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The Porifera, sponges, are sessile benthic invertebrates that represent one of the oldest, if not the oldest metazoan lineage. Sponges comprise approximately 8,500 described species divided among 4 classes and maintain numerous roles in the marine ecosystem such as nutrient cycling, habitat forming, and symbiosis with several different organisms. Bacteria comprise nearly 50% of the sponge biomass leading to five types of interactions (mutualism, commensalism…) and are formidable opponents in the battel for benthic space by filter feeding.