Unveiling the Underexplored: An Updated Checklist and New Records of Porifera from the Libyan Coast

This study presents the first comprehensive checklist of Porifera along the Libyan coast, integrating historical data from grey and published literature with new records obtained from recent field surveys. Despite the historical relevance of sponge fisheries in Libya, knowledge of sponge diversity in the region remains remarkably fragmented. To address this gap, underwater surveys were conducted at the Gara and Bsis Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), where sponge specimens were collected and identified through morphological analyses. Previous studies documented 44 sponge species in Libya, with Demospongiae as the dominant class. The recent field surveys at the Gara and Bsis Island MPAs documented a total of nine species, including two new records for Libyan waters, Chalinula renieroides and Ircinia variabilis, both identified from the Gara MPA. These new records expand the known distribution of Mediterranean demosponges and contribute to a better understanding of their biogeographic patterns in an understudied region. Overall, the updated checklist comprises 46 species and represents an essential baseline for the Libyan coast. This study underscores the importance of future monitoring, emphasizing the expansion of systematic surveys, the investigation of diverse habitats, and the integration of molecular approaches to ensure a comprehensive understanding and effective conservation of Libya’s marine sponge heritage.