Overview
- Photos shared in the Sussex Underwater Facebook group on September 29 showed hundreds of living barnacles attached to a large piece of driftwood between Pagham and Aldwick.
- In Spain and Portugal the species is a prized delicacy, with reported prices reaching about £90 or €100 per kilogram.
- Sussex Wildlife Trust advised against attempts to refloat the driftwood for health and safety reasons, noting low survival odds for stranded colonies that often dry out or wash back in.
- Social media users discussed collecting the animals, while experts cautioned against eating specimens found on shore due to food safety risks unless cooked immediately.
- The crustaceans commonly attach to floating debris and vessel hulls, and their fouling can increase ships’ fuel consumption, with no official interventions reported at the site so far.