Other microorganisms may help defend the sponge with secondary metabolites or processes. Various beta- and gammaproeobacteria are responsible for denitrification in the sponge Geodia barrette. (Webster and Taylor, 2012). Additionally, a pure culture of an ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in the phylum Crenarchaeota was isolated from a sponge. This culture confirmed predictions of chemoautotrophic ammonia oxidation by archaea from earlier genomic studies (Steger et al., 2008). This phylum is commonly associated with marine sponges. Marine sponges display nitrification, but the accumulation of ammonia as a metabolic waste negatively affects sponge health. AOA can metabolize these waste products, leading to a mutualistic relationship between AOA and marine sponges (Steger et al.,
Other microorganisms may help defend the sponge with secondary metabolites or processes. Various beta- and gammaproeobacteria are responsible for denitrification in the sponge Geodia barrette. (Webster and Taylor, 2012). Additionally, a pure culture of an ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in the phylum Crenarchaeota was isolated from a sponge. This culture confirmed predictions of chemoautotrophic ammonia oxidation by archaea from earlier genomic studies (Steger et al., 2008). This phylum is commonly associated with marine sponges. Marine sponges display nitrification, but the accumulation of ammonia as a metabolic waste negatively affects sponge health. AOA can metabolize these waste products, leading to a mutualistic relationship between AOA and marine sponges (Steger et al.,