¿Son las esponjas marinas las próximas dominantes de los arrecifes coralinos del caribe guatemalteco? Una visión sobre su resiliencia y papel ecológico

Hazel Araujo Cruz

doi:10.36829/63CTS.v12i1.1763

Authors

Hazel Araujo Cruz Centro de Estudios del Mar y Acuicultura

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36829/63CTS.v12i1.1763

Keywords:

phase shift, Porifera

Abstract

In the coral reefs of the Guatemalan Caribbean, the decline of corals poses important challenges for the structure and biodiversity of these ecosystems. Faced with the loss of corals and the increase in environmental stress factors, the question arises whether marine sponges, resilient and adaptable organisms, could assume a dominant and functionally relevant role in reefs. This study evaluates the resilience and ecological role of sponges in a scenario of climate change and increasing anthropogenic disturbances. Through a review of data on the coverage of sponges, macroalgae and corals in the reefs of Guatemala and the comparison with other regions of the Caribbean, a scientific basis is proposed to develop future conservation strategies that take advantage of the resilience of sponges and their role in the sustainability of the ecosystem.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alevizon, W. S., & Porter, J. W. (2014). Coral loss and fish guild stability on a Caribbean coral reef: 1974–2000. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 98(4), 1035-1045. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0337-5

Altieri, A. H., Harrison, S. B., Seemann, J., Collin, R., Diaz, R. J., & Knowlton, N. (2017). Tropical dead zones and mass mortalities on coral reefs. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(14), 3660-3665. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1621517114

Alvarez-Filip, L., Dulvy, N. K., Gill, J. A., Côté, I. M., & Watkinson, A. R. (2009). Flattening of Caribbean coral reefs: Region-wide declines in architectural complexity. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 276(1669), 3019-3025. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.0339

Anupama, K. P., Antony, A., Olakkaran, S., Ramarajan, R., Mallikarjunaiah, S., &

Gurushankara, H. P. (2023). An outlook on marine sponges and associated biodiversity addressing conservation strategies. En S. T. Sukumaran & T. R. K (Eds.), Sustainable development and biodiversity (pp. 373-389). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5841-0_15

Aronson, R. B., Precht, W. F., Toscano, M. A., & Koltes, K. H. (2002). The 1998 bleaching event and its aftermath on a coral reef in Belize. Marine Biology, 141(3), 435-447. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-002-0842-5

Bang, C., Dagan, T., Deines, P., Dubilier, N., Duschl, W. J., Fraune, S., Hentschel, U., Hirt,

H., Hülter, N., Lachnit, T., Picazo, D., Pita, L., Pogoreutz, C., Rädecker, N., Saad, M. M., Schmitz, R. A., Schulenburg, H., Voolstra, C. R., Weiland-Bräuer, N., … Bosch, T. C. G. (2018). Metaorganisms in extreme environments: Do microbes play a role in organismal adaptation? Zoology, 127, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.zool.2018.02.004

Bell, J. J. (2008). Sponges as agents of biological disturbance. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 368, 127–135. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07637

Bell, J. J., Davy, S. K., Jones, T., Taylor, M. W., & Webster, N. S. (2013). Could some coral reefs become sponge reefs as our climate changes? Global Change Biology, 19(9), 2613-2624. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12212

Bell, J. J., Strano, F., Broadribb, M., Wood, G., Harris, B., Resende, A. C., Novak, E., &

Micaroni, V. (2023). Sponge functional roles in a changing world. En C. Sheppard (Ed.), Advances in Marine Biology (Vol. 95, Chap. 2, pp. 27-89). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.amb.2023.07.002

Birkeland, C. (2015). Coral reef ecosystem services. En C. Birkeland (Ed.), Coral reefs in

the Anthropocene (pp. 179–194). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7249-5_9

Birrell, C. L., McCook, L. J., Willis, B. L., & Harrington, L. (2008). Chemical effects of macroalgae on larval settlement of the broadcast spawning coral Acropora millepora. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 362, 129-137. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07524

Bruno, J. F., Precht, W. F., Vroom, P. S., & Aronson, R. B. (2014). Coral reef baselines: How much macroalgae is natural? Marine Pollution Bulletin, 80(1–2), 24–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.01.010

