Effect of Intertidal Height on Basal Diameter of Balanus glandula

Abstract

This study explores the relationships between abiotic and biotic factors within the intertidal and how they influence the size and composition of its inhabitants. Barnacles are often studied in intertidal environments because of their prevalence and the role they play in the lives of other intertidal organisms. The basal diameter sizes of the barnacle Balanus glandula were compared between the low, mid, and high intertidal heights of the Vancouver, BC shoreline in October 2020. These three intertidal heights vary significantly with the presence of certain abiotic and biotic factors that the organisms which live there are exposed to; and their effect on B. glandula diameter was analyzed. No differences were found in the sizes of the barnacles from each height of the intertidal, however, this may have been due to a few different causes. A more thorough exploration of the relationship between intertidal height and barnacle size could lead to interesting insights about the effects of predation, competition, weather, or desiccation on the barnacle life cycle and growth rates.