Table 5. — Number and percentage of sponges taken by species and depth 



In the shallow-water area the wool sponges 

 have had a setback during the 2-year period 

 (1955-56). This was the result of local losses 

 of sponges by a disease in the shallow area 

 just north of Tarpon Springs and the dying of 

 large numbers of wool sponges in the shallow 

 water north of Steinhatchee after the hurricane 

 in October 1956. This latter loss was probably 

 caused by a freshening of the water (see sec- 

 tion on sponge disease). These losses are only 

 temporary, and the situation is expected to 

 return to normal within a few years in these 

 very limited areas. In the deeper water the 

 concentration of wool sponges is increasing and 

 additional areas are coming into production. 

 Part of the increase in landings can be at- 

 tributed to the increased number of diving 

 boats. The increase in the numbers of wool 

 sponges is very slow, and, in my opinion, there 

 is not likely to be any sudden expansion of the 

 sponge population. 



There are too few yellow and grass sponges 

 on the bars as yet to make any prediction of the 



trend. In 1957, however, it appeared that the 

 population of these sponges in some areas 

 was sufficient for large numbers of larvae 

 to be produced and their numbers to increase 

 rapidly during the following few years. Land- 

 ings in 1958 and 1959 carried out this predic- 

 tion. 



Factors Affecting Dispersion 



One of the more important aspects of the 

 present study was to determine what factors 

 were affecting the dispersion of the wool 

 sponges and how fast this dispersion was taking 

 place. With this information it should be pos- 

 sible to predict with some degree of accuracy 

 the new areas that will be producing sponges 

 within a given number of years, the extent of 

 those areas, and the potential landings of 

 sponges. These facts are of considerable im- 

 portance to both the sponge producer (the 

 sponge fisherman) and the sponge distributor, 

 who must have some idea of future production 

 in order to know what long-range advertising 



28 



