Low genetic diversity and predation threaten a rediscovered marine sponge.

Discovered in 1819 in the tropical waters off Singapore, the magnificent Neptune's cup sponge Cliona patera (Hardwicke, 1820) was harvested for museums and collectors until it was presumed extinct worldwide for over a century since 1907. Recently in 2011, seven living individuals were rediscovered in Singapore with six relocated to a marine protected area in an effort to better monitor and protect the population, as well as to enhance external fertilisation success. To determine genetic diversity within the population, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes and nuclear ribosomal DNA of these six individuals and found extremely limited variability in their genes.

Assessing the Diversity and Biomedical Potential of Microbes Associated With the Neptune's Cup Sponge, .

Marine sponges are known to host a complex microbial consortium that is essential to the health and resilience of these benthic invertebrates. These sponge-associated microbes are also an important source of therapeutic agents. The Neptune's Cup sponge, , once believed to be extinct, was rediscovered off the southern coast of Singapore in 2011.