals demersal fish biodiversity of a remote Arctic ecosystem 

      Brodnicke, Ole Bjørn; Meyer, Heidi Kristina; Busch, Kathrin; Xavier, Joana R.; Knudsen, Steen Wilhelm; Møller, Peter Daniel Rask; Hentschel, Ute Humeida; Sweet, Michael John (Journal article; Peer reviewed, 2023)
      The deep-sea is vast, remote, and largely underexplored. However, methodological advances in environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys could aid in the exploration efforts, such as using sponges as natural eDNA filters for studying ...
    • A framework for the development of a global standardised marine taxon reference image database (SMarTaR-ID) to support image-based analyses 

      Howell, Kerry L.; Davies, Jaime S.; Allcock, Louise; Braga-Henriques, Andreia; Buhl-Mortensen, Pål; Carreiro-Silva, Marina; Dominguez-Carrio, Carlos; Durden, Jennifer M.; Foster, Nicola L.; Game, Chloe A.; Hitchin, Becky; Horton, Tammy; Hosking, Brett; Jones, Daniel O.B.; Mah, Christopher L.; Laguionie Marchais, Claire; Menot, Lenaick; Morato, Telmo; Pearman, Tabitha R.R.; Ross, Rebecca; Ruhl, Henry A.; Saeedi, Hanieh; Stefanoudis, Paris V.; Taranto, Gerald H.; Thompson, Michael B.; Taylor, James R.; Tyler, Paul A.; Vad, Johanne; Victorero, Lissette; Vieira, Rui P.; Woodall, Lucy C.; Xavier, Joana R.; Wagner, Daniel (Peer reviewed; Journal article, 2019-12-31)
      Video and image data are regularly used in the field of benthic ecology to document biodiversity. However, their use is subject to a number of challenges, principally the identification of taxa within the images without ...
    • Genetic diversity, connectivity and gene flow along the distribution of the emblematic Atlanto-Mediterranean sponge Petrosia ficiformis (Haplosclerida, Demospongiae) 

      Riesgo, Ana; Taboada, Sergi; Pérez-Portela, Rocío; Melis, Paolo; Xavier, Joana R.; Blasco, Gema; Lopez-Legentil, Susanna (Peer reviewed; Journal article, 2019-01-16)
      Background: Knowledge about the distribution of the genetic variation of marine species is fundamental to address species conservation and management strategies, especially in scenarios with mass mortalities. In the ...
    • Genetic diversity, gene flow and hybridization in fan-shaped sponges (Phakellia spp.) in the North-East Atlantic deep sea 

      Taboada, Sergi; Ríos, Pilar; Mitchell, Alex; Cranston, Alex; Busch, Kathrin; Tonzo, Vanina; Cárdenas, Paco A.; Sánchez, Francisco; Leiva, Carlos; Koutsouveli, Vasiliki; Cristobo, Javier; Xavier, Joana R.; Hentschel, Ute; Rapp v/dødsbo, Hans Tore; Morrow, Christine; Drewery, Jim; Romero, Pedro E.; Arias, Maria Belén; Whiting, Connie; Riesgo, Ana (Journal article; Peer reviewed, 2022)
      Deep-sea North Atlantic sponge grounds are crucial components of the marine fauna providing a key role in ecosystem functioning. To properly develop effective conservation and management plans, it is crucial to understand ...
    • Glass sponge grounds on the Scotian Shelf and their associated biodiversity 

      Hawkes, Nickolas James; Korabik, Michelle; Beazley, Lindsay; Rapp, Hans Tore; Xavier, Joana R.; Kenchington, Ellen (Peer reviewed; Journal article, 2019)
      Emerald Basin on the Scotian Shelf off Nova Scotia, Canada, is home to a globally unique population of the glass sponge Vazella pourtalesi. Through the analysis of both in situ photographs and trawl catch data from annual ...
    • Long distance dispersal and oceanographic fronts shape the connectivity of the keystone sponge Phakellia ventilabrum in the deep northeast Atlantic 

      Taboada, Sergi; Whiting, Connie; Wang, Shuangqiang; Ríos, Pilar; Davies, Andrew J.; Mienis, Furu; Kenchington, Ellen; Cárdenas, Paco A.; Cranston, Alex; Koutsouveli, Vasiliki; Cristobo, Javier; Rapp v/dødsbo, Hans Tore; Drewery, Jim; Baldó, Francisco; Morrow, Christine; Picton, Bernard; Xavier, Joana R.; Arias, Maria Belén; Leiva, Carlos; Riesgo, Ana (Journal article; Peer reviewed, 2023)
      Little is known about dispersal in deep-sea ecosystems, especially for sponges, which are abundant ecosystem engineers. Understanding patterns of gene flow in deep-sea sponges is essential, especially in areas where rising ...
    • Macro and Microstructural Characteristics of North Atlantic Deep-Sea Sponges as Bioinspired Models for Tissue Engineering Scaffolding 

      Martins, Eva; Rapp, Hans Tore; Xavier, Joana R.; Diogo, Gabriela S.; Reis, Rui L.; Silva, Tiago H. (Journal article; Peer reviewed, 2021)
      Sponges occur ubiquitously in the marine realm and in some deep-sea areas they dominate the benthic communities forming complex biogenic habitats – sponge grounds, aggregations, gardens and reefs. However, deep-sea sponges ...
    • Molecular Phylogeny of the Astrophorida (Porifera, Demospongiaep) Reveals an Unexpected High Level of Spicule Homoplasy 

      Cárdenas, Paco; Xavier, Joana R.; Reveillaud, Julie; Schander, Christoffer; Rapp, Hans Tore (Peer reviewed; Journal article, 2011-04-08)
      Background: The Astrophorida (Porifera, Demospongiaep) is geographically and bathymetrically widely distributed. Systema Porifera currently includes five families in this order: Ancorinidae, Calthropellidae, Geodiidae, ...
    • On a hexactinellid sponge aggregation at the Great Meteor seamount (North-east Atlantic) 

      Xavier, Joana R.; Tojeira, Inês; Van Soest, Rob W.M. (Peer reviewed; Journal article, 2015-11)
      Hexactinellids or glass sponges constitute a predominantly deep-sea sponge group typically occurring at bathyal and abyssal depths. Some species form dense populations along the European and African continental slope but ...
    • Rock sponges (lithistid Demospongiae) of the Northeast Atlantic seamounts, with description of ten new species 

      Correia De Carvalho, Francisca; Cárdenas, Paco; Ríos, Pilar; Cristobo, Javier; Rapp, Hans Tore; Xavier, Joana R. (Journal article; Peer reviewed, 2020)
      Background Lithistid demosponges, also known as rock sponges, are a polyphyletic group of sponges which are widely distributed. In the Northeast Atlantic (NEA), 17 species are known and the current knowledge on their ...
    • Unique spicules may confound species differentiation: Taxonomy and biogeography of Melonanchora Carter, 1874 and two new related genera (Myxillidae: Poecilosclerida) from the Okhotsk Sea 

      Santin, Andreu; Uriz, Maria-Jesus; Cristobo, Javier; Xavier, Joana R.; Rios, Pilar (Journal article; Peer reviewed, 2021)
      Sponges are amongst the most difficult benthic taxa to properly identify, which has led to a prevalence of cryptic species in several sponge genera, especially in those with simple skeletons. This is particularly true for ...