SponGES · Project

Deep-Sea Sponge Maps and Biotech Tools for Marine Industry and Drug Discovery

environmentPrototypeTRL 3Thin data (2/5)

Imagine vast underwater gardens made of sponges sitting on the deep ocean floor across the North Atlantic — most people don't even know they exist. These sponge beds are like coral reefs of the deep: they shelter other species, filter enormous amounts of water, and could contain chemicals useful for new medicines. A team of 23 research groups from 10 countries spent four years mapping where these sponge grounds are, figuring out how they're connected genetically, and exploring whether their unique chemistry could be tapped for drug discovery and tissue engineering — all while figuring out how to protect them from fishing and climate change.

By the numbers

consortium partners across disciplines

countries in the research network

total project deliverables produced

SME partner in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies in offshore industries, fisheries, and marine biotechnology face growing regulatory and market pressure around deep-sea ecosystems they know very little about. Without reliable maps and scientific data on vulnerable habitats like sponge grounds, they risk costly permit delays, compliance violations, or missing out on a largely unexplored source of bioactive compounds for pharmaceuticals.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered 55 outputs including initial habitat suitability maps of North Atlantic sponge grounds, predicted near-future distribution maps at decadal intervals, a geographic information system for sponge ground distribution, genomic and biogeochemical characterization of sponge species, and an ecosystem-based management plan for conservation and sustainable use.

Audience

Who needs this

Marine biotech companies screening for new drug compounds from deep-sea organismsOffshore oil and gas operators needing environmental impact assessment dataFishing fleet operators subject to deep-sea vulnerable ecosystem regulationsMarine environmental consultancies preparing permit applicationsGovernment agencies responsible for marine spatial planning

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Blue Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals

mid-size

Target: Biotech companies exploring marine-derived compounds for drug discovery

If you are a biotech company searching for new compound libraries for drug development — this project catalogued deep-sea sponge species across the North Atlantic using genomic methods and identified their biochemical potential for drug discovery and tissue engineering. With 55 deliverables including species characterization and metabolomic data, this gives you a head start on sourcing marine natural products from a largely untapped ecosystem.

Fisheries & Marine Resource Management

enterprise

Target: Fishing companies and marine spatial planning authorities

If you are a fishing company or marine management body dealing with regulatory pressure around vulnerable marine ecosystems — this project produced habitat suitability maps and predicted near-future distribution maps of sponge grounds at decadal intervals. These tools help you identify areas to avoid, reduce by-catch risk, and demonstrate compliance with deep-sea fishing regulations before costly enforcement actions.

Environmental Consulting & Offshore Engineering

any

Target: Marine environmental consultancies and offshore operators

If you are an environmental consultancy conducting impact assessments for offshore oil, gas, or mining projects — this project built a geographic information system covering sponge ground distribution across the North Atlantic. The predictive models and baseline maps from 23 partner institutions across 10 countries give you credible, peer-reviewed data to underpin environmental impact assessments and permitting applications.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access SponGES data or maps for commercial use?

The project was publicly funded under Horizon 2020 as a Research and Innovation Action, so most scientific outputs (maps, models, publications) should be openly accessible. Licensing terms for specific tools like the GIS system or biotechnology leads would need to be discussed directly with the coordinating university (Universitetet i Bergen).

Can the sponge-derived compounds be produced at industrial scale?

Based on available project data, SponGES focused on identifying the biotechnology potential of deep-sea sponges for drug discovery and tissue engineering — essentially an exploration and cataloguing phase. Scaling compound production from deep-sea organisms to industrial volumes would require significant additional development beyond what this project delivered.

What is the IP situation — can I license any of the findings?

The project was coordinated by Universitetet i Bergen (Norway) with 23 partners. IP from publicly funded EU projects typically belongs to the generating partner. Any commercial licensing of genomic data, compound libraries, or predictive models would need to be negotiated with the specific institution that produced them.

Are the habitat maps accurate enough for regulatory compliance?

The project produced initial habitat suitability maps and predicted near-future distribution maps of sponge grounds at decadal intervals across the North Atlantic. These were built by 11 universities and 8 research organizations, giving them strong scientific credibility. However, site-specific assessments may still require ground-truthing for formal regulatory submissions.

How current is this research given the project ended in 2020?

SponGES ran from 2016 to 2020 and produced 55 deliverables. The baseline maps and genomic datasets remain valuable as reference points since deep-sea ecosystems change slowly. However, the predictive climate models may benefit from updates with more recent oceanographic data.

Can the GIS system integrate with our existing marine planning tools?

Based on available project data, SponGES developed a geographic information system on sponge grounds covering the North Atlantic. Technical integration details would need to be discussed with the consortium, but as a research-grade GIS it likely uses standard geospatial formats compatible with commercial marine planning platforms.

Consortium

Who built it

The SponGES consortium of 23 partners across 10 countries is overwhelmingly academic — 11 universities and 8 research organizations make up 83% of the team, with just 1 industry partner and 1 SME (4% industry ratio). This is a red flag for near-term commercialization. The geographic spread across Norway, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, UK, US, and Canada is impressive for scientific coverage of the North Atlantic, but the near-absence of commercial partners means the outputs were designed for research audiences, not business users. Any company wanting to use these results commercially would need to invest in translating research outputs into operational tools.

UNIVERSITETET I BERGENCoordinator · NO
UNIVERSIDADE DO MINHOparticipant · PT
THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONSparticipant · IT
DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYparticipant · CA
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMparticipant · UK
UPPSALA UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
STUDIO ASSOCIATO GAIA SNC DEI DOTTORI ANTONIO SARA E MARTINA MILANESEparticipant · IT
HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM HEREON GMBHparticipant · DE
AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICASparticipant · ES
ALFRED-WEGENER-INSTITUT HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM FUR POLAR- UND MEERESFORSCHUNGparticipant · DE
IMAR - INSTITUTO DO MARparticipant · PT
STIFTELSEN NANSEN SENTER FOR MILJOOG FJERNMALINGparticipant · NO
UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOLparticipant · UK
CENTRO INTERDISCIPLINAR DE INVESTIGACAO MARINHA E AMBIENTALparticipant · PT
WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITYparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHTparticipant · NL
HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM FUR OZEANFORSCHUNG KIEL (GEOMAR)participant · DE
FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEESparticipant · US
BANGOR UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK
STICHTING NEDERLANDSE WETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK INSTITUTENparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAMparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

Coordinator is Universitetet i Bergen (Norway). Use SciTransfer's lookup service to find the right contact person.

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing sponge biotech data or access the marine habitat maps for your operations? SciTransfer can connect you with the right research team — contact us for a tailored introduction.

Order a report on this topic More in Environment & Climate