This is SeaTalk: Ocean News from the University of Delaware.

They live attached to pier pilings, rocks, ships’ bottoms, and even other marine animals such as whales, but how do barnacles work? They start out as tiny larvae that swim about freely in the water. As they grow, they are attracted to other barnacles and use their front two antennae to crawl into place. They then glue themselves in position with a very strong cement-like substance that allows them to stay in the same spot for their entire three- to five-year lifespan. The cement is so strong that a very thin layer can support a weight of 7,000 pounds! Inside their shells, these shrimplike animals actually stand on their heads and use their wispy hair-like feet to filter for food — tiny plants and animals drifting in the water known as plankton.

This is SeaTalk, a public service announcement from the University of Delaware, the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, and this station.