Acorn Barnacle

Acorn barnacles tend to group in cooler, wetter spots on the intertidal zone, especially in shaded cracks lower down the shore. Some even live on animals with hard shells like snails or crabs!

Besides growing on rocks and shells, acorn barnacles also have a tendency to grow on man-made hard surfaces in the sea such as jetties, sea walls and even on the hulls of ships. This is known as biofouling and it is detrimental to shipping because the barnacles can slow ships down while making them use more fuel. Biofouling prevention is an active field of research and new ways to combat biofouling are constantly being developed.