Burke, L., Reytar, K., Spalding, M., & Perry, A. (2011). UNEP Report – “Reefs at risk revisited”. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 22(4). https://doi.org/10.1108/meq.2011.08322daa.003

Burkepile, D. E., & Hay, M. E. (2012). Herbivore species richness and feeding complementarity affect community structure and function on a coral reef. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(42), 16201–16206. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0801946105

Canty, S. W. J., Zimmer, D. P., Agudelo, C. A., Robadue, D. D., Toth, J., & Quintero, L. (2022). Sources and discharge of nitrogen pollution from agriculture and wastewater in the Motagua River watershed, Guatemala. Ocean & Coastal Management, 225, 106229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2022.106229

Charles, M. (2005). Functions and socio-economic importance of coral reefs and

lagoons and implications for sustainable management: Case study of Moorea, French Polynesia [Master’s thesis, Wageningen University]. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274720273

Clements, C. S., & Hay, M. E. (2019). Biodiversity enhances coral growth, tissue

survivorship and suppression of macroalgae. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 3(2), 178-182. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-018-0752-7

Contreras-Silva, A. I., Tilstra, A., Migani, V., Thiel, A., Pérez-Cervantes, E., Estrada-

Saldívar, N., Elias-Ilosvay, X., Mott, C., Alvarez-Filip, L., & Wild, C. (2020). A meta-analysis to assess long-term spatiotemporal changes of benthic coral and macroalgae cover in the Mexican Caribbean. Scientific Reports, 10, Artículo 8897. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65801-8

Cook, S. E., Conway, K. W., & Burd, B. (2008). Status of the glass sponge reefs in the Georgia Basin. Marine Environmental Research, 66(Suppl.), S80–S86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2008.09.002

Couch, C. S., Huntington, B., Charendoff, J. A., Amir, C., Asbury, M., Basden, I.,

Lamirand, M., Torres-Pulliza, D., Brown, V., & Shantz, A. A. (2024). Coral reef community recovery trajectories vary by depth following a moderate heat stress event at Swains Island, American Samoa. Marine Biology, 171, Artículo 218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-024-04533-z

de Goeij, J. M., Lesser, M. P., & Pawlik, J. R. (2017). Nutrient fluxes and ecological

functions of coral reef sponges in a changing ocean. En J. Carballo & J. Bell (Eds.), Climate change, ocean acidification and sponges (pp. 373-410). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59008-0_8

de Goeij, J. M., van Oevelen, D., Vermeij, M. J. A., Osinga, R., Middelburg, J. J., de Goeij, A. F. P. M., & Admiraal, W. (2013). Surviving in a marine desert: The Sponge Loop retains resources within coral reefs. Science, 342(6154), 108-110. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1241981

de Haast, J. A., Moloney, C. L., Buhl-Mortensen, L., & Karenyi, N. (2025). Relationships

between taxa assemblages and substratum types on cold-water coral reefs. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 313, Artículo 109101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109101

den Haan, J., Huisman, J., Brocke, H. J., Goehlich, H., Latijnhouwers, K. R. W., van

Heeringen, S., Honcoop, S. A. S., Bleyenberg, T. E., Schouten, S., Cerli, C., Hoitinga, L., Vermeij, M. J. A., & Visser, P. M. (2016). Nitrogen and phosphorus uptake rates of different species from a coral reef community after a nutrient pulse. Scientific Reports, 6, Artículo 28821. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep28821

Devlin, M., & Brodie, J. (2023). Nutrients and Eutrophication. En A. Reichelt-Brushett

(Ed.), Marine pollution monitoring, management and mitigation (pp. 75-100). Springer textbooks in earth sciences, geography and environment. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10127-4_4

Donovan, M. K., Friedlander, A. M., Lecky, J., Jouffray, J.-B., Williams, G. J., Wedding,

