Oliver Voigt

This study uses DNA barcoding data to analyze shallow-water demosponge biodiversity in the Indo-Pacific, revealing patterns of connectivity, endemism, and distribution with higher resolution than previous morphology-based studies.

The paper shows ecological filtering, not coevolution, better predicts microbiome composition in marine sponges, using phylogenetic and trait-based analyses.

The paper identifies gene expression patterns and regulatory mechanisms in the calcareous sponge Sycon ciliatum that parallel those in stony corals, suggesting convergent evolution in biomineralization.