Yearly survey of barnacle settlement near creekbank plots at GCE LTER study sites in October 2021

To characterize spatial variation in barnacle recruitment at the creekbank, and across a gradient in salinity and distance to ocean, we deployed PVC poles to passive sample barnacle settlement. Eight poles were deployed between 4-5m apart adjacent to the creekbank vegetation monitoring plots at each GCE LTER permanent monitoring site each Fall beginning in 2012. These poles were then collected the following Fall and all barnacle that settled on the poles were identified and counted on 50cm-long sections of the 8, 3/4" diameter PVC poles. Although a few other barnacle species are occur within this estuary, only two species settled on poles: Chlathamus fragilis and Balanus spp. This year Geukensia and Oysters that settled on the poles were counted and recorded.