Marine sponges often contain diverse and abundant microbial communities, including
bacteria, archaea, microalgae, and fungi. In some cases, these microbial associates …

Of the intriguing topics that are receiving renewed attention nowadays, the study of the
“triangle” biomineralization/demineralization/remineralization is among the most fascinating …

An enormous body of increasingly interdisciplinary scientific literature reflects the profound
and pervasive entwinement of biological processes and silicate mineral weathering. While …

Radiolarian productivity pulses and related radiolarite deposition are phenomena difficult to
understand from an exclusively actualistic viewpoint. Evolutionary selection pressure among …

Being sessile filter feeders, sponges may be disadvantaged by sediments in many ways, eg
through clogging and burial. However, in order to correctly recognize negative effects of …

Bioeroding sponges play a central role in carbonate cycling on corals reefs. They may
respond differently to habitat deterioration than many other benthic invertebrates, because at …

The mineralogical features of the substrate were generally considered a minor factor in
structuring marine benthic communities. The aim of this work is to verify whether the …

Two classes of the phylum Porifera, the Demospongiae and the Hexactinellida, produce
hydrated, amorphous, and noncrystalline silica which they deposit in their spicules. In …

Antarctic sponges may host large populations of planktonic and benthic diatoms. After
settling on the sponge, these diatoms enter its body through pinacocytes (1) and form, there …

In contrast to biomineralization phenomena, that are among the most widely studied topics
in modern material and earth science and biomedicine, much less is systematized on …