Variation in species diversity and functional traits of sponge communities near human populations in Bocas del Toro, Panama.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies have renewed interest in sponge ecology by emphasizing the functional importance of sponges in a broad array of ecosystem services. Many critically important habitats occupied by sponges face chronic stressors that might lead to alterations in their diversity, relatedness, and functional attributes. We addressed whether proximity to human activity might be a significant factor in structuring sponge community composition, as well as potential functional roles, by monitoring sponge diversity and abundance at two structurally similar sites that vary in distance to areas of high coastal development in Bocas Del Toro, Panama. We surveyed sponge communities at each site using belt transects and differences between two sites were compared using the following variables: (1) sponge s

SUBMITTER: Easson CG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4647605 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature