UB-IRBio researchers identify marine sponge strategies to survive in Antarctic and Tropical latitude

The marine sponge Mycale acerata, common in Antarctic waters, can produce yolk of entirely lipid nature which could favour quick larval development and increase species' survival possibilities in the cold waters of the Southern Ocean. This is the conclusion of a scientific article, recently published in the journal PLOS ONE, signed by experts Ana Riesgo, Sergio Taboada, Laura Sánchez-Vila, Joan Solà and Conxita Àvila, from the Department of Animal Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) of the UB.

Yolk is the energetic reserve of embryos and larvae in all animals, including marine invertebrates. In most cases, yolk platelets are heterogeneous containing both proteins and lipids, in different proportions. However, the study reveals that M. acerata can produce yolk of exclusively lipid nature, an extraordinary survival strategy that may also be present in other sponges of the Southern Ocean.

Further information