Exploration of Deepwater Habitats off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for Biotechnology Potential

Biological Collections: The HBOI Sponge Biobank

During the Exploration of Deepwater Habitats off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for Biotechnology Potential expedition, we collected 136 samples. What happens to these samples after an expedition? Some of them are archived in biological collections, like the sponge biobank at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI).

Cryopreserved living sponge materials are stored in cryogenic vials at -80°C (-112°F) in Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute’s sponge biobank.
Cryopreserved living sponge materials are stored in cryogenic vials at -80°C (-112°F) in Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute’s sponge biobank. Image courtesy of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Florida Atlantic University. Download largest version (jpg, 250 KB).
Sponge cells, fragments, and buds are stored in cryogenic vials, which are put into freezer containers containing isopropyl alcohol that slowly freeze at a rate of 1°C (34°F) per minute until they reach -80°C (-112°F).
Sponge cells, fragments, and buds are stored in cryogenic vials, which are put into freezer containers containing isopropyl alcohol that slowly freeze at a rate of 1°C (34°F) per minute until they reach -80°C (-112°F). Image courtesy of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Florida Atlantic University. Download largest version (jpg, 211 KB).

Biological collections consist of samples of organisms and their associated biological material (e.g., tissue and DNA). There are two types of biological collections: Natural history collections include non-living samples — preserved organisms or remains. Living collections include "living" samples — research and model organisms that are grown and maintained (e.g., cells) in centers and repositories, like biobanks. Biobanks are repositories where living organisms and materials are stored and preserved for research purposes at extremely cold sub-zero temperatures in cryogenic storage facilities.

The HBOI biobank was developed for biomedical, biotechnology, biodiversity, and restoration research purposes. Subsamples of select sponges collected during this expedition were cryopreserved and stored in HBOI’s sponge biobank in cryogenic storage (-80°C/-112°F). As of July 2024, our biobank has approximately 10,000 tubes containing cells, fragments, and buds from more than 500 sponges representing more than 125 different species.

This folded cup sponge (Neophrissospongia nolitangere) sponge was collected off southern Puerto Rico at a depth of 442 meters (1,450 feet) and subsampled for storage in the sponge biobank at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. This kind of plate sponge tends to have interesting chemistry.
This folded cup sponge (Neophrissospongia nolitangere) sponge was collected off southern Puerto Rico at a depth of 442 meters (1,450 feet) and subsampled for storage in the sponge biobank at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. This kind of plate sponge tends to have interesting chemistry. Image courtesy of Exploration of Deepwater Habitats off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for Biotechnology Potential. Download largest version (jpg, 5.49 MB).
This unusual looking white sponge (Caminus carmabi), was collected at a depth of 380 meters (1,247 feet) off southwestern Puerto Rico and subsampled for storage in the sponge biobank at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. It was chosen for preservation as it is rather different from other sponges.
This unusual looking white sponge (Caminus carmabi) was collected at a depth of 380 meters (1,247 feet) off southwestern Puerto Rico and subsampled for storage in the sponge biobank at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. It was chosen for preservation as it is rather different from other sponges. Image courtesy of Exploration of Deepwater Habitats off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for Biotechnology Potential. Download largest version (jpg, 211 KB).

Building and maintaining this collection is essential to expanding our understanding of sponges in the natural world, both now and for future research. By storing and safeguarding this material from a wide range of species, we can study a sponge’s marine natural products, resilience to global changes, relationship to other organisms and the environment, and more.

By Megan Conkling, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University
Published October 1, 2024