Phylogeny of selected key taxa of Antarctic deep-sea Porifera (Sponges) and the history of their radiation (ANTARC-por)

Summary of the scientific goals and perspectives

Sponges play an important ecological role as active filter feeders contributing to the nutrient flow in the pelago-benthic coupling, a central topic of the SYSTCO program. Furthermore, sponges are important in structuring the sea floor where they act hosts creating habitats for other organisms. The evolutionary radiation of poriferan taxa can be seen as one ecological key factor triggering the diversity of benthic communities. This is particularly notable in Antarctic realms where an extraordinarily rich sponge fauna inhabit in high abundances. However, nothing is known about the colonization history, evolution or phylogenetic relationships of Southern Ocean sponge communities. In this research project, we aim to resolve the systematic and phylogenetic relationships of selected Antarctic sponge taxa, to reconstruct their phylogeographic history, and to compare these rich fauna with the sponge faunas of other World oceans, mainly the Arctic. We use an integrative approach combining molecular techniques with morphological and paleontological data to understanding the history of the diversification of Antarctic Porifera. Such knowledge is pivotal to assess the potential of the sponge communities, key-components of the Southern Ocean benthic realm, for their resilience to global change.

Project JA 1063/14 (Dorte Janussen + Christian Göcke)

At present most of the Antarctic Porifera species are known the shelf while records from the Antarctic deep sea, especially the abyssal depths, are still scarce mainly because of under sampling (Brandt et al. 2007, Janussen & Tendal 2007).

During 2009, we did a hard effort in the taxonomical identification and description of the sponge species collected during the deep-sea expeditions, ANDEEP and SYSTCO (2002-2005). Due to a high degree of new taxa and the fact that many groups of Antarctic (e.g. the genus Rossella) are in desperate need of revision, this task still requires considerable effort and time.

So far, we have identified 110 Porifera species from the ANDEEP and SYSTCO collections, of which about 25% are new to science and 50% new to the SO. All three sponge classes are well represented in the SO deep-sea. With the description of the ANDEEP III Hexactinellida (Janussen & Reiswig 2009), all the glass sponges from the ANDEEP I-III campaign are now published, and we are currently concentrating on the SYSTCO material. For the Demospongiae, to date 77 species were identified. The families Polymastiidae and Suberitidae from ANDEEP II-III are published, and the Cladorhizidae (carnivore sponges from ANDEEP/SYSTCO + ANT XXIII/8 have been identified. Many species new to science are expected from the ongoing taxonomic work and from future sampling. We concluded that Calcarea represent a rare but constant faunal component of SO bathyal and abyssal realms. Up to now, six calcareous deep-sea sponge species, 3 new to science from five genera had been identified from ANDEEPII-III (still unpublished).

In close cooperation with the team by Gert Wörheide, we are currently working on an extended zoogeographic and bathymetrical analysis of the deep-sea Porifera fauna from the ANDEEP-SYSTCO campaigns.



Photo 1. Christian Göcke.



Photo 2. Sponge studies done by Dorte Janussen at the RS Polarstern.



Project WO 896/9 (Gert Wörheide + Sergio Vargas):

We aim at answering important questions about the Porifera that inhabit Antarctic waters. We use methods of molecular taxonomy/systematics and phylogeography to understand the zoogeographic distribution and evolution of these sponges, to assess their phylogenetic relationships with taxa from other parts of the world, and to clarify taxonomic issues detected by morphological analyses.

Currently, we have sequenced standard molecular markers (28S rDNA and cox1 mtDNA) for most Rossella species occurring in Antarctic waters. Using these molecular markers we demonstrate that Rossella is actually composed of only two species, instead of 7 as currently accepted. We have also produced a dataset including all non-monotypic genera belonging to the family Cladorhizidae (carnivorous sponges) and a new species of the genus Phelloderma, and aim to answer the controversy regarding the phylogenetic affinities of these genera. The answer to this question is pivotal to understand the evolution of chelae-microspicules in the order Poecilosclerida and can result in the modification of the current systematics of the order. Finally, we have sequenced the standard barcoding (Folmer) region of the mitochondrial cox1 gene for ca. 60 sponge species from the Ross Sea shelf and slope, and characterize thereby the more common members of this important group of benthic organisms for the region.

