Slipper limpets are single shelled creatures but they can usually be found in clusters of around 10 animals. Individually the slipper limpets look like slippers with a rounded top to their shell.
Slipper limpets are usually slightly pink in colour. You can usually find their dead shells washed up on the beaches of the National Park.
Slipper Limpets live in the inter-tidal zone and are a common sight on the beaches of the New Forest. They were accidently introduced to Britain from America with Oysters in 1887.
Slipper limpets form chains of ten or more individuals. The individual at the top of the chain is female and the one at the bottom is male. All the others are somewhere in between! In fact slipper limpets have the ability to change sex. This chain adds protection from predators and provides extra weight to prevent them from being washed away by strong currents.
Filter feeder - Slipper limpets filter plankton from sea water and uses mucus to bind the particles together.
Rising sea levels represent a big threat to coastal habitats and species. Within the National Park saline lagoons and salt marshes are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and could be lost completely. Litter is also a big problem on the coast.
Why not help make a difference to global warming: reduce, re-use and recycle!