Abstract
RECENT studies1 have shown that the redbeard sponge (Microcionia prolifera Verrill), a common inhabitant of the Atlantic shorelines, is able to use bacteria, notably E. coli, as food organisms. Sponges effectively filter these bacteria out of the sea water and concentrate large quantities of them in their bodies before digestion. The filtering capacity of the sponge was found to depend on the initial concentration of bacteria present in the surroundings, and it was shown that the more bacteria present, the more efficiently the sponge utilizes them. This suggests that the redbeard sponge can be used to combat microbial pollution in estuaries coming from faecal contamination.
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References
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CLAUS, G., MADRI, P. & KUNEN, S. Removal of Microbial Pollutants from Waste Effluents by the Redbeard Sponge. Nature 216, 712–714 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/216712a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/216712a0
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