Barnacles prefer upwelling currents, enriching food chains in the Galapagos
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 - 17:42
in Biology & Nature
There's been a rich debate in marine ecological circles about what happens to a key food source along rocky coastlines dominated by upwelling. The literature is filled with studies suggesting that the larvae of simple prey organisms such as barnacles and mussels hitch a ride on the coast-to-offshore currents typical of upwelling and are thus mostly absent in the coastal tidal zones.