commensalism

Commensalism is a type of symbiotic relationship between two living organisms where one benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed. For example, barnacles attach themselves to the shell of a turtle. The barnacles gain a place to live and access to nutrients in the water, while the turtle is mostly unaffected by their presence. This interaction shows how species can coexist and share resources in an ecosystem without impacting each other’s survival negatively. Commensalism is an important concept in ecology, illustrating the complex interactions within nature.