Objective
The objective of SponGES is to develop an integrated ecosystem-based approach to preserve and sustainably use vulnerable sponge ecosystems of the North Atlantic. The SponGES consortium, an international and interdisciplinary collaboration of research institutions, environmental non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, will focus on one of the most diverse, ecologically and biologically important and vulnerable marine ecosystems of the deep-sea - sponge grounds – that to date have received very little research and conservation attention. Our approach will address the scope and challenges of EC’s Blue Growth Call by strengthening the knowledge base, improving innovation, predicting changes, and providing decision support tools for management and sustainable use of marine resources. SponGES will fill knowledge gaps on vulnerable sponge ecosystems and provide guidelines for their preservation and sustainable exploitation. North Atlantic deep-sea sponge grounds will be mapped and characterized, and a geographical information system on sponge grounds will be developed to determine drivers of past and present distribution. Diversity, biogeographic and connectivity patterns will be investigated through a genomic approach. Function of sponge ecosystems and the goods and services they provide, e.g. in habitat provision, bentho-pelagic coupling and biogeochemical cycling will be identified and quantified. This project will further unlock the potential of sponge grounds for innovative blue biotechnology namely towards drug discovery and tissue engineering. It will improve predictive capacities by quantifying threats related to fishing, climate change, and local disturbances. SponGES outputs will form the basis for modeling and predicting future ecosystem dynamics under environmental changes. SponGES will develop an adaptive ecosystem-based management plan that enables conservation and good governance of these marine resources on regional and international levels.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiodiversity conservation
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsgenomes
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biologymolecular evolution
Keywords
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
5020 Bergen
Norway
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Participants (22)
33431 0991 Boca Raton
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751 05 Uppsala
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SW7 5BD London
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28006 Madrid
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1012WX Amsterdam
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6708 PB Wageningen
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Participation ended
LL57 2DG Bangor
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BS8 1QU Bristol
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4704 553 Braga
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9901-862 Horta
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Participation ended
B3K 4L3 Halifax
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3526 KV Utrecht
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24148 Kiel
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3584 CS Utrecht
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16121 Genova
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
00153 Roma
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27570 Bremerhaven
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B3H 4R2 Halifax
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21502 Geesthacht
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02881 Kingston
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5007 Bergen
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4450 208 Matosinhos
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