Bryozoans

Bryozoans

Bryozoans are colonial animals of uncertain evolutionary descent. They may be related to freshwater rotifers. Bryozoans are found in the lower intertidal to subtidal zones, attached to a firm substrate, and also in brackish water. Individual animals are too small to see with the naked eye.

Bryozoan growth forms range from encrusting, forming coatings on hard surfaces, to bushy. An entire colony may bear a superficial resemblance to a hydroid colony, although bryozoans are internally more advanced than cnidarians. Bryozoan colonies grow to 3", and are occasionally larger.

Bryozoan anatomy
Note separate mouth and anus, unlike hydroid
Spiral Tufted Byozoans
Spiral Tufted Byozoans Amanthia spp

H10284/88 -- OPR-C147-WH-88; AN OBSTRUCTION WAS FOUND WITH AN ESTIMATED DEPTH OF 33 FT; OBSTRUCTION IS 269M SW OF CHARTED POSITION OF THIS ITEM AND 81M SW OF POSITION OF ITEM 1571; EVALUATOR BELIEVES THAT THIS CONTACT IS THIS ITEM OR ITEM 4600; THERE ARE OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE VICINITY OF THE AWOIS ITEM THAT WERE LOCATED BY THE PRESENT SURVEY, BUT THIS IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AND HAS AN ESTIMATED HEIGHT THAT IS CLOSE TO THE CHARTED INFORMATION. (UPDATED MSD 6/91)

FE330SS/89 -- OPR-C147-HE-89; CONTACT #22 FROM SURVEY H-10284/88; DIVERS INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE REMAINS OF A LARGE WOODEN WRECK WHICH IS BADLY BROKEN UP, DETERIORATED, AND STREWN ABOUT THE BOTTOM; SEVERAL LARGE TIMBERS RISE AT ANGLES ABOVE THE GENERAL TREND OF THE WRECK; TIMBERS ARE MOST LIKELY THE RIBS FROM THE WRECK; LEADLINE LEAST DEPTH WAS TAKEN BY DIVERS ON THE AFTERMOST VERTICAL TIMBER; DUE TO THE DETERIORATED CONDITION OF WRECK, POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION IS NOT POSSIBLE; HOWEVER, DIVERS REPORTED THAT THE WRECKAGE WAS MORE LIKELY A BARGE THAN A WAR VESSEL (AWOIS ITEM 1571) (UPDATED MSD 6/91)