Chemical Ecology of Marine Sponges

Sponges successfully inhabit diverse habitats ranging from hard- to soft-bottom communities, tropical to polar latitudes, intertidal to deep-sea environments and fresh- to saltwaters, which are shared by other organisms. It is important to study sponges due to their high abundance, longevity, plasticity and ability to produce bioactive secondary metabolites. They use their infochemicals and allelochemicals in multiple ways in order to interact with other organisms to maintain their space, deter predator and prevent epibiont growth on their surfaces. These compounds are highly bioactive and have been explored for their possible therapeutic applications. As compared to the biomedical applications of these compounds, their possible ecological roles in competition for space, defence against predator and prevention of epibiosis have received little attention. Knowledge of the ecological roles of sponge metabolites will contribute significantly to plan effective and sustainable wild harvests to obtain novel compounds. This review highlights the importance of sponge chemical ecology in marine bioprospecting.