Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Marine Invasions Research Lab, North American Sessile Marine Invertebrate Survey

As part of a national and global effort to understand and document patterns of invasion in marine coastal waters, we are collecting invertebrates from embayments across North America. Invertebrate collecting devices called settling plates are deployed at marinas, commercial and military docks in several embayments each year. Settling plates are constructed of both wood and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) so that both wood-boring species and hard surface foulers can be collected.