The bird’s nest sponge (Pheronema carpenteri) is a crucial component of deep-sea ecosystems in the Northeastern Atlantic by forming dense aggregations that add structural complexity to the ecosystem and serve as habitat and nursery for other marine organisms. Considering their relevance, it is important to understand the potential impacts of climate change on P. carpenteri and the aggregations it forms, to better inform conservation and marine spatial planning necessary both in present and in the future.
A study conducted by SponBIODIV researchers has been recently published revealing the likely future of Pheronema carpenteri under different scenarios of climate change. Results show that P. carpenteri’s suitable habitat may increase up to two times under the “worst-case” scenario of climate change, representing a shift towards higher latitudes. Contrastingly, it is likely that suitable habitat may locally decrease in areas, such as the Azores archipelago. Results of the study were overlapped with governance and management tools (i.e. Exclusive Economic Zones) currently in place, in order to inform potential management and conservation actions needed.
Reference
Gregório, Inês, R. Xavier, Joana, J. Davies, Andrew. (2024). Present and future distribution of the deep-sea habitat-forming sponge – Pheronema carpenteri (Thomson, 1869) in a changing ocean. Deep-sea research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 213, 104390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2024.104390
