Mom, do we need to wear shoes? Yes, you need shoes when swimming or kayaking in the Bay! Luckily, we have oyster beds and barnacles, but they do also cut our feet, especially at low tide. We can’t always see or reach the bottom, but they are present. These are the lowest 2 steps to our dock ladder, complete with the permanently affixed creatures! Both barnacles and oysters are sessile (stationary creatures) that have sharp edged shells.
Barnacles are crustaceans that are related to crabs. They are not only important to the estuarine food web, but also filter the water with the little feathery appendages, called cirri, that they extend out of their shells when feeding.
Oysters are mollusks that also busy filter feeding and cleaning the Bay water. They stabilize the sand and mud at the bottom. Oyster reefs also provide food and habitat, both at low and high tide.
So, we wear shoes to be safe and love them both!