These first DNA sequencing campaigns will answer important questions such how many sponge species live around Antarctica and whether circum Antarctic sponge populations are actually interconnected.

Scientists

Dorte Janussen, Christian Göcke
Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum
Frankfurt am Main

Gert Wörheide, Sergio Vargas
Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften
Paläontologie und Geobiologie
LMU München

Research areas

Circum Antarctica

Publications

Janussen D, Rapp HT, (in press). Rediscription of Jenkina articulata Brøndsted from the deep Eckström Shelf, E-Weddell Sea, Antarctica and a comment on the possible mass occurrence of this species. Deep-Sea-Research, II.

Göcke C, Janussen D, (in press). ANT XXIV/2 (SYSTCO) Hexactinellida (Porifera) and bathymetric traits of Antarctic glass sponges (incorporating ANDEEP-material); including an emendation of the rediscovered genus Lonchiphora. Deep-Sea-Research, II.

Vargas S, Erpenbeck D, Janussen D, Wörheide G, (in prep.). Chelae clash: molecular phylogeny of Abyssocladia (Cladorhizidae: Poecilosclerida) and Phelloderma (Phellodermidae: Poecilosclerida) suggest a diversification of chelae micro-spicules in cladorhizid sponges.

Vargas S, Dohrmann D, Göcke C, Janussen D, Wörheide G, (in prep.). Nuclear (28S rDNA) and mitochondrial (16S rDNA, cox1) markers support two species of Rossella (Hexactinellida: Rossellidae, Lyssacinosida, Hexactinellida) in the Southern Ocean.

Brandt A, De Broyer C, Ebbe B, Ellingsen KE, Gooday AJ, Janussen D, Kaiser S, Linse K, Schueller M, Thomson MRA, Tyler PA, Vanreusel A, (accepted). Southern Ocean deep benthic biodiversity. In: Rogers A (Ed.), Antarctica: An Extreme Environment in a Changing World, Phil Trans Roy Soc, Wiley.

Xin Y, Kanagasabhapathy M, Janussen D, Xue S, Zhang W, (accepted). Phylogenetic diversity of Gram-positive bacteria cultured from Antarctic deep-sea sponges. Polar Biology.

Rapp HT, Janussen D, Tendal OS, 2011. Calcareous sponges from abyssal and bathyal depths in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Deep-Sea Research II 58, 58-67.

Gutt J, Barratt I, Domack E, d’Udekem d’Acoz C, Dimmler W, Grémare A, Heilmayer O, Isla E, Janussen D, Jorgensen E, Kock KH, Lehnert LS, López-Gonzáles P, Langner S, Linse K, Manjón-Cabeza ME, Meißner M, Montiel A, Raes M, Robert H, Rose A, Sañé Schepisi E, Saucède T, Scheidat M, Schenke HM, Seiler J, Smith C, 2011. Biodiversity change after climate-induced ice-shelf collapse in the Antarctic. - Deep-Sea Research II 58: 74-83.

Brandt A, Janussen D, Schrödl M, Ebbe B, 2010. Biodiversität in den Tiefen des Eismeeres. Mikrokosmos 99, 70-77.

Brandt A, Brenke N, Ebbe B, Henche A, Veit-Köhler G, Janussen D, Sachs O, Sauter EJ, 2010. ANDEEP - SYSTCO: Work at the seaflor. In: Bathmann U (Ed.), Report on Expedition of the Research Vessel "Polarstern" to the Antarctic in 2007/2008 (ANT-XXIV/2). Reports on polar and marine research 604, 84-94.

Janussen D, Göcke C, 2010. Vom Schelf zur Tiefsee. Untersuchungen über antarktische Schwämme im Internationalen Polarjahr. Natur und Museum, 140, 200-205.

Janussen D, Reiswig H M, 2009. Hexactinellida (Porifera) from the ANDEEP III Expedition to the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Zootaxa 2136:1-20.

Janussen D, 2009. Antarktische Schwämme im Zuge des Klimawandels: Die Verbreitung wichtiger Porifera-Taxa im tiefen Weddellmeer. Berliner Paläobiologische Abhandlungen, 10, 223-228.

