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Meet the worm snail, an animal that sticks itself to tidal rocks

Biscayne National Park, Florida–A worm snail is an animal that looks like spaghetti stuck to a rock. It’s one of the more interesting species found today in the bioblitz in Biscayne National Park, Florida. Some 150 scientists and 1,500 volunteers and students swarmed over the park’s 172,000 acres to catalog every species on land, sea,...

Biscayne National Park, Florida–A worm snail is an animal that looks like spaghetti stuck to a rock. It’s one of the more interesting species found today in the bioblitz in Biscayne National Park, Florida.

Biscayne Bioblitz 2010.jpg

Some 150 scientists and 1,500 volunteers and students swarmed over the park’s 172,000 acres to catalog every species on land, sea, and air.

Gustav Paulay, Curator of Marine Malacology at Florida Museum of Natural History, headed for Elliott Key, an island in the middle of the park. There, on Pleistocene rock in the tidal zone he found a number of fascinating animals, including the worm snail.

Watch the video to hear him describe his find and his work:

Posted by David Braun

More details about the 2010 bioblitz

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Author Photo David Max Braun
More than forty years in U.S., UK, and South African media gives David Max Braun global perspective and experience across multiple storytelling platforms. His coverage of science, nature, politics, and technology has been published/broadcast by the BBC, CNN, NPR, AP, UPI, National Geographic, TechWeb, De Telegraaf, Travel World, and Argus South African Newspapers. He has published two books and won several journalism awards. In his 22-year career at National Geographic he was VP and editor in chief of National Geographic Digital Media, and the founding editor of the National Geographic Society blog, hosting a global discussion on issues resonating with the Society's mission and initiatives. He also directed the Society side of the Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship, awarded to Americans seeking the opportunity to spend nine months abroad, engaging local communities and sharing stories from the field with a global audience. A regular expert on National Geographic Expeditions, David also lectures on storytelling for impact. He has 120,000 followers on social media: Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn