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Comment
. 2015 Apr 7;112(14):4191-2.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1502763112. Epub 2015 Mar 30.

Sponge symbionts and the marine P cycle

Albert S Colman  1
Affiliations
Comment

Sponge symbionts and the marine P cycle

Albert S Colman. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. .
No abstract available

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Dye tracer release in a giant barrel sponge (Xestospongia muta) illustrates the rapid rate at which sponges process sea water (10). Uptake, transformation, and release of carbon and nutrients by the sponge and its endosymbiont microbial community can have a profound impact on the surrounding water quality and ecosystem. Image courtesy of Steven E. McMurray (photographer).
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Significant uncertainties persist in our understanding of P cycling by marine sponges. The direction and magnitude of P concentration changes (Δ [P phase]) upon passage through a sponge are poorly constrained (↑ or ↓ signifies an increase or decrease in concentration; “?” signifies an absence of observations). Zhang et al. (6) show that poly-P can be produced in marine sponges and may constitute up to 40% of the P found in sponge biomass. Their results raise the question of whether poly-P storage is transient and reversible, or whether substantial amounts of poly-P and apatite are shed from sponges and lost to sediments.
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