L. M., Crowder, L. B., Erickson, A. L., Graham, N. A. J., Gove, J. M., Kappel, C. V., Karr, K., Kittinger, J. N., Norström, A. V., Nyström, M., Oleson, K. L. L., Stamoulis, K. A., White, C., Williams, I. D., & Selkoe, K. A. (2018). Combining fish and benthic communities into multiple regimes reveals complex reef dynamics. Scientific Reports, 8, Artículo 16943. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-35057-4

Dudgeon, S., Aronson, R. B., Bruno, J. F., & Precht, W. F. (2010). Phase shifts and stable states on coral reefs. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 413, 201–216. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08751

Ennis, R. S., Brandt, M. E., Wilson Grimes, K. R., & Smith, T. B. (2016). Coral reef health

response to chronic and acute changes in water quality in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 111(1-2), 418-427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.07.033

Gil, M. A., Goldenberg, S. U., Thai Bach, A. L., Mills, S. C., & Claudet, J. (2016).

Interactive effects of three pervasive marine stressors in a post-disturbance coral reef. Coral Reefs, 35(1281-1293. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-016-1489-x

Giorgi, A., Monti, M., Radawski, J. D., & Olson, J. B. (2022). Long term benthic survey

demonstrates a shift in the composition of benthic reef communities at shallow sites in Roatán, Honduras. Biodiversity and Conservation, 31, 1689-1708. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-022-02421-w

Glynn, P. W., & Manzello, D. P. (2015). Bioerosion and coral reef growth: A dynamic

balance. En C. Birkeland (Ed.), Coral reefs in the anthropocene (pp. 67-97). Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7249-5_4

Gochfeld, D. J., Olson, J. B., Chaves-Fonnegra, A., Smith, T. B., Ennis, R. S., & Brandt,

M. E. (2020). Impacts of hurricanes Irma and Maria on coral reef sponge communities in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Estuaries and Coasts, 43, 1235-1247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00694-4

González-Rivero, M., Yakob, L., & Mumby, P. J. (2011). The role of sponge competition on coral reef alternative steady states. Ecological Modelling, 222(11), 1847-1853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2011.03.020

Gress, E., Voss, J. D., Eckert, R. J., Rowlands, G., & Andradi-Brown, D. A. (2019). The Mesoamerican Reef. Coral Reefs of the World, 12, 71-84. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92735-0_5

Halperin, A. A., Chaves-Fonnegra, A., & Gilliam, D. S. (2016). Coral-excavating sponge

Cliona delitrix: Current trends of space occupation on high latitude coral reefs. Hydrobiologia, 790, 299-310. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-3042-x

Henry, L.-A., & Hart, M. (2005). Regeneration from injury and resource allocation in sponges and corals - a review. International Review of Hydrobiology, 90(2), 125-158. https://doi.org/10.1002/iroh.200410759

Hoegh-Guldberg, O. (2014). Coral reef sustainability through adaptation: Glimmer of

hope or persistent mirage? Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 7,

-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2014.01.005

Hughes, T. P., Baird, A. H., Bellwood, D. R., Card, M., Connolly, S. R., Folke, C., Grosberg, R., Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Jackson, J. B. C., Kleypas, J., Lough, J. M., & Marshall, P. (2003). Climate change, human impacts, and the resilience of coral reefs. Science, 301(5635), 929–933. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1085046

Hughes, T. P., Barnes, M. L., Bellwood, D. R., Cinner, J. E., Cumming, G. S., Jackson, J.

B. C., Kleypas, J., van de Leemput, I. A., Lough, J. M., Morrison, T. H., Palumbi, S. R., van Nes, E. H., & Scheffer, M. (2017). Coral reefs in the Anthropocene. Nature, 546, 82-90. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature22901

Hughes, T. P., Kerry, J. T., Baird, A. H., Connolly, S. R., Dietzel, A., Eakin, C. M., Heron,

S. F., Hoey, A. S., Hoogenboom, M. O., Liu, G., McWilliam, M. J., Pears, R. J., Pratchett, M. S., Skirving, W. J., Stella, J. S., & Torda, G. (2018). Global warming transforms coral reef assemblages. Nature, 556, 492-496. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0041-2

Jackson, J. B. C., Donovan, M. K., Cramer, K. L., & Lam, V. V. (Eds.). (2014). Status and

trends of Caribbean coral reefs: 1970–2012. Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), IUCN. https://www.iucn.org/sites/default/files/import/downloads/caribbean_coral_reefs___status_report_1970_2012.pdf

Isaak, A. L., Ho, M., Dhillon, M. S., Johnson, M. D., Westphal, H., & Doo, S. S. (2024).

