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Project 1.3.2 - Ecological role and potential economic value of sponges to the Torres Strait

Project Leader:  Dr Alan Duckworth, Australian Institute of Marine Science 

Project 1.3.2 builds on the outputs and methodology of sponge aquaculture research undertaken in the CRC Torres Strait. 

Given awareness that the scale of the potential international market for commercial sponges may permit a venture larger than cottage industry size, it is now important to examine sustainability of the likely commercial development of a new industry in the Torres Strait.  This can be achieved by laying ground work for understanding the dynamics of shallow water sponge characterised communities and exploring risks and threats to sponge seed stock populations.  Given that sponges play an important ecological role in these environments, possibly acting as nursery or recruitment habitat for other species of economic or ecological importance (as reported in other tropical habitats), and because sponges themselves are useful indicator or sentinel species for environmental stress, then relevant information will be delivered that will inform assessment of general habitat risk (from pollution, disease, invasions or sedimentation).  An exploration of the wider economic potential for bath sponge aquaculture in Torres Strait (currently undertaken by CRC Torres Strait and the Torres Strait Regional Authority) will be supported by other funds and will be carried out in collaboration with the Yorke Island Council and the Torres Strait Regional Authority.

A business model for a commercial venture at Masig Island, grounded on a sustainable environmental bottom line, will place this project in the context of the economic potential of the broader sponge resource in the Torres Strait region and facilitate the uptake of outputs for the development of a viable commercial sponge farming industry throughout the Torres Strait. Ecological and risk assessment information will be integrated into the relevant reports cards.

Key objectives of Project 1.3.2 include:

  • An assessment of the distribution and abundance of wild commercial sponge species in Torres Strait, identifying elements of environmental risk (evidence of disease, sedimentation, invasives) and establishing a sustainable strategy for seed stock harvest;

  • Determining the connections between sponge populations and risks in translocation; and

  • Determining patterns of sponge recruitment/mortality and the environmental risk of seed stock harvest leading to development of a sustainable seed collection strategy.

Project 1.3.2 Downloads

Project 1.3.2 AIMS Duckworth, A. (2007) Ecological Role and Potential Value of Sponges to Torres Strait
MTSRF Project 1.3.2 Annual Report for 2006/2007 prepared by researchers of the Australian Institute of Marine Science. Sponges are a dominant organism on coral reefs throughout Torres Strait and have been shown to play an important ecological role by acting as a nursery or recruitment habitat for other species of economic importance. In addition to their ecological importance, sponges that have good quality spongin fibres have commercial value and may be sold as bath sponges. This report examines the size of the Coscinoderma sp. population in Torres Strait; determines the possible risks of translocating individuals of Coscinoderma sp. within Torres Strait in the interests of setting up bath sponge farms where it is not naturally abundance; and highlights when, where and how often sponges such as Coscinoderma recruit onto coral reefs in Torres Strait. [pdf 2.2 Mb]


Project 1.3.2 Duckworth, A. (2006) Distribution and abundance of the bath sponge Coscinoderma in Central and Eastern Torres Strait
A project report on the distribution and abundance of the bath sponge Coscinoderma in Central and Eastern Torres Strait. [pdf 800.7 kb]


Project 1.3.2 Duckworth, A. (2007) February Milestone Report
A project milestone report detailing data and documents sourced to assist in achieving the projects objectives, findings of field work conducted to date (surveys of population collection for genetic work, recruitment plate deployment, sponge pathogen characterization), a project schedule of remaining field work and a summary of all liaison activities conducted to date (including employment employment of TSI for the project). [pdf 204.6 kb]


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