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In the coastal marine environment countless species of algae and invertebrates use various methods of attaching to firm substrates to eke out their living. Think about anytime you’ve visited the seashore. Nearly everything is covered with weeds and unidentifiable animals. Buoys, docks, crab shells, oyster shells. Even other seaweeds are covered with hydroids, bryozoans and smaller seaweeds.
But I can guarantee you that there is one type of common marine animal you will never see anything growing on top of, even though its firm surface area would seem to be an ideal place for these biofouling organisms to grow on: Members of the class Asteroidea, or sea stars.
