The situation in question illustrates the competitive exclusion principle by demonstrating how the two species were forced to occupy different locations due to the fact that they share the same niche (meaning that they occupy the same role in an ecosystem).
The competitive exclusion principle states that two species that occupy the same niche cannot co-exist in the same ecosystem. At the very least, they cannot co-exist while maintaining a stable population value. What this means is that since the two species of barnacles have the same niche, which is to feed on plankton using the same methods, they cannot occupy the same location.
This principle is demonstrated by the question that was given because it shows that despite being in close proximity, the two species of barnacle, which share the same niche, have differentiated to occupy different locations in order to avoid competing for the food source present in one.
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