Janussen D, Schrödl M, Schwabe E, Ebbe B, Robert H, Wadley V, Würzberg L, Zapata Guardiola R, Brandt A, 2010. Preliminary report on AGT catches during ANT XXIV-2. In: Bathmann U (Ed.), Report on Expedition of the Research Vessel "Polarstern" to the Antarctic in 2007/2008 (ANT-XXIV/2). Reports on polar and marine research 604, 124-128.

Janussen D, 2010. First report on the Porifera (sponges) caught during the ANT XXIV-2, SYSTCO, programme. In: Bathmann U (Ed.), Report on Expedition of the Research Vessel "Polarstern" to the Antarctic in 2007/2008 (ANT-XXIV/2). Reports on polar and marine research 604, 129-133.

Erpenbeck D, Voigt O, Gültas M, Wörheide G, 2008. The Sponge Genetree Server -providing a phylogenetic backbone for poriferan evolutionary studies. Zootaxa 1939:58-60.

Plotkin AS, Janussen D, 2008. Polymastiidae and Suberitidae (Porifera: Demospongiae: Hadromerida) of the deep Weddell Sea, Antarctic. Zootaxa 1866:95-135.

Brandt A, Brix S, Brökeland W, Cedhagen T, Choudhury M, Cornelius N, Danis B, Mesel I, de Diaz R, Gillan D, Hilbig B, Howe J, Janussen D, Kaiser S, Linse K, Malyutina M, Brandao S, Pawlowski J, Raupach M, Gooday, A, van Reusel A, 2007. The Southern Ocean deep sea: first insights into biodiversity and biogeography. Nature 447:307-311.

Janussen D, Tendal OS, 2007. Diversity and distribution of Porifera in the bathyal and abyssal Weddell Sea and adjacent areas. Deep-Sea Research II 54:1864-1875.

Linse K, Brandt A, Bohn J, Danis B, De Broyer C, Ebbe B, Heterier V, Janussen D, López González PJ, Schüller M, Schwabe E, Thomson MRA, 2007. Macro- and megabenthic assemblages in the bathyal and abyssal Weddell Sea (Southern Ocean). Deep-Sea Research II 54, 1848-1863.

Plotkin AS, Janussen D, 2007. New genus and species of Polymastiidae (Demospongiae: Hadromerida) from the Antarctic deep sea. Journal of the Marine Biology Association 87, 1395-1401.

Wörheide G, Erpenbeck D, 2007. DNA taxonomy of sponges – progress and perspectives. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 87:1-6.

Abstracts

Vargas S, Göcke C, Janussen D, Wörheide G, 2010. A phylogenetic analysis of the genus Rossella (Hexactinellida, Rossellidae). VII World Sponge Conference, Girona, Spain.

Vargas S, Janussen D, Wörheide G, 2010. Phylogenetic diversity of Antarctic sponges: Insights and prospects. VII World Sponge Conference, Girona, Spain.

Vargas S, Erpenbeck D, Schuster A, Sacher K, Büttner G, Schätzle S, Wörheide G, 2010. A high-throughput, low-cost Porifera DNA barcoding pipeline. VII World Sponge Conference, Girona, Spain.

Talks

Janussen D, Göcke C, 2011. Diversity and affinities of the sponge fauna in the deep Southern Ocean: New findings from recent deep-sea Expeditions in the Antarctic Weddell Sea and surrounding areas.- Abstract, World Conference of Marine Biodivarsity, 26.-30.09.2011 in Aberdeen, Schottland.

Göcke C, Tabachnick KR, Dohrmann M, Janussen D, 2011. Taxonomy and phylogeny of the Antarctic Rossella, an ecologically important sponge genus endemic to the Southern Ocean – highly variable species complex resulting from recent radiation?- Abstract, World Conference of Marine Biodivarsity, 26.-30.09.2011 in Aberdeen, Schottland.

Janussen D, Göcke C, Henkel D, Würzberg L, Mayr C, 2011. Unusual values of stable isotopes in Antarctic deep-water Porifera, -- taxa-specific Effects and sponge microbial isotope signatures? - Abstract 1st International Symposium on Sponge Microbiology 21-22.03.2011 in Würzburg, p. 47.

