Silicon isotope fractionation by marine siliceous sponges

The stable isotope composition of benthic sponge spicule silica is a potential source of palaeoceanographic information about past deep seawater chemistry. The silicon isotope composition of spicules has been shown to relate to the silicic acid concentration of ambient water. However, existing calibrations do exhibit a degree of scatter in the relationship, and there are many open questions surrounding the mechanism behind isotopic fractionation during biosilicification. Here, we present a new study of silicon isotopes in siliceous sponges, covering a range of ancestral lineages, marine environments and geographical locations, and the impact of cleaning methods of silicon isotope compositions. We show that the cleaning method has minimal impact on silicon isotope composition of sponge spicules. Our results highlight the importance of environmental and biological factors on silicon isotope fractionation, and we discuss the implications of these results on the use of palaeoceanographic applications of sponge spicules.