Macroalgal presence decreases coral calcification rates more than ocean acidification. Coral Reefs, 43, 1133-1137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02515-7

Kiessling, W., & Simpson, C. (2010). On the potential for ocean acidification to be a general cause of ancient reef crises. Global Change Biology, 17(1), 56-67. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02204.x

Krautter, M., Conway, K. W., Barrie, J. V., & Neuweiler, M. (2001). Discovery of a

“Living Dinosaur”: Globally unique modern hexactinellid sponge reefs off British Columbia, Canada. Facies, 44, 265-282. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02668178

Lee, J.-H., & Riding, R. (2018). Marine oxygenation, lithistid sponges, and the early

history of Paleozoic skeletal reefs. Earth-Science Reviews, 181, 98-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2018.04.003

Li, X., Wang, D., Huang, H., Zhang, J., Lian, J., Yuan, X., Yang, J., & Zhang, G. (2015).

Linking benthic community structure to terrestrial runoff and upwelling in the coral reefs of northeastern Hainan Island. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 156, 92-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2014.09.021

Macdonald, I. A., & Perry, C. T. (2003). Biological degradation of coral framework in a

turbid lagoon environment, Discovery Bay, north Jamaica. Coral Reefs, 22, 523-535. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-003-0340-3

McField, M., & Kramer, P. (2007). Healthy reefs for healthy people: A guide to indicators of reef health and social well-being in the Mesoamerican reef region. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Melanie-Mcfield/publication/228627962_Healthy_Reefs_for_Healthy_People_A_Guide_to_Indicators_of_Reef_Health_and_Social_Well-being_in_the_Mesoamerican_Reef_Region/links/02e7e5376b5be5ff0f000000/Healthy-Reefs-for-Healthy-People-A-Guide-to-Indicators-of-Reef-Health-and-Social-Well-being-in-the-Mesoamerican-Reef-Region.pdf

McField, M., Kramer, P. R., & Healthy Reefs Initiative. (2024). 2024 Mesoamerican

Reef Health Report Card. Healthy Reefs for Healthy People. https://www.healthyreefs.org/en/healthy-reefs-data/report-cards

McMurray, S. E., Henkel, T. P., & Pawlik, J. R. (2010). Demographics of increasing populations of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta in the Florida Keys. Ecology, 91(2), 560-570. https://doi.org/10.1890/08-2060.1

Müller, W. E. G. (2006). The stem cell concept in sponges (Porifera): Metazoan

traits. Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, 17(4), 481-491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcdb.2006.05.006

Mumby, P. J., Hastings, A., & Edwards, H. J. (2007). Thresholds and the resilience of Caribbean coral reefs. Nature, 450(7166), 98–101. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06252

Norström, A., Nyström, M., Lokrantz, J., & Folke, C. (2009). Alternative states on coral reefs: Beyond coral–macroalgal phase shifts. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 376, 295-306. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07815

Paris, C. B., & Chérubin, L. M. (2008). River-reef connectivity in the Meso-American

Region. Coral Reefs, 27, 773-781. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-008-0396-1

Pawlik, J. R., & McMurray, S. E. (2020). The emerging ecological and biogeochemical importance of sponges on coral reefs. Annual Review of Marine Science, 12, 315-337. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-010419-010807

Perry, C. T., Murphy, G. N., Kench, P. S., Smithers, S. G., Edinger, E. N., Steneck, R. S., &

Mumby, P. J. (2013). Caribbean-wide decline in carbonate production threatens coral reef growth. Nature Communications, 4, Article 1402. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2409

Perry, C. T., Morgan, K. M., Lange, I. D., & Yarlett, R. T. (2020). Bleaching-driven reef

community shifts drive pulses of increased reef sediment generation. Royal Society Open Science, 7, Artículo 192153. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.192153

