Andia Chaves-Fonnegra, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, has been awarded a five-year, $720,446 grant from the United States EPA to support a pioneering project aimed at restoring sponge populations in Florida Bay through a genetics-based approach.

Florida Bay is a shallow body of water between the southern tip of mainland Florida and the Florida Keys. It is part of Everglades National Park, which supports important marine life like sponges, fish and spiny lobster.

The project marks the first genetic assessment of sponge restoration efforts in the region and seeks to build long-term ecological resilience in one of the nation’s most vulnerable marine environments.

Sponges are a vital component of benthic, hard-bottom communities throughout Florida Bay and the Florida reef tract. These organisms perform essential ecological functions – filtering vast volumes of water, cycling nutrients such as nitrogen, stabilizing seafloor sediments, and providing habitat for a variety of marine species.

Among the most economically important is the spiny lobster, which depends on sponge-rich environments as nursery grounds. Although we may not think of sponges as important or charismatic animals, they support a multi-million-dollar lobster fishery in South Florida. In addition, two of the sponge species in the study are commercial bath sponges, which, on their own, also supported the highly successful sponge fishery industry before the introduction of plastic sponges and the collapse of their populations. The degradation of sponge communities has had cascading impacts on both the sponge and lobster fisheries, as well as on the broader ecosystem services that sponges provide. 

Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in restoring sponge populations through transplantation programs that use asexual cuttings. These efforts, spearheaded by a coalition of scientists, state agencies, and community partners, have helped to reestablish sponge cover in areas heavily impacted by disease, phytoplankton blooms, and cold-water events. However, because these transplants are clonal, they lack genetic diversity, limiting the resilience of restored populations to environmental stressors and reducing their capacity to adapt to shifts in weather patterns.

Chaves-Fonnegra’s research will address this critical limitation by integrating population genetics into restoration strategies. Her team will analyze the genetic structure and diversity of four key sponge species currently used in Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) restoration programs: Spongia Barbara – a type of bath sponge known for its soft textures, Spongia graminea – referred to as the grass sponge, Ircinia campana – known as the vase sponge because of its shape, and Spheciospongia vesparium – commonly called the loggerhead sponge.

Using advanced tools such as microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms, the researchers will evaluate genetic diversity, inbreeding levels, clonality, and reproductive success in both nursery and outplant sites. This innovative project will also examine the degree to which restored sponges are reproducing sexually with wild populations and whether their offspring are genetically diverse enough to withstand the pressures of a warming ocean.

By monitoring larval recruits raised in a land-based nursery at FAU Harbor Branch and transplanting them into restoration sites, the team aims to enhance the genetic variation of sponge communities. Coupled with GIS mapping, these findings will help guide where and how transplants are placed to maximize ecological benefits.

“Receiving this EPA grant is incredibly significant because it means that we can move from simply rebuilding sponge numbers to restoring sponge populations with the genetic strength to withstand a shifting climate, disease, and other growing threats,” said Chaves-Fonnegra, principal investigator. “For the region, that means more stable fisheries, healthier reef ecosystems, clearer waters, and a safeguard for communities and businesses that depend on a thriving Florida Bay. It’s not just science – it’s an investment in resilience, for our ecosystems and for our people.”

Florida’s coral reef ecosystems, which include reefs, hard-bottom habitats, and sponge communities, support more than $1 billion annually in tourism and recreational activities. Reef-related fishing generates more than $150 million in sales each year, and tens of thousands of jobs across the state depend on the health of these marine systems. As Florida’s coastal ecosystems face increasing threats, restoration efforts must evolve to ensure they are both effective and adaptive.

By directly informing FWC’s ongoing restoration practices, this project will have immediate practical applications. It also supports Goal 5 of the EPA’s Strategic Plan, which aims to protect and restore ecosystems and communities from environmental degradation.

Through this work, FAU is helping to shape the future of marine conservation in Florida, integrating science, policy, and innovation to protect one of the state’s most ecologically and economically valuable natural resources.

– FAU –

About Florida Atlantic University:

Florida Atlantic University serves more than 32,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses located along the Southeast Florida coast. It is one of only 21 institutions in the country designated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an “R1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production” university and an “Opportunity College and University” for providing greater access to higher education as well as higher earnings for students after graduation. In 2025, Florida Atlantic was nationally recognized as a Top 25 Best-In-Class College and as “one of the country’s most effective engines of upward mobility” by Washington Monthly magazine. Increasingly a first-choice university for students in both Florida and across the nation, Florida Atlantic welcomed its most academically competitive incoming class in the university’s history in Fall 2025. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.

Funder

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The queen conch is a large marine gastropod native to Florida and the Caribbean, playing a crucial role as an herbivorous grazer that maintains the health and productivity of seagrass beds—key habitats underpinning coastal marine ecosystems. The species is also culturally and economically indispensable to numerous coastal communities, serving as one of the primary sources of marine protein and economic livelihood throughout the Caribbean basin. However, decades of overfishing and ongoing habitat degradation have precipitated a dramatic decline in queen conch numbers, prompting their listing as “threatened” under the United States Endangered Species Act.

