Effects of Caribbean sponge extracts on bacterial attachment

Attachment is one of the first steps in bacterial colonization. By inhibiting bacterial attachment on surface cells, sponges may not only prevent infection, but also the process of biofouling. Crude organic extracts from 26 species of Caribbean sponges were assayed for their ability to inhibit bacterial attachment. Bacterial attachment was tested using Vibrio harveyi, a motile marine bacterium, isolated from seawater collected above one of the reefs from which sponges were sampled. Extracts were incorporated into agar blocks at concentrations volumetrically equivalent to whole sponge tissue. Extracts from 21 of 26 species (81%) resulted in bacterial attachment on treated blocks that was