Sponges, and in particular deep-sea sponges, are still widely underrepresented on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Of the 10.000 species of sponges described to date, only 24 are present on the IUCN Red List, corresponding to less than 0.5% representation of all sponge species on the Red List.
SponBIODIV’s PhD candidate Inês Gregório was recently attending the 7th International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC7) in Cape Town, South Africa to present results of the conservation assessment made for the deep-sea bird’s nest sponge Pheronema carpenteri. The assessment was made following IUCN Red List criteria and categories, using a comprehensive dataset of occurrence records and all relevant available information on the species.
The International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC) is the largest gathering of ocean conservationists in the world, engaging everyone involved in marine conservation to share ideas and promote action for the long-term health of our oceans.