Pomponi, S. A., Diaz, M. C., Van Soest, R. W. M., Bell, L. J., Busutil, L., Gochfeld, D. J.,

Kelly, M., & Slattery, M. (2019). Sponges. En Y. Loya, K. Puglise & T. Bridge (Eds.), Mesophotic coral reefs of the world (pp. 563-588). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92735-0_32

Powell, A., Smith, D. J., Hepburn, L. J., Jones, T., Berman, J., Jompa, J., & Bell, J. J. (2014). Reduced diversity and high sponge abundance on a sedimented Indo-Pacific eeef system: Implications for future changes in environmental quality. PLOS One, 9(1), Artículo e85253. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0085253

Precht, W. F., & Aronson, R. B. (2004). Climate flickers and range shifts of reef corals. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2(6), 307-314. https://doi.org/10.1890/1540-9295(2004)002%5B0307:cfarso%5D2.0.co;2

Rasher, D. B., Hoey, A. S., & Hay, M. E. (2013). Consumer diversity interacts with

prey defenses to drive ecosystem function. Ecology, 94(6), 1347–1358. https://doi.org/10.1890/12-0389.1

Rioja-Nieto, R., & Álvarez-Filip, L. (2019). Coral reef systems of the Mexican Caribbean:

Status, recent trends and conservation. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 140, 616-625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.07.005

Rovellini, A., Mortimer, C. L., Dunn, M. R., Fulton, E. A., Jompa, J., Haris, A., & Bell, J.

J. (2024). Reduced small-scale structural complexity on sponge-dominated areas of Indo-Pacific coral reefs. Marine Environmental Research, 193, Artículo 106254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106254

Rützler, K. (2004). Sponges on coral reefs: A community shaped by adaptive

strategies. Bollettino dei Musei e degli Istituti Biologici dell’Università di Genova, 68, 85–148.

Rützler, K., & Piantoni, C. (2008). Widespread sponge bioerosion in Caribbean reefs:

A threat to coral reef sustainability. Proceedings of the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, 7, 339–343.

Santoro, E. P., El-Khaled, Y. C., Rosado, P. M., Osman, E. O., & Peixoto, R. S. (2025).

The Coral Holobiont. En R. S. Peixoto & C. R. Voolstra (Eds.), Coral reef microbiome. Coral reefs of the world (Vol. 20, pp. 95-104). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-76692-3_7

Schönberg, C. H. L., & Carballo, J. L. (2017). Sponge diversity of the Caribbean coral reefs. En J. L. Carballo & J. J. Bell (Eds.), Climate change, ocean acidification and sponges (pp. 1–34). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59008-0_1

Slaby, B. M., Franke, A., Rix, L., Pita, L., Bayer, K., Jahn, M. T., & Hentschel, U. (2019).

Marine sponge holobionts in health and disease. En Z. Li (Ed.), Symbiotic microbiomes of coral reefs sponges and corals (pp. 81-104). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1612-1_7

Suan, A., Franceschini, S., Madin, J., & Madin, E. (2025). Quantifying 3D coral reef

structural complexity from 2D drone imagery using artificial intelligence. Ecological Informatics, 85, Artículo 102958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102958

Thacker, R., Ginsburg, D., & Paul, V. (2001). Effects of herbivore exclusion and nutrient

enrichment on coral reef macroalgae and cyanobacteria. Coral Reefs, 19, 318-329. https://doi.org/10.1007/s003380000122

Thakur, N. L., & Singh, A. (2016). Chemical ecology of marine sponges. En R. Pallela &

H. Ehrlich (Eds.), Marine sponges: Chemicobiological and biomedical applications

(pp. 37-52). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2794-6_3

Tkachenko, K. S., Dung, V. V., & Thi Ha, V. (2025). Ecological status and resilience of

coral reefs in South-Central Vietnam (Khanh Hoa Province) in the third decade of the 21st century. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 83, Artículo 104074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2025.104074

Ward-Paige, C. A., Risk, M. J., Sherwood, O. A., & Jaap, W. C. (2005). Clionid sponge

surveys on the Florida Reef Tract suggest land-based nutrient inputs. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 51(5-7), 570-579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.04.006