Porifera, Grant, 1836

3.1.1. Porifera View in CoL

Sponges are filter-feeding, sessile benthic organisms. They can take up MPs and other microparticles by filtering seawater, through placoderms, or via the influence of the fauna living within them ( Girard et al., 2021; Soares et al., 2022). Studies on the effects of MPs on members of the phylum Porifera are limited. In the literature review conducted within the scope of this study, three relevant publications were found (Appendix Table 1 View Table 1 ).

In the Laguna de Terminos Protected Area, the MP content in sponges was found to be much higher than that in water and sediment ( Celis-Hernandez et al., 2021). Sponges may be exposed to more contamination than other organisms as a result of ingesting very small particles, such as MPs with a predominant size of 10–20 µm or less than 2 µm ( Fallon and Freeman, 2021; Krikech et al., 2023). In studies conducted in different regions, blue, red, and black microfibers were found in various sponge species, such as Haliclona implexiformis , Halichondria melanadocia , and Amorphinopsis atlantica in Mexico ( Celis-Hernandez et al., 2021); PS was found in coral sponges Carteriospongia sp. and Ircinia sp. on Bangka Island, Indonesia ( Girard et al., 2021) ; and PP was found in Cinachyrella alloclada in Brazil (Soares et al., 2022). In Antarctica , thermo fibers were detected in the sponges Dendrilla antarctica , Haliclona (Rhizoniera) scotti , Microxina sarai , and Mycale (Oxymycale) acerata , which provide the raw material for clothing worn by researchers, fishermen, and tourists in the region ( Corti et al., 2023). In addition, sponges can be used as bioindicators to determine MP diversity in the environment due to their abilities of filtering large amounts of seawater daily and absorbing very small amounts of MPs present in the environment ( Celis-Hernandez et al., 2021; Corti et al., 2023; Krikech et al., 2023).