Between the years spanning 1980 to 2020, the queen conch fishery yielded annual harvests averaging approximately 31,000 metric tons, with an estimated commercial value nearing $39 million each year. Despite its historical significance, extensive scientific surveys now indicate that unsustainable harvesting practices, coupled with environmental stressors, may lead to the collapse of queen conch fisheries in The Bahamas within the next decade to fifteen years. This prediction reflects broader concerns about the resilience of marine ecosystems facing increasing anthropogenic pressures and climate change impacts.

The Longer Tables Fund, an initiative launched by celebrated culinary innovator and humanitarian Chef José Andrés with backing from the Bezos Courage and Civility Award, champions innovative solutions that transform global food systems and promote community resilience. The Fund strategically allocates resources to projects such as the Queen Conch Conservancy, fostering collaborations that merge food, science, and community-based stewardship. Chef Andrés emphasizes that empowering local food systems has the power to sustain both livelihoods and ecosystems, a nexus critical for fostering long-term ecological balance and food security.

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute has positioned its Queen Conch Lab (QCL) at the forefront of restoration science by developing scalable aquaculture technologies tailored to the queen conch. The QCL’s vision extends to creating community-managed conch farms across all Caribbean nations, recognizing that localized stewardship is pivotal to the species’ survival. These farming operations not only aim to replenish wild populations but also provide economic opportunities for fishermen and communities traditionally dependent on queen conch fisheries.

Over the past six years, the Queen Conch Lab has garnered nearly $6 million through partnerships and grants from prominent institutions including the Builders Vision, Moore Bahamas Foundation, Saltonstall-Kennedy NOAA Fisheries, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, among others. This robust financial backing has facilitated extensive research into queen conch biology, breeding techniques, and habitat requirements, enabling the lab to refine best practices for juvenile conch rearing, disease management, and habitat restoration.

One of the flagship achievements of the QCL has been the establishment of community-based aquaculture farms in ten Caribbean locations including The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Curaçao. These laboratories and grow-out facilities serve as hubs for local education, conservation training, and sustainable fisheries management. Expanding these efforts in partnership with CEI leverages over two decades of regional scientific expertise, forming a unique nexus where cutting-edge research meets hands-on experiential learning for students from pre-kindergarten through doctoral studies.

The new project in Eleuthera will introduce a Queen Conch Mobile Lab operated by the QCL. The facility is designed to cultivate up to 2,000 queen conch juveniles annually, which will be strategically released into local habitats to bolster natural populations. Additionally, the project prioritizes comprehensive community outreach, training local residents and more than 1,000 students enrolled at The Island School each year in sustainable fishing methodologies and marine stewardship. This integrated approach addresses both ecological restoration and socioeconomic resilience.

Megan Davis, Ph.D., director of the Queen Conch Lab and an expert in aquaculture and stock enhancement, highlights the critical nature of this partnership. "By combining the expertise of FAU Harbor Branch, the visionary philanthropy of the Longer Tables Fund, and the educational outreach of The Island School’s Cape Eleuthera Institute, we are pioneering a multifaceted strategy to ensure queen conch populations recover and thrive for generations to come," she states. The collaborative framework exemplifies how science, community engagement, and philanthropy can unite to address urgent environmental challenges.

The community-based aquaculture model offers a compelling blueprint for conservation that can be adapted across the Caribbean. Integrating sustainable harvesting policies, habitat restoration, and aquaculture propagation, the initiative encourages ecosystem-based fisheries management tailored to regional socioecological contexts. By fostering local ownership and stewardship, these projects not only enhance biodiversity but also support community food security and economic stability in vulnerable coastal regions.

Chris Maxey, founder and head of The Island School, lauds the initiative as perfectly aligned with the school’s mission, which focuses on innovative environmental research coupled with pragmatic, sustainable solutions. The project exemplifies how academic institutions can serve as critical connectors among science, policy, and community action, translating research into tangible conservation outcomes that reinforce local cultural and economic values.

The queen conch restoration effort comes at a pivotal time when marine ecosystems globally face unprecedented threats from climate change, pollution, and unsustainable exploitation. Protecting keystone species such as the queen conch is essential not only for preserving biodiversity but also for sustaining the complex ecological processes that underpin coastal resilience. Initiatives like those spearheaded by FAU Harbor Branch’s Queen Conch Lab serve as paradigms for integrated conservation strategies that leverage science, education, and empowerment to address multifaceted environmental crises.

In essence, the Queen Conch Conservancy on Eleuthera Island represents a beacon of hope and a scalable model for community-based restoration throughout the Caribbean. By fusing scientific innovation with grassroots leadership and culinary advocacy, this project epitomizes the transformative potential of collaborative conservation driven by local knowledge, robust research, and committed philanthropy. As the queen conch faces an uncertain future, such synergistic efforts illuminate pathways toward ecological restoration and sustainable prosperity.

Subject of Research: Queen Conch (Aliger gigas) conservation and aquaculture for ecosystem restoration and sustainable fisheries management in the Caribbean.

Article Title: Florida Atlantic University Launches Groundbreaking Community-Based Aquaculture Project to Restore Queen Conch Populations in The Bahamas

News Publication Date: Not specified

Web References:
www.fau.edu

Image Credits: Credit: Shane Gross

Keywords: Food science, Aquaculture, Fisheries, Fisheries management, Philanthropy, Ecology, Aquatic ecology, Aquatic ecosystems