Under the Microscope: Discovering Polyphosphate on Marine Sponges (IMAGE)

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Under the Microscope: Discovering Polyphosphate on Marine Sponges

Caption

Phosphorus is a nutrient essential for life, but it is at very low concentrations in the water around coral reefs. The new study reports that phosphorus is being captured by bacteria that live in the sponges and turned into polyphosphate, a form of phosphorus readily usable by the reef community. Seen here: A tissue section of giant barrel sponge (Xestospongia mutt) with yellow polyphosphate granules.

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University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science/Fan Zhang

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