Giant barrel sponge (Xestospongia spp.) microbiome Thailand, Curacao, Martinique

In this study, we hypothesize that the relative contribution of drivers such as host identity and environmental conditions to the sponge prokaryotic community can shift at different spatial scales. This hypothesis was tested with a sampling design that includes sampling closely related and sympatric sponge species across multiple spatial scales. The widespread occurrence and recently unravelled phylogeny of giant barrel sponges (Xestospongia spp.) make them an ideal group for this purpose.