Project:

Cirripedia: Parasitic Brachyura

Students:

Krystian Makocki, Andelis Adalis, Taylor Lobor

School:

Christ the King, Queens

Mentors:

Bob Mackey

Abstract:

Barnacles impact human health by attaching to man-made objects and decreasing their usability. The most common example is the attachment of barnacles to the underside of boats, which increases drag, thus decreasing the speed of the boats. This problem increasing the total fuel spent on fuel and increases cost further when these barnacles must be removed. Research by the National Ocean Service concludes that barnacles increase fuel costs by as much as 40%. Furthermore, these barnacles decrease structural integrity, causing problems for docks that are held up by supports when these supports are infested by barnacles and putting humans on these docks in danger. With over 1,400 possible species of barnacle, there are many possibilities as to the identity of barnacles around Long Island. Furthermore, distinction between parasitic and sedentary barnacles provides a great divide of evolutionary distinction.

Poster:

Team samples: