Studying bryozoans

Educational value

• Bryozoans, sometimes known as moss animals, are a group of animals that live in colonies. Each colony may vary in number, from just a few individuals up to millions of animals. Bryozoans consume single-celled algae and form a structure, known as a thicket, in which many other animals such as sea stars and fish take shelter.
• Bryozoans play an important role in marine ecosystems, particularly in Australian and New Zealand waters where they are relatively large and numerous compared to the northern hemisphere. However, they are likely to be affected by an increase in ocean acidity. Bryozoans are useful for studying the potential consequences of changes to ocean acidity.
• Ocean acidification is the lowering of ocean pH due to increased absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. As oceans become more acidic, there is less calcium carbonate available in them. Calcium carbonate is required for the production of shells and skeletons of marine species.
• Abby Smith is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Otago, New Zealand. She is a biogeochemist who began studying bryozoans more than 20 years ago when they were not well understood. In the clip, Smith identifies one of the reasons for her interest in bryozoans: that there has been so little research done on these animals.

Topics Acidification