Phylogeny of selected key taxa of Antarctic deep-sea Porifera (Sponges) and the history of their radiation (ANTARC-por)

海绵作为活跃的滤食者扮演着重要的生态角色，有助于土壤-底栖耦合中的营养物质流动，这是SYSTCO计划的一个中心主题。此外，海绵在构建海底结构方面非常重要，它们在海底充当宿主，为其他生物创造栖息地。多孔虫类群的进化辐射可能是触发底栖动物群落多样性的生态关键因素之一。这在南极地区尤其明显，那里有非常丰富的海绵动物栖息着大量的海绵。然而，对南大洋海绵群落的殖民历史、进化或系统发育关系一无所知。在这项研究项目中，我们的目标是解决南极海绵分类群的系统和系统发育关系，重建它们的系统地理历史，并将这些丰富的动物群与世界其他海洋(主要是北极)的海绵动物群进行比较。我们使用分子技术与形态和古生物数据相结合的综合方法来了解南极多孔虫多样性的历史。这种知识对于评估海绵群落的潜力至关重要，海绵群落是南大洋底栖生物领域的关键组成部分，对其应对全球变化的能力具有重要影响。

Sponges play an important ecological role as active filter feeders contributing to the nutrient flow in the pelago-benthic coupling, a central topic of the SYSTCO program. Furthermore, sponges are important in structuring the sea floor where they act hosts creating habitats for other organisms. The evolutionary radiation of poriferan taxa can be seen as one ecological key factor triggering the diversity of benthic communities. This is particularly notable in Antarctic realms where an extraordinarily rich sponge fauna inhabit in high abundances. However, nothing is known about the colonization history, evolution or phylogenetic relationships of Southern Ocean sponge communities. In this research project, we aim to resolve the systematic and phylogenetic relationships of selected Antarctic sponge taxa, to reconstruct their phylogeographic history, and to compare these rich fauna with the sponge faunas of other World oceans, mainly the Arctic. We use an integrative approach combining molecular techniques with morphological and paleontological data to understanding the history of the diversification of Antarctic Porifera. Such knowledge is pivotal to assess the potential of the sponge communities, key-components of the Southern Ocean benthic realm, for their resilience to global change.