by Sofia Paraskevopoulou
When most people hear the word sponge, they think of SpongeBob or marine species found in coral reefs. But freshwater sponges, though less famous, are just as fascinating and ecologically important. While a recent study expanded our knowledge of freshwater sponge diversity in Sweden, southern regions like Skåne remain largely unexplored.
In July 2024, our research team from Lund University (Raquel, Viktor, and me) set out on a field expedition across Skåne with a clear goal: to uncover the hidden diversity of freshwater sponges in this understudied part of the country.
Armed with GPS devices, sampling equipment, and a large dose of curiosity, we visited lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams across southern Sweden. From each site, we collected sponge samples and recorded key environmental variables such as pH, water temperature, and substrate type.
Back in the lab, we’re now working on identifying the collected species using a combination of morphological techniques and molecular tools. One of our main research questions is how these sponge species are distributed across freshwater to brackish environments, and whether lateral gene transfer (LGT) from microbial symbionts plays a role in helping them adapt to different ecological conditions.