And they have been doing so for more than 600 million years. They serve as habitat and nursery to numerous other species and play key roles in nutrient recycling. However, their diversity patterns and habitat status are poorly documented.

The SponBIODIV project aims to address this knowledge gap by building a comprehensive inventory of marine sponges in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The project will also develop new monitoring tools to assess the status of sponge populations and their habitats. This information will be used to advance effective conservation and restoration measures to protect marine sponges and their ecosystems.