Thermal stress disrupts microbial symbiosis and host activity in the model sponge Ianthella basta
Joan Pamela Engelberts, Laura N. Rix, Heidi M. Luter, Bettina Glasl, Nico Jehmlich, Katharina Kitzinger, Ira Cooke, Anton A. Legin, Craig William Herbold, Maximilian Marini, Katherine E. Dougan, Steven J. Robbins, Michael Wagner, Nicole S. Webster
This study examines how thermal stress affects microbial symbiosis and host activity in the sponge Ianthella basta, showing tissue regression, symbiont loss, and microbial shifts under elevated temperatures.
bioRxiv · Oct 2, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology