Cape Cod NS invertebrates. .

Marine invertebrates often serve as symbols of seashore environments. Their

value is more than emblematic though, as a wide-variety of species are of significant

ecological and economic importance. Many marine invertebrates are filter feeders

meaning they siphon small food particles from the water column into their digestive

systems. Though this type of feeding system is difficult to gauge with the naked eye, it plays an enormous role in marine

ecology. As these animals filter great volumes of water and consume much of the zoo- and phytoplankton in it, they greatly shape the chemical and biotic

composition of a given system. Further highlighting the importance of marine

invertebrates is the fact that shellfishing is an important industry in Massachusetts.

Protected Seashore salt marshes and estuaries serve as critical habitat for

oysters, scallops, and clams (among many other vertebrate species).

Cape Cod NS invertebrates..

Montez Lindsay