HRAP Online Encyclopedia

Marine Worms

Although difficult to distinguish from each other, there are many phylums of worms, meaning that different types of worms are far more distantly related than they appear. Marine worms play multiple roles in the ecosystem including predators, prey, parasites, and decomposers that scavenge for dead animal and plant material. Below are overviews and commonly seen species of several of the major worm phylums found at Haystack Rock.