Nestled among the branchlets

 

 

We looked down to see this interesting seaweed on the beach today — Cumagloia andersonii.  It usually doesn't have little white specks on it, so we took a closer look.  Below you can see a hint of what's attached to it:

 

 

These are juvenile pelagic gooseneck barnacles (Lepas sp.).  That means it's likely the seaweed has been drifting offshore for a while (long enough for planktonic barnacles to find it, settle, and start to grow).  Although we often see Lepas attached to drift kelp, I couldn't recall seeing Lepas on Cumagloia before, so took a few documentary photos.  

 

Here's an even closer photo where you can see the barnacles nestled among the branchlets of the seaweed:

 

 

P.S.  Ocean temperatures off Bodega Head have been quite warm this week — up to ~16°C or >60°F.  It'll be interesting to keep an eye on these temperatures during the next couple of months.