Problem
Threatened species of Porifera
Experimental visualization of narrower problems
Other Names:
Sponges under threat of extinction Nature:
5,000 living sponge species are known, of which 150 occur in freshwater and the rest in the sea. The survival of sponges, the most primitive of multicellular animals, may be threatened due to pollution, disease, exploitation, or hurricanes.
Background:
For centuries, sponges have been employed for both personal and household purposes; in the first half of the 19th century sponge fishing began on a commercial basis in the Mediterranean, and by the end of that century it was well established in the USA and some Caribbean islands. Currently Tunisia is the world's largest supplier of sponges. In 1986, a fungal disease attacked the sponge fishing areas of the eastern Mediterranean nearly destroying the population.
Broader Problems:
Threatened species of Invertebrates Narrower Problems:
Threatened species of CalcareaThreatened species of DemospongiaeExtinct species of StromatoporoideaThreatened species of SclerospongiaeThreatened species of Hexactinellida Strategies:
Maintaining biodiversity of marine speciesConserving endangered species of invertebratesConserving endangered species of sponge Values:
ExtinctionThreat Subject(s):
Invertebrates → Protozoa, parazoa, coelenterataSocietal Problems → Destruction
Societal Problems → Endangered species
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Problem Type:
C: Cross-sectoral problems Date of last update
16.04.2019 – 16:26 CEST