What are Bryozoa?
Bryozoa, or moss animals, is a phylum consisting of small colonial invertebrates that form colonies in aquatic habitats. The shape of these colonies varies among the different species, and some species create three-dimensional structures that act as habitats for other organisms. In addition to this, bryozoan colonies filter nutrients from the water and serve as a food source for other aquatic organisms. About 6000 species exist today worldwide and about 300 species have been registered in Norway.
The “NorDigBryo” Project
The main goal of this project is to gather new information about the bryozoan species that live along the Norwegian coast. This will be achieved by going through unidentified samples, process and update collection material from museums and collect new samples from marine habitats.
This project will also include workshops with experts in the field to help increase the knowledge about bryozoans in Norway. An additional outcome of the project will be the online publication of identification keys to make it easier for people to acquire more knowledge about the Norwegian species. A library of images of the different species will supplement the identification keys.
Funding
This project is funded by Artsdatabanken.
