Carbon flux for the Caribbean giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta (Sponge-loop)

Abstract

Benthic suspension feeders are an important component of aquatic ecosystems, as they mediate benthic-pelagic coupling and the flow of energy and nutrients. There is increasing evidence that sponges are particularly important benthic suspension feeders in aquatic systems and especially on Caribbean coral reefs, where their biomass surpasses that of any other benthic group. The present study investigated the flux of particulate and dissolved organic carbon mediated by the Caribbean giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta. A total of 1 L of both incurrent (ambient) and excurrent seawater was collected in situ on Conch Reef, Key Largo, Florida, from 32 individuals with paired 100 mL syringes. Following seawater sample collection, the dimensions of each sponge were measured to obtain sponge volume estimates. Pumping rates were calculated from sponge volume using the relationship of McMurray et al. (2014). For a complete list of measurements, refer to the supplemental document 'Field_names.pdf', and a full dataset description is included in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: http://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/685783