Habitat
Bugula neritina is an aquatic organism that lives in colonies called zooids. Zooids can be found in temperate, subtropical, and tropical waters. The Bugula neritina take root near the coasts of such waters. In 1905, they were first discovered along the California coasts (The Exotics Guide, 2011).
To see more marine organisms that live on the California coast, click here!
Now, it has been recorded that these organisms have been found all over the world from the Algeciras Bay, Spain to the coasts of North Carolina (Conrad et al 2000)! The movement of these organisms all over the world is believed to be primarily caused by hull fouling, or attaching to a side of the ship (The Exotics Guide, 2011.) Bugula neritina colonize on hard surfaces. For example, rocks and floating docks (Collin, Wendt 2006). They also like to live beside and sometimes on oyster beds (The Exotics Guide, 2011).
Bugula neritina typically surround themselves with drift algae, seagrasses, and breakwaters. These other organisms, such as macroalgae, can provide support for the organism (Hill, 2010). If you are walking along the Pacific or Atlantic coast, you may get a chance to see one of these reddish, sessile, intriguing organisms!