Sponges at risk
Sediment plumes caused by such activities as bottom trawling and deep sea mining pose a threat to sponges which are crucial to the deep sea’s eco system.
Researchers have exposed New Zealand deep-sea sponges to different levels of sediment concentrations. The findings were that as the sediment increased the sponges breathing rates fell by up to 60% with some sponges dying .
At the end of the two week experiment sediment was found deep in the tissue of all specimens including the controls. Despite survival of a trawling the damaged caused would continue to affect sponges beyond the disturbance
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