Yearly survey of barnacle settlement near creekbank plots at GCE LTER study sites in October 2023

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. Four species settled on poles and were counted and recorded: Chthamalus fragilis, Balanus spp., Geukensia demissa, and Oysters (Crassostrea virginica).