Freshwater sponges in the southeastern U.S. harbor unique microbiomes that are influenced by host and environmental factors.

Marine, and more recently, freshwater sponges are known to harbor unique microbial symbiotic communities relative to the surrounding water; however, our understanding of the microbial ecology and diversity of freshwater sponges is vastly limited compared to those of marine sponges. Here we analyzed the microbiomes of three freshwater sponge species: , , and , across four sites in western North Carolina, U.S.