A crucial but often overlooked member of South Florida’s marine ecosystem—the sea sponge—is getting a major boost thanks to a nearly $750,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to a team of University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) scientists. The three-year project aims to restore sponge populations in the Lower Keys and Biscayne Bay, enhancing the region’s struggling water quality.
Sponges are essential natural water filters, quietly cleaning vast amounts of water by removing nutrients and supporting the health of seagrass beds and the wider marine food chain. However, years of environmental stress and water quality decline have pushed these organisms to the brink.
“Sponges are often overlooked, but they’re incredibly important — and incredibly beautiful,” said principal investigator Ashley Smyth, an associate professor of soil, water and ecosystem sciences at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center. “They filter vast amounts of water, provide shelter for marine life and support water quality. Restoring them helps restore entire ecosystems.”
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The project, which also involves Florida Sea Grant agents Shelly Krueger (UF/IFAS Extension Monroe County) and Ana Zangroniz (UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County), will focus on scaling up successful restoration techniques. In partnership with Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, the team plans to restore at least 1,500 sponges in a permitted nursery in the Lower Keys and an additional 1,000 sponges at a pilot site in Biscayne Bay.
Smyth emphasized the broader goal: “Through this project, we aim to restore not only sponge populations but also the ecological services and water quality benefits they provide to South Florida’s coastal environments.” Sponges filter out algae—including those that cause harmful algal blooms—as well as viruses and bacteria.
The initiative will also tackle the difficulty of identifying shallow-water sponges, which often lack the bright colors of their coral reef counterparts and tend to be black and round.
“This new research will advance the identification of these important animals for the purposes of common names and scientific identification,” said Krueger, who brings extensive experience in sponge restoration aquaculture from her Florida Keys research. She noted that modern genetic advances are revealing secrets that older, morphology-based classifications concealed.
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Zangroniz will lead the establishment of the pilot nursery in Biscayne Bay, specifically within Biscayne National Park, and head public outreach efforts to educate the community on the sponges’ role in achieving cleaner water and healthier bays.
“I’m excited to expand best practices for sponge restoration aquaculture into Biscayne National Park,” Zangroniz stated, noting the project’s alignment with the National Park Service’s mission to preserve natural resources for future generations.
By combining cutting-edge scientific research, hands-on restoration, and community engagement, the UF/IFAS team is working to develop a unified framework for sponge restoration aquaculture across South Florida, hoping to revive the function and natural beauty of the region’s vital coastal habitats.
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