Scientific Name:Cirripedia
Distribution: Coasts all over the world
The humble barnacle is related to animals like crabs
and lobsters. All 1,220 barnacle sub-species are
“filter-feeders”, which means that they get their
nourishment by filtering the water for tiny par ticles.
In the process they remove impurities and elements,
which, if left to build up, would make the water dir ty.
They basically clean the oceans.
Barnacles don’t move around; they grow their
shells directly on the hard sur faces they settle
on. They usually live in big groups to increase the
probability of some sur viving if a creature with a
taste for barnacles were to show up. Predators of the
barnacle are sea snails, mussels and cer tain species
of star fish.Scientific Name: Ostreidae
Distribution: All oceans in the world
Oysters have been eaten by humans for thousands
of years. However, besides being a source of food,
oysters play an impor tant role in the environment.
Oysters feed on phytoplankton, filtering them from
the water. While feeding, oysters also filter things
like excess nitrogen from the water. Nitrogen is a
chemical found in most fer tilisers, and can be highly
polluting in large quantities.
Each oyster can live for around 20 years, and
during its lifetime, can filter more than a million litres
of water. Imagine what a whole bed of oysters can
do! The next time you eat an oyster, do spare a
thought for its contribution to the marine environment.
BARNACLES
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