The Sponge Gardens of Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

Biodiversity surveys in the deeper waters of Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia, have uncovered a rich and diverse sponge ecosystem, significantly enhancing the park's known biodiversity. Preliminary findings indicate that while much of the area is dominated by sediments and rhodolith fields with low macroepibenthos density, locally dense filter-feeding communities exist, predominantly composed of demosponges in both biomass and diversity. A subsample analysis revealed 155 different demosponge species from over 350 transects conducted between 18-102 meters depth across three years, suggesting that the cumulative species list will likely exceed current records. This discovery underscores Ningaloo Marine Park's importance as a global hotspot for Porifera biodiversity, complementing its shallow coral reef environment.

Lydia Schönberg, C. H. (2010). The Sponge Gardens of Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. The Open Marine Biology Journal, 4(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874450801004010003