Filtering activity of Spongia officinalis var. adriatica (Schmidt) (Porifera, Demospongiae) on bacterioplankton: Implications for bioremediation of polluted seawater

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) Vol. 40; no. 16; pp. 3083 - 3090
• Main Authors: Stabili, Loredana, Licciano, Margherita, Giangrande, Adriana, Longo, Caterina, Mercurio, Maria, Marzano, Carlotta Nonnis, Corriero, Giuseppe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2006; Elsevier Science; IWA Publishing/Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Applied sciences; Bacteria; bacteria size; bacterial contamination; Bacterioplankton; Biodegradation, Environmental; biological treatment; biomass; Bioremediation; Clearance rate; Demospongiae; Earth Sciences; Eating - physiology; Exact sciences and technology; Feeding Behavior; Filtering activity; filtration; Marine; Northern Ionian Sea; Oceanography; Other industrial wastes. Sewage sludge; Plankton; Pollution; Porifera; Porifera - microbiology; Porifera - physiology; Retention efficiency; Sciences of the Universe; Seawater; Spongia officinalis; Wastes; Water Pollution; Water treatment and pollution; Italy; Mediterranean Sea; Ionian Sea; MED, Ionian Sea; Northern Ionian Sea; Bacterioplankton; Filtering activity; Clearance rate; Spongia officinalis; Bioremediation; Retention efficiency; Biomass; Coastal zone; spongia officinalis; Pollution; Decontamination; Porifera; Bacteria; Invertebrata; Seawater
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2006.06.012

A study on the filtering activity has been carried out on reared specimens of the demosponge Spongia officinalis var. adriatica coming from an off-shore farm displaced off the Apulian coast (Ionian Sea). The experience was carried out under laboratory conditions, by using natural seawater collected from the sponge environment. The study demonstrates a high efficiency of the sponge in removing bacteria. Bacterial concentration significantly decreases in presence of the sponge, with a marked drop after 2h from the start of the experience. The maximum clearance rate was 210mlh−1g−1 DW at 60min. Retention efficiency reached the highest value of 61% at 120min. The bacterial density removed by the S. officinalis filtering activity was 12.3±1.8×104 cellsml−1 corresponding to a biomass of about 11.7±1.4μg Cl−1. The sponge fed preferentially large- and medium-size bacteria, whereas the small ones are fed after the removal of the largest size categories. The results obtained suggest that S. offcinalis is a suitable species for marine environmental bioremediation.