Vanessa Oliveira and Newton Gomes, researchers at CESAM/DBio, led the CESAM team responsible for two independent scientific studies that resulted in the discovery of a new bacterial genus and new bacterial species associated with marine sponges, with potential relevance to the nitrogen cycle in coral reef ecosystems. These studies were developed through a collaboration between CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies of the University of Aveiro / Department of Biology, Instituto Superior Técnico, and the National Penghu University of Science and Technology (Taiwan).
The first study describes Aquimarina rhabdastrellae sp. nov., a new bacterial species isolated from the marine sponge Rhabdastrella globostellata. This bacterium is capable of performing complete denitrification, a key process in the nitrogen cycle. The new species belongs to the genus Aquimarina, which is recognized for its potential to produce bioactive compounds and for its antimicrobial activities.
The second article presents Spongorhabdus nitratireducens gen. nov., sp. nov., a new genus and species within the family Endozoicomonadaceae, a bacterial group that plays a central role in symbiotic interactions between microorganisms and marine invertebrates. This new taxon, associated with marine sponges, exhibits nitrate-reducing capabilities, further highlighting the potential functional relevance of these bacteria in the nitrogen cycle of marine sponges.
Together, these studies contribute to the characterization of the microbial diversity associated with marine sponges, enabling the formal description of microorganisms that were previously known only from molecular data, and reinforcing the role of CESAM research in advancing the identification of marine bacterial symbionts potentially involved in biogeochemical processes in coral reef ecosystems.
The image illustrates the marine sponge Xestospongia sp., from the Penghu Islands, Taiwan.