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Interaction Mechanisms Between Marine Sponges (Porifera) and Microplastics: A Bioecological Overview
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This systematic review summarizes how marine sponges, which are natural filter feeders, interact with microplastic particles in the ocean. The research shows that sponges unintentionally take in microplastics along with their food, which can cause cellular stress and may affect their ability to filter ocean water, with broader consequences for marine ecosystem health.
Microplastics, plastic particles measuring less than 5 mm, have become one of the main pollutants in marine ecosystems, with significant impacts on marine organisms, including sponges. The filter-feeding capacity of marine sponges allows not only the intake of nutrients but also the unintentional uptake of microplastic (MP) particles. This may lead to physiological disturbances, cellular stress, and altered ecological interactions with their environment. However, the extent to which sponges interact with microplastic contamination remains largely unobserved and poorly understood. This study aims to explore the bioecological response of marine sponges to microplastic contamination. This study is a reflection of the literature with the This study used Systematic Review method using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines to examine the interaction between marine sponges (Porifera) and microplastics. Data sources were obtained from the Scopus database. The search was conducted using the keywords "sponge" and "microplastics". which includes inclusive and exclusive criteria. Inclusion criteria for articles: 1) availability of complete libraries; 2) discussion of sponge interactions with microplastics; 3) articles from 2014-2025. Exclusion criteria are: Exclusion criteria are: 1) theses, books, observation articles, final assignments, review papers. The synthesis results show that sponges have a significant capacity to capture and store microplastics, making them an important component in the study of micropollutant dynamics in the marine environment.
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Interaction Mechanisms Between Marine Sponges (Porifera) and Microplastics: A Bioecological Overview
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This systematic review looks at how marine sponges — natural filter feeders — accidentally take in microplastics along with their food. The research shows sponges can accumulate significant amounts of tiny plastic particles, which may affect their health and the broader reef ecosystem. Since sponges play an important role in ocean nutrient cycling, their contamination with microplastics signals wider pollution concerns for marine food webs.
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Researchers investigated how microplastics affect marine sponges, which are important filter feeders in coastal ecosystems, noting that very little research had examined sponge-microplastic interactions. The study aimed to fill a knowledge gap about microplastic impacts on a key group of benthic organisms that filter large volumes of seawater.
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Researchers investigated how microplastics affect marine sponges, which are important filter feeders in coastal ecosystems, noting that very little research had examined sponge-microplastic interactions. The study aimed to fill a knowledge gap about microplastic impacts on a key group of organisms that filter large volumes of seawater.
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Researchers tested how the Mediterranean bath sponge filters and responds to microplastic particles in seawater. They found that these sponges are highly efficient at capturing microplastics in the 1-5 micrometer size range but showed signs of physiological stress including changes in respiration and cellular damage. The findings suggest that filter-feeding marine organisms like sponges are both exposed to and affected by microplastic contamination.
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