Xin Y, Kangasabhapathy M, Janussen D, Henkel D, Xue S, Zhang W, 2011. Phylogenetic Diversity of Gram-Positive Bacteria Cultured from Antarctic Sponges.- Abstract 1st International Symposium on Sponge Microbiology 21-22.03.2011 in Würzburg, p. 48.

Janussen D, Göcke C, 2010. Porifera (Sponges) of the deep Weddell Sea, Antarctic: Preliminary results from the ANDEEP-SYSTCO expeditions, 2002-2008 with RV “Polarstern”.- Abstract, 24. Int. Polartagung 6.-10.09.2010 in Obergugel, 75-76.

Rapp HT, Janussen D, Tendal OS, 2010. Calcareous sponges from bathyal and abyssal depths of the Weddell Sea - first record of deep-sea Calcarea in the Antarctic Ocean.- Abstract, 12. Deep-Sea Biology Symposium, 6.-11.06.2010 in Reykjavik, Iceland, p. 152.

Janussen D, Göcke C, 2010. Porifera (Sponges) of the deep Weddell Sea, Antarctic: Preliminary results from the ANDEEP-SYSTCO expeditions, 2002-2008 with RV “Polarstern” .- Abstract, 12. Deep-Sea Biology Symposium, 6.-11.06.2010 in Reykjavik, Iceland, p. 39.

Göcke C, Janussen D, 2010. Bathymetric-zoogeographical Traits Of The Hexactinellida From The Antarctic Deep-sea Expeditions ANDEEP And SYSTCO.- Abstract, 12. Deep-Sea Biology Symposium, 6.-11.06.2010 in Reykjavik, Iceland, p. 123.

Göcke C, Janussen D, 2010. Hexactinellida of the ANT-XXIV/2- (SYSTCO) Expedition - and the surprising rediscovery of a poorly known genus.- Abstract, VIII International Sponge Conference (Girona, 20-24 September, 2010, Catalonia, Spain), p. 203.

Göcke C, Janussen D, 2010. Report on the ANT-XXIV/2 (SYSTCO) Hexactinellida (Porifera) and Bathymetric-zoogeographical Traits of the Hexactinellida from the Antarctic Deep-sea Expeditions ANDEEP and SYSTCO.- electronic Abstract, oral presentation, IPY Final Meeting, 8.-11.06.2010 in Oslo, Norway.

Janussen D, Göcke C, 2010. Diversity and affinities of the sponge fauna in the deep Southern Ocean: New findings from the Antarctic ANDEEP-SYSTCO and ANT XXIII/8 Expeditions, 2002-2008.- Abstract, VIII International Sponge Conference (Girona, 20-24 September, 2010, Catalonia, Spain), p. 72.

Janussen D, Göcke C, 2010. Phylogeny of selected key taxa of Antarctic deep-sea Porifera (sponges) and the history of their radiation: Sponge communities, including new taxa, of the deep Weddell Sea: Diversity and geographic affinities. – Electronic abstract oral pres., IPY Final Meeting, 8.-11.06.2010 in Oslo, Norway.

Vargas S, Erpenbeck D, Janussen D, Wörheide G, 2010. Palaeo-trans-Antarctic connections in 'Polymastia invaginata'? A case study using ribosomal (28S) DNA markers. Jahrestagung der Paläontologischen Gesellschaft.

Janussen D, Göcke C, 2009. Sponge communities and new taxa of the deep Weddell Sea: Diversity and zoogeographic affinities. - Abstract, VI ASAI Symposium in Ecology, 5-6.11.2009, Rio de Janeiro.

Janussen D, Plotkin AS, 2009. Diversity and distribution of carnivore sponges (Porifera, Demospongiae, family Cladorhizidae) in the deep Southern Ocean.- Abstract (No pages), CAML Final Symposium, 18.-21.05.09 in Genoa.

Janussen D, Plotkin AS, 2008. Diverse siliceous sponge fanuas linked with benthic biodiversity in the Southern Ocean deep-sea.- Marine Biodiversity Conference, 11.-15.11.2008, Valencia. Abstracts, p. 32

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Research funding organisation

German Research Foundation

Project number: JA 1063/14, WO 896/9
Funding period: Since 2008